Dad’s called a few times, but I’m not ready to talk to him. Last week he left a voicemail saying Mom told him about Cooper and that he’d like to meet him. He offered for us to stay with him over winter break, but even if Cooper comes with Sloane and me on our touristy trip through the city, I won’t be staying with my dad.
I honestly have no idea if or when I’ll be ready to forgive him—or to see the disappointment on his face when he learns I’m not applying to Columbia. Apparently, getting past wanting to make him happy is going to take some time.
“All right, I can’t take it anymore. Time to snack on those cheese cubes in the fridge,” Sloane says, standing. “And maybe harass your mom about dinner.”
“Please do,” I say, finishing up the portion of the application with my volunteer experiences. Listing the Falling Leaves Festival feels like cheating. Ididhelp out, but I think I benefited more than Aunt Naomi.
“Yeah, I’m really not trying to die on Ellis’s bedroom floor,” Asher says.
He follows Sloane downstairs, and Cooper grins at me, his thick hair flopping over his forehead and his dimple lighting a spark in my belly.
“What?” I ask.
“I’m just really proud of you.”
I smile at him. “Um, why?”
He nods at my computer. “This is a big deal.”
I shrug, even though he’s right. “I guess so.”
He leans in and kisses me—something I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of.
“Okay, break it up, you two.” I pull away from Cooper and turn to find Jake standing in the doorway with a covered dish.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Ham. My mom said if I was going to come here on Thanksgiving, I had to bring something.”
“You can put it in the kitchen,” I tell him.
“Wait!” Cooper says. “Bring it here.”
“O-kay…” Jake carries it over and hands it to Cooper, who sets it on the bed.
I send Sloane a text:Come fast.
Cooper uncovers the dish, and we salivate over the hot sliced ham. Sloane and Asher come jogging into the room carrying a bag of cheese cubes.
“Friendsgiving,” I announce.
We all pile onto my bed and eat straight from the dish while Jake tells us about his drama-filled Thanksgiving dinner, how he’s been texting with Fern nonstop, and how he’s pretty sure he’s going to get his first-ever A—in physics, of course.
Just before we finish off the ham and cheese cubes, Sloane shouts, “Hold on!”
We all freeze, our final bites halfway to our mouths.
“We have to go around and say what we’re thankful for, right?” she says. “ItisThanksgiving after all.”
“Sure. I’ll start,” Asher says. “I’m thankful to be passing Spanish.”
“Amen to that!” Jake says. They clink their cheese cubes together as if they’re glasses. “I’m grateful for my parents—”
“Awww,” I say, impressed by his genuinely sweet answer.
“You didn’t let me finish,” Jake says. “I’m grateful for my parents, whose awesome genes made me look this good.”
I frown at him, and he laughs. Cooper rolls his eyes, and Sloane gives a look that says,Well, he’s not wrong.
