31
“Hey Mom.”
I put my copy of Dear Martin down on the coffee table. I gave the class the day off today, with the caveat that they read the Nic Stone section of the syllabus by next week.
Which meant I also needed to read it myself to refresh my brain before class discussions.
“Sweetie. I wanted to call and say happy Thanksgiving! And that we’ll miss you today. Charlie’s here too.” Good to hear things are still going well between them. “Did you get the package I sent?”
I did, in fact, get her care package of a few holiday staples. Her apple pie cookies, the ingredients to make green bean casserole, the expensive gravy she uses. There was even one of those adorable birds from Target dressed up as a turkey. Not a turkey. Another type of bird in a turkey costume.
What I did not need were the Thanksgiving meal flavored jellybeans that came along with them. Even Hughie thought they were disgusting. Whoever thought to make gravy and turkey flavored candy needs to be pushed off a cliff.
“Sure did. Did you make Charlie eat the jellybeans?”
“Fucking awful!” Charlie yells in the background. “The green bean casserole ones especially!”
Honestly, those ones were not that bad once you got past the idea of them being candy. At least compared to the other flavors.
“Do you have any plans for today?”
I know Mom’s concerned about me being alone today, with Michael spending the last dozen or so Thanksgivings with us. She has made her concerns known multiple times, including when Niall’s been present. Which meant I would not be alone today.
“I’m just catching up on some reading and heading to Niall’s in a bit. Are you already cooking?” I look over at the clock. It must be around seven in the morning there.
“We’re actually going out for dinner tonight, if you can believe it.”
I almost drop the phone out of my hand. Because, in fact, I can’t believe it.
Thanksgiving has always been Mom’s favorite holiday. She brought in all the Thanksgiving strays who had nowhere to go, made extras of side dishes and pies to bring to our local soup kitchen, excitedly researched every year for new ways to utilize the leftovers.
“Before you get all concerned over there, nothing’s wrong. It was just going to be the two of us, and it just seemed like so much work. J. Gilbert’s is doing a Thanksgiving seating and it’ll actually save us money by going out.”
“But the leftovers…”
Mom laughs. “You aren’t here to take the majority of them. Charlie actually hates turkey…how can anyone hate turkey? Anyways, sweetie, I’ll let you get back to whatever you’re reading. Give Niall and Hughie my love.”
“Bye Mom.”
No Thanksgiving for either of us. Wow.
* * *
I startle awake, my book falling to the ground. I must have dozed off for a bit. I look at my phone and it’s almost three.
Shit. I need to get ready. I told Niall I’d be there for three.
After a quick shower, I’m out in the street. I shoot a quick text to Niall to let him know I’m on the way.
It’s weird being in another country on what, is typically, a major holiday. It’s like any other day here. Normally almost everything is shut down on Thanksgiving.
Well, until the Black Friday sales start.
But here, people are working per usual and it’s just a normal Thursday.
My phone vibrates in my pocket.
Niall: Hey can you come to the pub first?
Daniel: Yup
I had planned on stopping to get a drink to bring today, maybe a nice wine, just something to celebrate the day. But, since I didn’t know what we were doing, I ultimately passed. Like, what if we’re just sitting around eating McDonald’s and playing video games?
Actually, wine would go great with that.
When I get to Books and Brews, it appears lively inside. I open the door and am instantly hit by the wafting smell of…turkey?
“Danny!” Hughie runs up to me, wearing what appears to be an attempt at making a pilgrim hat from construction paper. “Happy Thanksgiving!”
The pub tables have been pushed together, and almost every square inch is covered in food. I see turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole. I see sweet potatoes covered in marshmallows, deviled eggs, stuffing. Cranberry sauce, what can only be homemade apple sauce. Mac and cheese.
I see apple pie, pumpkin pie, even pecan pie on the bar top. Where Niall is standing, smiling in my direction. With Leo, Anders, and John drinking beers beside him.
“What…what is all this? Did you guys make all this?”
Niall pops the top off a beer and hands it to me. Pumpkin beer.
“We divided and conquered, yes. Hughie did a lot of research into what actually goes into a Thanksgiving dinner. And there were a lot of different, erm…variations.”
“It can vary a bit. Like regionally.”
“Ahh,” Niall says, opening himself a pumpkin beer. “Well Hughie didn’t want to miss any of it, this being his first Thanksgiving and all. I did check in with Felicia to make sure we at least had the necessities.”
Of course Mom helped, and didn’t even give the slightest hint of what was coming. “We couldn’t get a turkey like the pictures,” Hughie says, disappointment on his face.
“What Hughie means to say,” Leo steps from behind the bar, “is that whole turkeys aren’t all that popular here. Mainly because no one has an oven big enough to cook them. I had to get a few breasts and make do.”
John snorts. “Bet that’s the first time for you, yeah?”
“Oh, fuck off,” Leo snipes back, grabbing me by the elbow and leads me to the edge of the table. “Everyone go grab a plate and fill up. Food’s getting cold.”
* * *
“You alright?” Niall whispers into my ear, amidst the meal. He points towards his eyes, and it dawns on me that I’m tearing up.
I chuckle, swiping my eyes. “Yeah. It’s just…this was all unexpected. And very thoughtful.”
“Well, if TV has taught us anything it’s that Americans love some Thanksgiving. Although the reason you celebrate—”
“It’s more about the food and family.”
“Right. And I bet you were missing your mum today, and probably Michael too. It was actually Hughie’s idea. He’s been watching a lot of Friends lately, which I’m not sure why, but caught a Thanksgiving episode. Asked me about it and where you were going to get all of this.”
Hughie is talking animatedly at John, his fork flailing a piece of turkey around in the air. “Let me guess. He gathered the troops and assigned out tasks.”
“Honestly, it’s a miracle this all came together. Some of these dishes are so weird. Marshmallows on sweet potatoes? A gelatinous dish of green beans and mushroom soup? I feel like someone was on an acid trip creating this shit.”
I put a bite of green bean casserole in my mouth. “But it’s so good.”
Niall copies me. “It’s oddly good, yes.”
The meal starts to wind down, so Niall brings out takeaway boxes for everyone to pack up meals for the next few days. We slowly find our way back to the table for dessert. I sit with a piece of apple pie almost equally as big to the piece of pumpkin next to it.
“What else happens on Thanksgiving?” Anders asks, already doubling up on the pecan pie after trying a bite.
“Well, normally football is on. American football. After dinner we usually lounge around and watch whatever game is on. Then typically Michael and I would have watched each of our favorite Christmas movies that night. It’s a tradition from when I was a kid.”
I think back to how I would always debate between wanting to watch Home Alone or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, so my parents would always choose whatever I didn’t.
Michael and I, in the condo, would extend the movie watching throughout the weekend, making sure to hit all of our favorites.
But, even with him, it was always those two movies.
“We could do that! Well, the movie thing,” Hughie clarifies, covering his piece of pie with a mound of whipped cream. “We can all head up to Uncle Niall’s, right?”
Niall nods. I turn to Hughie. “That sounds nice Hughie. What would you like to watch?”
Hughie stares off, slowly chewing through a piece of pie. “I think Elf, but I want you to pick the first movie Danny.”
Maybe the start of a new tradition.
* * *
A few hours later the credits of Elf are rolling.
Anders and Leo are laying on one couch, with John sitting on the floor in front of them surrounded by about half a dozen empty beer bottles.
I look down at Hughie, who is sandwiched between Niall and I.
He’s passed out with his head lolled on my shoulder.
I look over at Niall, who has a grin on his face.
I reach out and take his hand, thinking about how lonely this day could have been. And how it’s been so much better than I ever could have expected.