Chapter 45
Chapter Forty-Five
Emma
D rinks are flowing, people are scattered everywhere, and the Parkers’ house has the warm cozy Thanksgiving vibe. The one that means home and family to me , and has since the very first Thanksgiving I came here. The one Julie dragged me to when I couldn’t bear the thought of going home to my grandparents’ house to be surrounded by the memories of my parents and our special Thanksgiving traditions, reminded again and again of everything I had lost.
Today, I look around from my perch on the living room couch and am filled with so much gratitude for everything I have gained.
Hallie is sitting on Ben’s lap in a chair in the corner, his arms wrapped around her, whispering into her ear like they are the only two people in the world. Julie is standing by Steven Parker’s bar set up, arguing with Jordan about something while Asher stares at her with a dopey grin on his face. Molly and Allie are deep in conversation with Hallie’s sisters Jo and Hannah. Rachel is laughing with Hallie’s mom Becca over something on Becca’s phone. Steven and Hallie’s dad are in the kitchen checking on dinner.
Maddy is sprawled on the living room floor with Jeremy and Jeremy’s brother Brian, pouring over a book of hockey stats. A couple weeks ago, Rachel clued Maddy in to exactly how good of a hockey player Jeremy used to be, and ever since then Maddy has been obsessed with hockey stats—Jeremy’s and everyone else’s—a hobby Jeremy is all too eager to encourage.
What a difference a few weeks makes.
Jeremy glances up from the book and catches me looking at him, tossing me a grin and a wink before pointing something out in the book to Maddy, one hand stroking idly over her hair while she peppers him with questions.
Watching them together will never, ever get old.
“Fuck, they’re cute together.” Molly sits down next to me on the couch, handing me a drink.
“No margs. Steven is all about the seasonal cocktails tonight. That’s an apple cider something or other. I honestly blacked out while he was listing all the ingredients. You know how he can get.”
“You talking about my dad?” Julie sits down on my other side, her own drink in hand. “He went down a Google rabbit hole of seasonal cocktails last week and he wouldn’t be stopped. It’s pretty good though.” She shrugs and takes a sip.
“No margs tonight means we need a tacos and margs night this week,” Hallie says, taking the last seat on this side of the sectional next to Molly. “Tuesday night, we’re going out. Tell your people.”
“I assume you’re talking to them.” Molly waves a hand at Julie and me. “You are my only people.”
“You know,” Hallie starts, seeming to consider her words carefully. “If you ever decided to give one of those men you like to toy with an actual second date, you could have more people than just us.”
“Been there, done that, no fucking thank you,” Molly says a little too forcefully. “One day you’re happy and in love and the next day it all falls apart because shit happens you can’t control and there isn’t even anyone to blame because it’s no one’s fault. It’s just bad luck and bad timing and you can’t even be mad at anyone, so instead, you’re just sad and I’ll pass on that, thank you very much. Never, ever again.”
Julie, Hallie and I stare at each other and then as one, we all turn to Molly who is staring down at her hands and breathing rapidly, her face turning red like she didn’t mean to say all that.
Julie breaks the silence. “Uh, something you want to share, Mol?”
Molly heaves a sigh and takes a long sip of her drink, downing the glass in one shot. “No. Sorry about that. Just a bad breakup. It’s fine; it was a long time ago. It just sneaks up on me sometimes. Anyone want another drink?”
Molly pops up from the couch and walks away without a backward glance.
“So…that happened.” Hallie keeps her eyes on Molly, watching her disappear into the kitchen.
“What the fuck was it?” Julie looks at me like I might have the answer. And while I usually do, this time I’m clueless. For the first time, Molly is a closed book to me, and that concerns me more than anything.
“No idea. But let’s keep a closer eye on her, yeah? Obviously, something is going on, and we’ll be there for her, whatever it is.”
“Always,” Hallie says.
“Em, I’m so glad Jeremy’s brother came in for Thanksgiving.” Julie shifts on the couch so she’s facing us.
I nod, taking a sip of my drink.
Jeremy has been talking to Brian a lot over the last few weeks. He took another trip down to Maryland so they could spend some more time together, and Brian spent a weekend with us here. It was tentative at first, but Maddy fell in love with Brian immediately. Her enthusiastic and unquestioning acceptance helped Jeremy and Brian’s relationship more than any deep conversation ever could.
They have some work to do, but the initial awkwardness has passed, and they are well on their way to being the kind of family they both deserve. When Jeremy heard that Brian didn’t have any Thanksgiving plans, he was quick to invite him here. And when Rachel found out Jeremy was bringing a brother he just met to Thanksgiving dinner? Well, let’s just say that she is squarely in her element.
“I’m glad too. I think it’s been good for both of them to have this time together.”
“Did I hear him say he was thinking about moving here?” Julie asks, glancing over to watch as Brian and Maddy have an animated conversation about something or other while Jeremy laughs next to them.
“He’s thinking about it. He’s selling his parents’ house, and I don’t know exactly what he does, but apparently he can work anywhere and wants out of the city where he grew up.”
“I’m happy for them both,” Hallie murmurs. “They’ve been through so much. They deserve this.”
“They have,” I agree, my eyes glued to the trio on the floor, my heart filled with so much love it shouldn’t be able to hold anymore. But then Jeremy turns, and his eyes meet mine, and the look on his face has my heart expanding even more.
“Holy hell, Em. How do you not just burst right into flames when he looks at you like that?” Molly says, returning from wherever she went and flopping back down onto the couch, all traces of her previous outburst erased from her face.
“I mean, there’s hot and then there’s…whatever that is.”
I snort out a laugh even though she’s right. Jeremy sets my entire world on fire. My mind flashes to the note he slipped into my hand earlier this morning. He doesn’t leave them as often now—he’s more comfortable telling me what’s on his mind than he used to be. But he still sometimes does and they’re a little…dirtier than they used to be. With a seven-year-old in the house we’ve had to get creative, and his notes have been a fun little way to do it.
Ems,
I can’t wait to fuck you later tonight.
Let’s do that thing with the belt again.
Can’t wait to see you all spread out for me.
I fucking love you.
Jeremy
I watch as Jeremy pushes up from the floor and walks straight to me. He takes my hand and pulls me up from the couch, kissing my cheek and sliding an arm around my waist.
“Excuse me ladies, I need to steal my girl for a second.”
“I just bet you do,” mutters Molly.
Jeremy grins and winks at her before he pulls me away into the dining room. It’s empty of people, the table perfectly set and ready for all of us to take our seats. Pressing me against the wall, Jeremy brings his mouth to mine, kissing me softly before pulling away and tugging me closer to him.
“What was that for?” I wind my arms around him and play with the hair at the nape of his neck.
“Just wanted to kiss my girl. It’s been way too long since I had those lips on mine. Gimme, Ems.”
He leans forward and kisses me again, a hand on my cheek and one on my waist, anchoring me to his strong body, and butterflies swarm my stomach. Right here is the love I’ve always hoped I would find. The love I saw between my parents. The love Rachel and Steven share. The love Hallie has with Ben and Julie has with Asher. The kind that lasts lifetimes.
“Kiss the girl on your own time, Jeremy.” Rachel’s voice is loud and commanding, but her face is lit up in a grin as she takes us in.
“Sorry,” I mumble.
“Please,” she waves us away. “I’ve caught more of you making out in this dining room than I care to think about. You all seem to really like that corner. Now, go make yourself useful and call everyone to the table. Dinner’s ready.”
Jeremy turns around and yells, “Dinner’s ready!” before he kisses me again, laughing against my lips at Rachel’s grumble of “I could have done that myself.”
“Can you stop kissing already? It’s time for dinner.”
I laugh at Maddy’s exasperated voice as we break apart, and Jeremy bends down to swing her up into his arms.
“Little Red, the day I don’t want to kiss Emma anymore will be a sad, sad day.”
“Okay but can you kiss her later so we can sit now? I never had Thanksgiving like this before, and Rachel said I could pick any seat I want, right?” Maddy glances over at Rachel for confirmation.
“You sure can, Maddy girl.” Rachel’s voice wavers a little in response and when I look at her, she’s smiling, eyes filled with unshed tears as she looks from me to Jeremy to Maddy.
Maddy glances around as everyone files into the dining room. At Molly ribbing Julie for something as Asher slides an arm around her waist, and Jordan kissing Allie, and Ben wrapping his arms around Hallie, and Steven running a hand over Maddy’s hair as he passes us on his way to carve the turkey.
“So, this is what family is supposed to feel like,” Maddy says, with a little wonder in her voice. She lets out a little happy sigh and leans her head against Jeremy’s, eyes still roving the room, taking in the whole scene.
Jeremy kisses Maddy’s forehead and then leans over and kisses mine, wrapping an arm around my waist so the three of us stand together. And when he answers, his voice is rough with emotion.
“It sure is Little Red.”
When Jeremy puts Maddy down, she takes my hand in hers, and with Jeremy on one side of me and Maddy on the other, we take our seats to have Thanksgiving with our family.