She’d planned on having them say what they were thankful for, but this day was all about Gael, and she was planning to say yes to anything he could think to ask for today, as long as it wasn’t dangerous or expensive.
“Of course,” she told him.
They began loading up their plates while Gael told her about all the different movies he’d found for them to watch after dinner, and his opinion on which ones might be really good. She wasn’t surprised when he seemed most interested in the most dramatic options.
Gael’s parents had never really been part of the picture, but he and his grandmother shared a beautiful life together until he lost her last year around this time. And in addition to passing along her passion for delicious home cooking, his abuela had also given the boy an enduring love of soap operas.
This preference for a story full of unexpected twists and turns spilled over into the comic books Gael loved to read, staying up to all hours whenever he was allowed, with his flashlight and his beloved superheroes and space invaders. And it always impacted his choice of movies for the weekly movie night Jenny had instituted soon after he arrived at her apartment.
Of course they kept up with Abuela’s stories too, pulling up an episode each day after school and watching it with bated breath while they snacked on homemade pretzels or bowls of sliced fruit with yogurt. Jenny had never really watched the soaps before, but she had quickly grown to look forward to the fun ritual. Each of them had a favorite character, and they loved trying to predict what might happen next in the wild storylines. Jenny’s guesses usually missed the mark, but Gael was good enough at it that she wondered if he might want to be a writer himself one day.
For now, she was just happy that they were settling into a routine together, and learning to live day by day alongside their ghosts.
Back when she’d first applied to be a foster parent, Jenny had left her teaching job to work online, doing homeschool tutoring for a big company. She had pictured herself caring for a baby or a toddler, and maybe even being allowed to adopt them one day, and she’d thought a more flexible work-from-home schedule would be a help with a little one.
But when the first call came, it was for an eight-year-old boy who had just lost his only family. And her whole heart told her instantly that he was her son.
It turned out that working from home was still a blessing. Even though Gael spent his days at school, Jenny was very glad to be right there waiting the moment he got off the bus.
She only wished that Jason were still here, and Gael could be coming home to a real family.
But if Jason were here, she wasn’t sure they would have chosen to adopt a child, so maybe things had turned out as they were supposed to. Life was complicated, but sometimes it led you through a sea of pain, only to land among such unexpected sweetness.
“Hey, can we do that thing?” Gael asked suddenly.
His plate was still half full, but he was leaned back in his chair, patting his belly. They had barely made a dent in all the food, but it would be nice to enjoy the leftovers all week.
“What thing?” she asked.
“You know, like on TV,” he said. “Where you say what you’re thankful for?”
“Oh yes,” she said, smiling. “I was hoping we would do that.”
“You first,” he said.
“Okay,” she said, taking a moment to gather herthoughts. “I’m so thankful that you’re my son, Gael. You’re so much fun to spend time with, you taught me how to appreciate a good story, and you’re so patient when we cook something new. I’m really thankful that I get to be your mom. And I’m thankful to have a job, and a roof over our heads, and good food to eat too.”
She braced herself for him to tell her she was being corny or overly sentimental, but she didn’t need to worry—that wasn’t his style.
“That’s nice,” Gael said with a gentle smile.
“Thanks,” she told him. “Your turn now.”
“Okay,” he said, looking around the table. “I’m thankful for all this good food. And I’m thankful for the Christmas episode ofRidley Hospitalcoming up. And I’m thankful for my teachers. But mostly, I’m thankful for mymom.”
He stopped on the word mom, knowing it hit Jenny hard every time.
And like always, she felt tears prickling her eyes as she smiled at him.
“Hey, the candle went out,” Gael said, looking at the candle closest to the drafty window.
“Oh dear,” Jenny said.
“Can I light it?” Gael asked.
“Only because I’m right here with you,” Jenny said carefully. “The lighter is the junk drawer in the kitchen.”
Gael darted off to the kitchen.
