Chapter 49
I might be an autumn and Halloween girl, but Thanksgiving is my true favorite holiday. The feast is easily my favorite meal of the year, and you still get all the quality family time and that magical holiday feeling, without the pressure of buying a million gifts for everyone and their mother.
I love it. Even if our family is on the smaller side.
Plus, this year we have an extra seat at the table. One that everyone is very excited about.
Dad is due to leave next week, though I wish they could have started the day he found out.
Still, I’m grateful we got to spend Thanksgiving together at his house.
A house I’m going to help make payments on while they pay for their extra living expenses, even if they’re being stubborn and won’t let me.
For now. The commission check from the sale of Jameson’s house couldn’t have come at a better time.
I’d feel weird about taking it under different circumstances, but with everything going on, I just can’t let myself think too much about that. He did hire me, after all.
Jameson’s barely left my side the last couple of weeks, staying the night whenever I invite him and meeting me as soon as I get off of work.
He hasn’t said those words again, though, and neither have I.
I think we both know it when we look at each other, and we don’t need to get hung up on a few spoken words. I’ll say it when the time is right.
He’s been amazing with Jess, and any doubts I had about that are quickly fading.
They’re adorable when they talk about the latest book recommendation he gave her, or when they argue about The Lord of the Rings, which we’ve now finished in its entirety.
He was so offended when we told him we’d continued it without him, and to make it up to him, we had to restart the series once again earlier this week when Jess started Thanksgiving break and I had a few days off work.
“Here they come, El,” my dad hollers from his swinging seat on the front porch as the three of us get out of the car. He’s bundled up in a thick fleece jacket.
Ella comes out to greet us and wraps each of us in a hug, with Dad following suit. They even hug Jameson.
“Dad, Ella, this is Jameson,” I say as she embraces him warmly, like she’s known him for years.
A look passes between the three of them.
That was weird.
“Hey, son,” my dad says, giving Jameson more of a back-pat kind of hug.
“Good to see you, sir.”
My dad waves him off. “Stuff your sirs in a sack, young man.”
“He’s actually not that young, dad. Forty is right around the corner,” I tease, flashing Jameson a sweet smile.
“Well, he looks great. I didn’t look that good when I was forty. You look like one of those guys from the magazines. What’s that magazine, Ella?”
“GQ?”
“Yeah. GQ.”
I palm my forehead, but Jameson just looks smug and delighted at the compliment.
“I don’t even want to know what that means,” Jess mutters, standing side by side with Ellas, their arms looped around each other.
“So, Carly, how was the birthday? You didn’t have a big party for your thirtieth?” Dad asks.
“No.” I look over at Jameson and Jess. “We had a movie night. Jameson picked up food from the restaurant, and they surprised me with a cake. Oh, and Alex surprised me with a phone call. It was great.” Dad also wasn’t feeling well last week, so I didn’t want to make him feel bad about missing a big party.
Everyone smiles at me, silent. No one wants to say what they’re probably thinking. That I didn’t really feel like celebrating a silly birthday last week.
“Okay, let’s head inside. It’s cold,” Dad exclaims. “Jameson, you like football?” I mean, American football?”
“Yeah.”
“Where are you from again?” Dad squints at him as if perplexed.
“I grew up in America. My Ma and Dad were from Ireland, but I spent very little time there.”
“Ah. Okay. We did a bit of traveling too, when I was in the military. Lived in a lot of different places.”
“Yeah. Carly told me.”
My dad gives me a strange smile. “Yeah. Maybe that’s why she likes staying in one place now.”
“I liked all of our adventures.”
“Me too.”
We head inside, and Dad grills Jameson more about Ireland.
I listen without chiming in, letting them get to know each other.
It dawns on me that this could be one of the last Thanksgivings we have with him.
I know they said his odds are good, but you just never know.
I want to start soaking in these moments more.
I like that Dad and Ella haven’t skipped straight into Christmas mode. The décor inside still feels very fall. I personally want to hang onto it for as long as I can.
An hour later, after all of us—including Jameson—take turns helping Ella in the kitchen and watching football with dad in the living room, we sit down to eat.
“This looks amazing,” Jameson says appreciatively. “Is that…what are the greens in the mashed potatoes?”
“Cabbage,” Ella replies with a sweet smile.
Jameson looks at me, as confused as I feel. In all of our Thanksgivings, I’ve never seen her make them like that. I didn’t notice it when I was helping her in the kitchen, either. “I didn’t think Americans did that. I’ve never seen it here.”
“Is that…okay? I read that adding greens in your potatoes is an Irish tradition,” Ella says proudly.
“No, that’s great.” He smiles widely at her. “My Ma used to make them with cabbage.”
She sneaks a triumphant grin my way. I squeeze his hand under the table, and when he turns to me, he looks completely content. Family meant a lot to him, and this small reminder lights his face up.
“So how’s that amateur sleuthing going?” Dad asks. By now, the whole family knows about it.
Jameson and I share a look. “It feels like it’s at a standstill right now. Haven’t had any new developments.”
“Granted, we haven’t had much time to dedicate to it lately,” I add. Since I found out about my dad, I’ve barely thought about it at all.
“We’ll solve it,” Jess says confidently.
“I bet you will,” Ella says encouragingly.
“So,” Jameson starts, breaking the silence. “Who wants to tell me some stories of young Carly?”
“Oh boy, here we go.” I mutter. “The joys of bringing your boyfriend home to the family.”
He raises an eyebrow at me, and I realize my slip.
Boyfriend. For as much time as we’ve spent together, we still hadn’t actually put a label on it.
But I don’t regret saying it. Not with the way he’s looking at me now.
I want him to always look at me like that—like we’re tethered together by something invisible I never want to break.
With a look like that, he could do whatever he wanted to me, no complaints.
“Oh, yeah. I want to hear these too!” Jess exclaims.
“Well, she was always fearless as a kid,” Dad says.
“There was the time we went to the amusement park when she was barely tall enough to ride the biggest coaster, and even her younger brother, who was about as tall as her at the time, wouldn’t get on.
So, I had to ride it with her. Three times.
Made me sick to my stomach. But I couldn’t tell her that. ”
I smile at the memory. That was when he and mom were still together, though for some reason, she wasn’t there that day. I never focused on that part. I just remembered how much fun I had.
“Mom, that does not sound like you.”
Jameson grins mischievously. “Fearless, huh? The girl who was too scared to get on my motorcycle?” he says quietly so only I can hear.
“People change.” I shrug, then lean in closer. “And I did eventually get on, didn’t I?”
He grins back at me and nods. “Fair enough.”
Dad prattles on with more little tales from my youth. “You used to always sneak into your mother’s makeup, and she would get so mad. One time you put nail polish on your cheeks. It was a real mess.” He laughs at the memory, and so does Jess.
“Well, she never let me touch any of her pretty, shiny things. Never wanted to teach me how to be a girl. I had to learn for myself somehow.”
I laugh, but it still comes out sassier than I meant, and I instantly regret it. I don’t want any drama today. We may be close, but we’re not immune to family arguments and disagreements. And usually, at the root of most of them, is her.
Jameson squeezes my hand again.
Ella looks at me sympathetically. “There’s no right way to be a girl, Carly. And as a matter of fact, if she had taught you to be more like her, I’m certain you would’ve been far worse off.”
It’s sad and probably true. I can’t help but laugh. Somehow, I’d never actually thought about it that way. “You know what? You’re absolutely right.”
Dad meets my eyes across the table and I can see the remorse and the apology in them. He feels bad for bringing her up. I shake my head, telling him it’s okay.
When dessert comes around, I think I can’t possibly have another bite of pumpkin pie—but of course I do. It’s not a true Thanksgiving if you don’t eat until you can’t move.
“So…” We’ve all avoided bringing up the most obvious topic until now. “What day are you guys leaving for Sacramento?”
Dad and Ella share a look. With each other and…Jameson?
I set my fork down and look between them all. “What’s going on?”
“We got into a place in Reno. Which, as you know, is much more ideal, being only forty minutes from home. We might still stay during the week sometimes, but we can come back home on the weekends.”
“Are you serious? That’s amazing news! I thought they were a hard no on that?”
“Well, uh…Jameson actually called me up the other day. Pulled some strings. Apparently, you make a lot of connections when you’re a CEO of a big medical company. Sorry—former CEO?”
I look at Jameson, mouth hanging open. “You did this?”
“Sorry I didn’t tell you. They wanted to share the news today.”
Jess jumps up, running over to hug them both.
“That’s…” Words fail me. It’s possibly the best thing anyone has ever done for me. And yes, I know he did it for me. And Jess too. “Thank you.” It doesn’t feel like enough, but it’ll have to do for now. I want to say those three words so bad, but this isn’t the right place or time.
“You’re welcome.”