Chapter Twenty-Six
CARTER
A bemused smile tugged at my lips as I beheld the chaos unfolding in my kitchen.
Ellie, Olivia's mother, was a whirlwind of activity.
Her blonde hair frequently escaped its neat bun as she darted between the stove and the counter.
The air was thick with the mouthwatering scent of roasting turkey and freshly baked pies.
“Olivia, sweetie, please sit down,” Ellie said for what must have been the tenth time in the last hour. “You need to rest.”
Olivia's shoulders tensed, her jaw clenching in that stubborn way I'd come to know so well. “Mom, I'm pregnant, not an invalid. I can help with the cooking.”
“Your mom’s right, Sunny.” I moved to wrap my arms around her from behind. My hands rested on her belly, which had just started to show a slight curve. “You should take it easy.”
She turned in my arms, fixing me with a glare that would have made a lesser man quake in his boots. But I just grinned and kissed her forehead. “Don't give me that look. Doctor's orders, remember?”
She huffed. “Fine. But I'm not going to just sit around while everyone else does all the work.”
“How about you set the table?” Ellie suggested, a knowing smile on her face. “That way you're helping, but not on your feet too much.”
Olivia considered for a moment before nodding. “Okay, I can do that.”
As she moved towards the dining room, I caught Ellie's eye. She gave me a grateful nod. It still amazed me how easily Ellie had accepted me into their family. How she'd embraced me as a son. It filled a void I hadn't even realized was there.
My pleasant train of thought was derailed by the doorbell. “I'll get it,” I called out, giving Olivia a pat on the butt as I passed her in the hallway.
I opened the door to find my father standing there, nervously clutching a bottle of wine and wearing an uncertain smile. “Hey, Son.”
“Hey, Dad”.” I stepped back to let him in. “Glad you could make it.”
As I watched him shrug off his coat, I recalled the first time I'd introduced him to Olivia. It had been a couple weeks after we found out about the pregnancy, and I'd been a nervous wreck.
“Dad, this is Olivia,” I said, my arm around her waist. “Olivia, this is my father, Bill.”
I watched as my father's eyes took in Olivia's radiant smile and the warmth in her eyes. She stepped forward, hand outstretched. “It's so nice to finally meet you, Mr. Cassidy. Carter's told me so much about you.”
To my surprise, my father bypassed her hand entirely, pulling her into a bear hug. “Please, call me Bill,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Welcome to the family, Olivia.”
When he pulled back, tears glistened in his eyes. He cleared his throat, looking between us. “So, uh, what's the occasion? Not that I'm complaining about meeting this lovely young woman, but it's not like you to arrange family dinners, Carter.”
I exchanged a glance with Olivia, who nodded encouragingly. Taking a deep breath, I turned back to my father. “Well, Dad, we have some news. Olivia and I, we're having a baby.”
A deafening silence followed. For a moment, I feared we'd made a mistake, that this was too much too soon. But then my father's face crumpled, and before I knew it, he was crying—actually crying—and pulling us both into a hug.
“I'm gonna be a grandpa?” he choked out, his voice muffled against my shoulder.
“Yeah, Dad,” I said, my own eyes stinging, “you're gonna be a grandpa.”
The memory faded as Dad stepped into the house, immediately seeking out Olivia. “There's my girl,” he said, his face lighting up as she came to greet him.
“Hi, Bill,” Olivia said warmly, accepting his hug. “I'm so glad you’re here.”
“Nowhere I’d rather be.” He pulled back to look at her, his eyes dropping to her belly. “How's my grandbaby doing?”
Olivia grinned and rested a hand on her stomach. “Growing like a weed according to the doctor.”
“Carter, honey,” Ellie called from the kitchen, “can you come help me with the turkey?”
“Coming.” I squeezed my father's shoulder as I passed. “Make yourself at home, Dad. Drinks are in the living room.”
I entered the kitchen and found Ellie struggling with the massive turkey. “Jesus, did you get the world's biggest bird?”
She laughed, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. “Well, we have a lot of people to feed. Now come on, help me get this monster out of the oven.”
Together, we managed to wrangle the turkey onto the counter. As we stood back to admire our handiwork, I heard voices from the living room. Olivia's laughter rang out, followed by my father's deeper chuckle.
“Sounds like they're getting along well,” Ellie remarked with a smile.
I nodded, feeling a sudden ache in my throat. “Yeah, they are. Dad's been amazing about all this. Better than I ever expected.”
Ellie patted my arm. “He loves you, Carter. And he adores Olivia. Of course he's going to be amazing.”
I was about to reply when the doorbell sounded again. “I got it,” I shouted, hoping to prevent Olivia from getting up unnecessarily.
I opened the door to find Robert, Olivia's father, swaying slightly on the porch. The smell of alcohol wafted off him, and I had to fight back a grimace.
“Robert,” I said, forcing a smile. “Come on in.”
He stumbled as he crossed the threshold, and I reached out to steady him. “Whoa there, careful. You okay?”
He waved me off. “M'fine. Where's Livvy?”
“In the living room with my dad,” I said, guiding him towards the sound of voices. “Why don't we get you some water?”
But he was already pushing past me, making a beeline for the living room. I followed, dread settling in my stomach.
Olivia's face fell when she saw her father. But she recovered quickly, plastering on a smile. “Hi, Dad. Happy Thanksgiving.”
Robert grunted in response, his eyes scanning the room before landing on the bar cart in the corner. Without a word, he made his way over, grabbing a beer from the ice bucket.
I exchanged a worried glance with Olivia as he popped the cap off and took a long swig. This was not how I'd envisioned our first Thanksgiving.
“So,” Robert slurred, “this is the famous Carter Cassidy house where my Livvy is shacked up, huh? Bit fancy for my taste.”
I gritted my teeth but forced myself to remain calm. “We’re glad you could join us, Robert. Dinner should be ready soon.”
Robert grunted again before his gaze landed on Ellie as she entered the room. “Well, if it isn't the missus. Finally decided to grace us with your presence, huh?”
The room fell silent. I saw Olivia's face flush with embarrassment, and I moved to stand beside her, my hand finding hers.
To my surprise, it was my father who spoke up. “Now, Bob,” he said, “maybe you should be grateful you still have your wife by your side, and show her a bit more respect.”
Robert's face darkened. At first, I was afraid he might lash out. But then, to my astonishment, his shoulders slumped. He looked at the beer in his hand then back at Ellie.
“I... I'm sorry,” he mumbled, setting the beer down on a nearby table. “That was out of line.”
Ellie, ever the peacemaker, stepped forward with a warm smile. “It's alright, Robert. Why don't we all move to the dining room? I think everything's just about ready.”
As everyone filed out, I hung back with Olivia. “You okay?” I murmured, pulling her close.
She nodded against my chest. “Yeah, I'm okay. Just... not exactly how I pictured this going.”
I rested my cheek on her head. “I know, Sunny. But hey, look on the bright side. At least my dad and your mom seem to be hitting it off.”
Olivia chuckled, the sound vibrating against my chest. “Yeah, who would have thought? Come on, let's go make sure they're not planning our wedding behind our backs.”
We were part way to the dining room when the doorbell rang yet again. “I should just hang a sign that says ‘come on in,’” I said on a sigh, turning on my heel to head back toward the front door.
I opened it and found a crowd of familiar faces grinning back at me. Wick, Marco, Meghan, Callie, and Emmett all stood on my porch.
“Happy Thanksgiving!” they chorused, pushing their way inside in a whirlwind of laughter and chatter.
“Whoa, whoa,” I laughed, closing the door behind them. “What's got you all so worked up?”
Wick grinned, slapping me on the back. “We just escaped the Price family Thanksgiving from hell. Let me tell you, Carter, your place is like an oasis right now.”
“That bad, huh?”
Meghan rolled her eyes dramatically. “You have no idea. Mama Price was in rare form today. I swear, if I had to listen to one more passive-aggressive comment about my 'lifestyle choices', I was going to lose it.”
“Well, you're all welcome here,” I said, leading them towards the dining room. “Fair warning though, we've got our own brand of family drama going on.”
Olivia's face lit up at the sight of her brother and friends. “You made it!” she exclaimed, rushing over to hug Wick.
“Wouldn't miss it for the world, Livvy.”
As everyone greeted each other and found their seats, I marveled at the scene before me. A year ago, I spent Thanksgiving alone. I’d never have dreamed of this—my house full of people, laughter echoing off the walls, Olivia by my side, our child growing inside her.
“Before we start, I... I'd like to say something, if that's okay.”
The room fell silent, all eyes turning to me. I licked my dry lips and looked toward Olivia. She smiled encouragingly and my nerves settled.
“I just wanted to thank you all for being here today. This is the first Thanksgiving in our home, and it means more than I can say to have you all here to share it with us.” I paused and swallowed.
“This time last year, my life was very different.
I was—well, let's face it, I was a grumpy bastard who didn't let anyone get close.”
Laughter rippled through the room, and the knot in my stomach loosened.