Page 58 of Final Goodbye
“Sounds great. I’d rather watch the game than hear about your love life anyway.”
“Yeah, yeah, just you wait. One day, you’ll have a girlfriend and I’ll be there to give you shit about it,” I teased him right back when Declan must have overheard.
“Does that make me your boyfriend then?” His gaze lingered, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.
“I, uh, well…” My tongue was tied, not sure how to respond, feeling the pressure of saying the right thing with my family standing around. I was completely caught off guard.
“I’m just messing with you, Paige. It doesn’t matter what you refer to me as, I already know you’re mine,” he whispered in my ear.
And if that didn’t make my stomach drop, I didn’t know what would. The way he was so confident. The way he claimed me as his. The possessiveness in the way he touched me and talked to me. When he said stuff like that, it made me think ahead, into the future. I wanted to be Declan’s, and I wanted him to be mine. I wanted more nights spent in his bed. His bed that’d recently felt more like my bed than the one I was borrowing from my mom. Her house, my old childhood home, it felt temporary. But Declan felt like something more permanent. He felt likeforever.
My daydream was cut short when we entered the kitchen.
“Mom. Dad. The Wilsons have arrived,” Declan spoke up as we walked in while his mom was putting the finishing touches on the turkey.
“Lisa, it’s so good to see you again. This time under much better circumstances. I’m so sorry about Anthony. I do hope youhave been holding up okay,” Laura greeted my mom with a hug. I hoped the mention of my father’s passing wouldn’t dampen the mood. Luckily, my mom was doing much better as the days had gone on and devised the perfect response.
“We are handling everything as well as we can. Just doing our best day by day. I don’t think I ever had the chance to thank you for all of the food you sent over. It was such a huge help. I may have to get a couple recipes from you before we leave,” Mom said, guiding the conversation in a different direction like she had addressed my dad’s death a few too many times lately.
She was probably used to people sending their well wishes and condolences over the last couple of months. I have to admit, after a while, it does get exhausting hearing people say,sorry for your loss. Eventually, you just wanted to put it behind you. I’d never forget about my dad and all our memories as a family, but I could relate to the feeling of wanting to move on.
Chase and Declan’s dad came around the corner from the living room, taking a break from the football game on TV to say hello to everyone. My head turned when I overheard the interaction between the two of them.
“Chase, bud. You’ve sure grown up! You gotta be playing some sort of ball, I’m sure,” Mark said.
“Yeah, I’m on the varsity football team,” Chase answered politely.
Looking around the kitchen, I noticed everyone engaging in small talk. A subtle smile found my face when I took in the sight around me. The Wilsons and Coopers hanging out like one big happy family on one of the biggest holidays of the year.
“Why don’t you boys go watch the game? Let me and Lisa handle the food, and Declan, why don’t you guys get the table set? Dinner is about ready!” Laura cut into my day dream as she began carving the turkey. “Oh, and Declan, do you mind calling up for your brother to join us?” I didn’t miss the expressionchange on his face as his smile was replaced by a slight scowl that he immediately traded for a forced grin before his mom could notice.
He nodded in his mother’s direction as her and my mom got right to work getting all the food on their proper plates and dishes ready to be placed on the table.
“Hey, mind placing the silverware at the table? I’ll be right back, baby.” He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and the handful of forks he had in his hand found mine as he walked away toward the stairwell.
I finished placing a spoon, fork and cutting knife at each spot at the table as Declan came down the stairs, Myles jogging right behind him. The energy between them was a little tense, but I hoped no one else would notice and it was just me who felt it.
While we hadall been downstairs enjoying each other’s company, Myles was upstairs nursing his hangover, just as I figured. There were still the events from last night I had on my mind. Things I wanted answers to. But I needed to make a good impression in front of Paige’s family, and I refused to let a stupid feud between Myles and I get in the way of that.
I’d sit on the opposite side of the table from him tonight if that’s what it took to get my mind off everything.Out of sight, out of mind.
“A tradition in the Cooper household that we do every Thanksgiving is go around the table and say one thing we are thankful for. It can be anything big or small,” Mom said as we all passed around the various food dishes. Once we all filled our plates with turkey, mashed potatoes, casseroles, cranberry sauce and everything else in-between, Dad spoke up first.
“I’m thankful the Broncos won today. It’s a win for Colorado and a win for my fantasy football team. Win-win.” That got everyone to laugh. There was a lot to be thankful for, but Dadwas a simple guy. His team winning would be just enough for him.
Lisa was up next. “I’m thankful for the Coopers. I really do appreciate you all having us here with you today. I know Thanksgiving is full of traditions and this isn’t your norm, so it means a lot.” She sounded a bit choked up, clearing her throat and taking a small sip of her wine.
“It’s our pleasure to have you all here with us today. Traditions are allowed to change and who knows, maybe this will be something that happens again for years to come,” Mom said, looking back and forth between Paige and me. Her approval of us all spending the holiday together felt like more than just that. She was accepting me and Paige as a couple, or whatever we were. I know my mom just wanted to see her kids happy.
She was like every other mom, just wanting her boys to get married and have all her grandkids before she left the world. But I could tell she had a soft spot for Paige and it made me happy that she accepted the person I was falling in love with. I acknowledged Paige sitting next to me when I gave her a small squeeze on her leg. Her family and mine, sitting together... It was the perfect tradition I wanted more of for years to come.
Mom cleared her throat before she told the table what she was thankful for. “I’m thankful my turkey didn’t burn this year. Last year, we had a tragic accident with the deep fryer. We had a Thanksgiving dinner full of sides, but we made the best of it.”
“Everyone knows sides are the best part of Thanksgiving dinner anyways.” I laughed, my mouth full of potatoes, hoping she wasn’t still hung up on our Thanksgiving disaster last year.
We continued to go around the table, spreading thanks for all the little things in life when it was my turn next. Everyone had kept it light so far. There were a ton of little things to be appreciative for, but all the little things I was thankful for had amuch bigger meaning behind it. I just hoped the Wilsons would take what I was about to say well, especially Paige.
“I’m thankful for Anthony Wilson.”That got everyone’s attention.
