Page 28 of Cookie

“I can go with you to get wood if you want me to,” he offered.

“I’ll get it this time. You stay here and sell lots of books,” I said and kissed him. His apartment had a small kitchen and the past week, we decided we needed to cut back on eating out so much. Not just to save money, but Ryan said he worried he’d gain weight. I patted his solid abs and wondered why he’d ever think that.

“How about if I get the coffee?” he said, and after a kiss to my cheek, he walked over to the small kitchen to make each of us a cup. I toasted both of us a bagel, and within twenty minutes, we were ready to go to work. “Let me know if you decide you need me to help later.”

“I will. Have a good day.” It was strange how fast we’d fallen into a routine. Neither of us wanted to stay away from the other, so even if I planned to go home, I still stayed here, and like the night I was going to stay at my house, Ryan ended up going.

The shop was already busy when I arrived, and Mom handed me a stack of service orders for the day. So, it didn’t look like I’d be able to go home until later in the day. “Ryan is still coming for Thanksgiving, right?” Mom asked.

“Yes, he doesn’t want to risk a drive to Sacramento, and either get stuck there or on the highway.”

“Good. Do you know if he has a favorite dish he’d like to have?” she asked. We had the typical Thanksgiving food, but we also made sure that everyone had at least one dish they loved.

“I’m not sure. There doesn’t seem to be anything he doesn’t like. I can ask him though,” I said, and walked over to my station while she followed behind.

“Thanks, Charlie. It’s going to be a sizeable crowd this year.”

“Isn’t it always a crowd?” We were a big family and all of us in one house was always chaos, but also something I looked forward to.

“The aunts and uncles are joining us,” she said and waited for me to react.

“Which ones?” My mom had seven siblings and Dad had three of his own. But they all rarely got together for the holidays, and Dad’s side hadn’t come for Thanksgiving for a few years.

“All of them.” She cringed as she said it.

“How many is that total?” I turned to face her and leaned against my workbench.

“Around thirty-five. If they bring any of your cousins, then it’ll be even more. But most of them are old enough to go do their own thing now.”

“Well, we can’t have it outside this year,” I said. “What are you thinking?”

“Let’s see what the final headcount is. If it’s too many, we’ll just use the shop.” We’d done this in the past and it worked, but it wasn’t ideal.

“Your house is enormous. Why not have it there?” I asked.

“It’s a lot of work, and if I have it at the house, everyone expects me to cook it all. I’m old, Charlie, and I don’t want to do it all,” she said, and I chuckled before I realized she was serious. “I love having everyone there, but I need help.”

“I’ll help with anything you need, and I know Ryan will too. How about if we make a list of what you want to serve and then let everyone choose what they want to bring? We’ll make it a potluck this year. That way, you don’t have to do everything.”

She pursed her lips before meeting my eyes with a grin. “I like how you think. We can do that. If everyone brings sides, then I cook the turkeys.”

“Just do one and have someone else do a ham and then maybe another turkey or even some chicken.”

“Charlie, your customer is waiting,” Dad yelled at me from the front of the shop, making Mom jump.

“Sorry, you get to work, and we’ll figure it out. And, Charlie, I’m happy Ryan will be there.”

“Me too, and you’re not old,” I said, making her smile. I loved the fact that none of my family had made Ryan feel uncomfortable at all. He was in for a shock, though, when he saw how many relatives I had, and I hoped he was ready for about a million questions. Just then I got a text and hurried to check it before starting my first job.

Ryan: Hey, what time are you done? I want to go with you.

I smiled as I read it, knowing earlier he wanted to go but didn’t want to push. Even though he’d asked me a few times.

Charlie: I’ll try to leave early but I’m pretty busy today. I’d love you to go, but you don’t have to.

Ryan: You’re stuck with me now. See you later.

I read his words and tucked my phone away. I wasn’t stuck with him at all. I was happy for every second we spent together.

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