Samantha
SAMANTHA
18 MONTHS LATER
T he smell of turkey and gravy fills the entire house. It makes the space feel cozy and warm. When my lease was up at my apartment, it made sense for us to move in together since I was at his house all the time, anyway. This place feels like a real home, stable, comfortable, and safe. We light the fireplace on cold nights, drinking wine and whiskey, and talking until the sun comes up. Those are the moments I live for.
I smile when I look at the photo of Chandler and me on the bookshelf, next to the one of his parents on their wedding day. We snapped the picture a few weeks ago on a trip back to Florida so I could visit Penny. The weather was glorious, and we both soaked up enough sun to come back with a tan. We even went fishing while we were there, though we’ve gone fishing about once a month since we moved here. I never thought I’d like it, but there’s something peaceful about sitting out on the water in the quiet.
I walk into the kitchen, watching Chandler mash the potatoes, humming to himself. We decided to host Thanksgiving dinner here since the house was officially fully repaired, and we didn’t get the chance to have a housewarming party.
“How are the potatoes coming?”
“I think they’re good. Just need to add more milk.”
“Milk in potatoes?” I ask. “You should use the heavy cream. It makes it taste better.”
He turns to me, brows furrowed. “I always use milk in potatoes.”
“But this is Thanksgiving with your entire family!”
“They’ll be your family, too," he points out. He’s right. Chandler proposed the day I moved in, and it still gives me butterflies when I look at the shiny engagement ring on my finger.
“All the more reason to make it perfect," I argue.
“Sam," he says, taking a step towards me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I can’t help but melt into him when he does. “My family won’t give a shit if the potatoes have milk or cream or fucking vodka in it. They’re just happy to be spending the holidays together.”
I smile at him. His affectionate stare makes me feel so loved, and the butterflies swarm in my stomach. Our home, sharing a life with him, is better than anything I could’ve dreamed of.
“I’m happy to be part of your family," I say. He smiles at me. “I’m happy you are part of my family, too.”
He kisses me quickly on my lips before turning back to finish the potatoes. He looks so sexy when he cooks.
“You know," I say, my voice teasing. “We have about 20 minutes before everyone comes over.”
“We do," he says, setting the bowl of the now-finished potatoes on the counter. He turns to me with a sexy smirk. “What shall we do to pass the time? The turkey won’t be ready for another 2 hours.”
“Oh, I don’t know," I say, giving him a teasing smile. He takes a few steps toward me, his hands wrapping around me to grab my ass.
“I could think of so many things to do.”
“I’m sure you can," I say and lean up to kiss him again. When we pull away, he smiles and leans down to kiss my neck.
“I only need 5.”
“Someone’s cocky.”
“Hmmm.” The vibration of his mouth tickles my skin, and I laugh. Before we can go any further, there’s a knock on the door. We both let out a groan and pull away. He smiles at me and kisses my cheek. “We’re making up for this later.”
I set the table while Chandler opens the door for our guests. Sophia and Danny come running into the house, screaming. “Turkey, Turkey, Turkey!”
Cheyenne and Derrick follow the kids inside, Chandler’s grandpa behind them.
“Every time I come in here, I feel right at home. You both did so well with this place.”
I smile at his grandfather, who has become like a father to me since I moved here. He’s always so encouraging. He even gave in a good word for Chandler’s masonry work. Chandler helped rebuild Emma’s bookstore, which is set to open up next week, just in time for the Christmas Holiday. I was worried about working with him again since we used to argue so much at the office. As it turns out, we work very well together as long as it's something we both enjoy doing. There's satisfaction in being able to put things back together and create beautiful spaces for people. It took a while to work everything out, but I was so excited when the construction was finally finished so I could get to work on designing the interior. Emma fell in love with the place, and it was amazing to watch her vision come to life.
“It smells so good in here!” Cheyenne says .
I take out the wine from the fridge and pour a few glasses for everyone and apple juice for the kids. We sit at the table, and everyone digs into the meal Chandler and I had worked on all day.
Looking around the table at everyone that I’ve come to know so well, my heart swells with love and joy. These people are my family, and this is my home. I have a wonderful fiance who I love with every fiber of my being and who I know loves me just the same.
"I just wanted to take a moment to say that I am thankful that I met every one of you. You all welcomed me into your family with open arms, and I just hope you all know how much that means to me," I say, getting a bit teary-eyed.
Cheyenne smiles at me and says, “Well, we love you too, Sam, and we're thankful to have you in our life, too. You're like the sister I never had."
"I'm thankful that we didn't have to make Thanksgiving dinner this year," Derrick chimes in, and Cheyenne gives him a look. "And for my amazing wife and kids," he adds, and we all laugh. Chandler kisses my forehead and smiles at me. He leans down to whisper in my ear.
"I'm thankful that I met you. You’re the best thing that's ever happened to me."
A swell of affection bubbles in my chest, and I know that no matter what happens, no matter where we go from here, everything is exactly as it was meant to be.