forever yours • adam banks

chapter twenty seven

ella

Thanksgiving for me has always been a holiday that's either really good, or really bad.

Sometimes, we escape the family drama and actually enjoy the time we get to spend together. And sometimes, there's a comment from an aunt or an uncle that just sends it over the edge, resulting in debates that I would only listen to if my ears were bleeding.

Every year, Thanksgiving is always hosted at my house. I don't know if it's because my house is the biggest, but we always have everyone here. It's also always boring because all of my cousins go to my school, so it's not like I don't see them often.

My parents each have one sibling. My dad has a sister, Michelle, and my mom has a brother, Chris. Alex and Matt are my cousins on my dad's side, and James and Trevor are my cousins on my mom's side. Pretty irrelevant if we're being honest, but I figured I'd give you the rundown.

Anyway, the last two Thanksgivings have been extremely difficult since Grammy isn't here anymore. We all try to act like it doesn't bother us but in reality, it does. It especially bothers Mom and Uncle Chris, so James, Trev, Tyler and I all try and help with the cooking as much as we can to try and make things easier for them.

Speaking of cooking, my mom has Tyler and I up at eight o'clock sharp to help her with food prep. Uncle Chris, Aunt Jamie, James, and Trev were all here by seven-thirty, but at least my mom let me and Ty sleep in a little. Aunt Michelle, Uncle Scott, Alex, and Matt aren't coming until noon, so that gives us four hours to prep in peace. Nana and Poppa, my dad's parents, got here from Florida last night. Nonno also flew in from Florida last night, so he's helping us prep too.

With an Italian mother, uncle, and grandpa, it's safe to say they keep us kids busy for hours. Making the turkey marinade, watching the soup, rolling the gnocchi, mixing the salads, preparing the desserts, and basically anything else that is being made, we help with. It helps take some pressure off the adults and it's honestly a lot of fun, especially when Trev and I start a flour fight. Let's just say the parents weren't happy with us, but it was worth it.

My mom eventually forces all of the kids to go shower and put on nice clothes, since we're all in sweats and covered in flour. All of the boys put on collared shirts and nice pants, and I decide to wear a white sweater with a plaid skirt.

My other family is downstairs by the time we all finish getting ready, and that only means one thing... pictures.

I don't usually mind taking pictures, but it becomes too much between Aunt Jamie, Aunt Michelle, and my mom. Those women are nuts when it comes to Thanksgiving pictures. They need some from every angle, some with different poses, some with us kids alone, and then you have to add the adults, and it just goes on and on until me and my cousins want to rip our heads off our bodies.

I always get stuck in the middle, since I'm the only girl and the shortest. I'm actually a pretty average height, but when you're five-foot-six standing next to a bunch of guys who are all six-feet tall and over... it's much easier to just say you're short.

We spend the better half of an hour taking pictures, standing outside in the cold until my aunts and my mom are satisfied. When I come inside, I flop on the couch and shut my eyes, hoping that I'll fall asleep until dinner. I actually begin to drift off... until the doorbell rings.

"Ella sweetheart, do you mind getting that?" my mom calls from the kitchen. "My hands are covered in food."

I groan, really annoyed that I'm being woken up when I was just about to fall asleep. My dad gives me a look and I know that I'll get in trouble if I don't do it, especially on Thanksgiving. I sigh and call back to her, "yeah, I got it!"

I grab my crutches and make my way over to the door. I unlock and open it, to reveal all four Bankses. I put on my best smile, welcome them inside, and turn my attention to Zach, who I haven't seen since the summer.

"Hey kid, how are you?" he asks happily as he engulfs me in a hug.

"I'm good!" I answer politely. "How's college?"

"It's good..." he starts, but is cut off by a voice echoing through the foyer. "IS THAT WHO I THINK IT IS?"

Tyler comes running through the foyer, and Zach's face lights up immediately. They've been best friends since they were born, even though they're a grade apart. The only reason they're a grade apart is because Tyler missed the cutoff. Zach is born in June, and Tyler is born in September. They're only three months apart though. I know it makes no sense, but that's classic Minnesota schools for you.

They do their usual handshake and give each other a huge hug before Zach starts playfully teasing Ty about still being in high school. I feel a little awkward standing there since Adam and I still aren't talking. Thankfully the adults start to filter into the foyer, which saves me from a possible very awkward encounter with Adam.

Before you get confused, the Bankses didn't invite themselves over. Every Thanksgiving we stop by and wish them a happy Thanksgiving, or they do it to us, depending on the year. We went there last year, so they came here this time.

I make my way back into the living room, desperate to get away from Adam. I decide that I'll grab Monopoly or something from the basement and convince my cousins to play with me, but I don't get the chance to. Stacie comes into the foyer, and what she says makes me stop dead in my tracks. "Ella, you got a chance to say hi to Adam right? I want to make sure you did before the boys drag him away to watch football."

I whip around and meet Adam's eyes. He looks terrified and honestly, a little embarrassed. That's how I know he wasn't expecting that either.

I put on my best fake smile and keep my voice as steady as I could. "No I didn't, I definitely might as well before the boys steal him from me."

I quickly walk over to Adam and give him a hug, feeling as he melts into my touch. My stomach starts doing butterflies and I try my absolute best to ignore them.

"Happy Thanksgiving." he whispers. I let go from the hug and look up at him, allowing myself to actually smile. "You too."

I let Stacie and my mom take a few pictures so I won't have to hear about it later, and finally escape back into the living room. That was fantastic.

I somehow convince my brother and cousins to play Monopoly with me, so that keeps us busy until dinner. As usual dinner is delicious, and we actually escape any unwanted debates. I ate so much food, and I'm surprised I haven't fallen into a food coma.

My mom ends up letting my cousins stay the night, since all of the adults drank a little too much alcohol. We spend the night finishing our Monopoly game and watching movies, before the four older boys give me and Matt an "important lesson about life."

Tomorrow is going to be full of Black Friday shopping, which means Sadie, Morgan, and I will basically blow through our allowances on clothes. I also need to start thinking of what I want to get them for their birthdays, as well as getting them and my family Christmas presents. Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and I'm already getting out my decorations for my room. Tyler thinks I'm crazy for it, but I don't.

After shopping, I have the doctor's appointment where they'll determine if I can get rid of my crutches or not. I'm really hoping they say I don't need them anymore, because that means my recovery is going smooth and I have a chance of getting my boot off for skiing.

Life is starting to look up, and I'm really hoping that everything is really starting to turn around for me.