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The boys all jump up and race into the dining room. Matthew and Nolan elbow each other to get to their seats, and Matthew ends up knocking Nolan over. Cindy comes up behind them, whacking them over their heads as they both sheepishly say, “Sorry, Mom.”
Cindy just harrumphs and starts to bring food to the table. Sara, Steve, and my mom carry plates while I grab the ice bucket and jug of lemonade.
We all sit down, and Cindy starts our tradition of saying something we’re thankful for. “I am thankful for my family and five healthy kids. Even though none of them have partners or have given me grandchildren,” she says, and a chorus of groans sounds from the table while Cindy just smiles.
My mom goes next since she’s to the right of Cindy. “I am thankful for my daughter and my amazing job.”
“I am thankful for this crazy group of people who let us into their family,” I say.
“I'm thankful for my zoo,” Sara says about the menagerie of animals she’s rescued.
Matthew goes next. “I’m thankful my body hasn’t quit on me, and I can still play soccer.”
“I’m thankful for knowledge and the ability to learn more,” Carter says amid coughs of “nerd” from his brothers. He just shrugs his shoulders and rolls his eyes.
“I’m thankful for my job,” Adam says.
We all hold our breath for Nolan’s because you never know what’s going to come out of his mouth. “I’m thankful for this amazing feast,” he pauses and we all wait, wondering if there will be more. “And my incredibly handsome face.” He grins, and the boys all throw wadded-up napkins at him.
Steve rolls his eyes and says, “I’m thankful for my kids and my amazing wife who slaved away all morning to make this delicious meal, so let's get to it.”
The boys cheer and we all start digging in. It’s chaos. Cindy tries to direct it, but it's a lost cause with everyone doing their own thing. I sit back and watch these people I love and wonder if Tucker’s Thanksgiving is anything like this.
I invited him to come with me, but he said he’s having dinner with his aunt and uncle. I’m glad he has them and he’s not by himself today. When he mentioned his dad’s drinking on our date, it made me wonder about the dynamic between the two of them.
He seems to avoid talking about him whenever he can. If something comes up about his dad, he deflects and changes the subject. Living in a small gossipy town, we all know about Tucker’s dad and his drinking. He’s not the best of people. I don’t know how Tucker turned out as well as he did.
I would bet it’s the influence of his Uncle Jack and spending so much time at the station. Tucker told me the other day he started working there when he was sixteen and has loved it ever since.
Conversation around the table flows back and forth with one group talking about one topic and another group talking about something different.
Sara leans over to me. “You doing okay? You’re a lot quieter than normal.”
“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just feeling very grateful you guys share this day with us.”
“Any particular reason you’re so sentimental today?”
“I was just thinking about Tucker and hoping he’s having a good day. I mean, you know his dad. He’s not a nice man.”
“I kind of forgot about Tucker's dad. Most of the time I just think Chief James is Tucker’s dad instead of his uncle.”
“I know, me too.”
“Does he ever talk about his dad?”
“No, not really. I think there’s more to the story than the little bit I know, but I’m not sure what it is.”
“Well, maybe one day he’ll tell you.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
I hope there’s a day where Tucker feels comfortable enough to tell me about his past, but I don’t think he’d willingly tell me anything. He comes across as this big intimidating guy who lets nothing bother him, but as I’ve gotten to know him better, he actually feels things on a very deep level.
Which has made me fall just a little deeper in love with him, and yes, I know how crazy I sound. It’s only been a few weeks, but after allowing our connection to grow, it’s gotten intense very quickly.
“Natalie, how are the plans for the gala going?” Adam asks.
“Good so far! We hit a couple of snags early on, but everything is smooth sailing now. We’ve doubled the number of RSVPs since last year already, and we still have a few weeks to go.”
