Together From the Start

SEVEN

Chapter Seven| Destiny

Thanksgiving.

The day that marks when the pilgrims stole and killed almost every Native American group on the east coast. Then, during the 1900s, the government rebranded it into a day where families all over the country, kill a turkey, then air out everyone's dirty laundry at the table. Then, never speak to each other until the holiday comes back around next year.

Isn't that just so much fun?

I love holidays as much as the next person. But, for me, they've always been hard for me to overcome.

When my mom, Tyler, and I used to still lived with my father, these holidays were surrounded by nothing, but alcohol and abuse. My mom would run around in circles trying to make everything perfect for him. Make sure the food was always prepared for him right as he got home from whatever bar, he stumbled out of. The fridge had to be stocked with his favorite beer. And his gifts should be wrapped neatly under the tree.

God forbid he didn't like them. You also had to show the most appreciation for the gifts that he got for you. Even if you didn't know what it was.

One year, he got me a cookbook, claiming that I don't spend as much time in the kitchen as I should. I was five years old, what the fuck should I possibly be doing in the kitchen. My mother asked him the same question, next thing you know we are spending Christmas dinner in the hospital. With my father nowhere to be found. Other than the abuse, the only thing memorable about that Christmas was the milky way Chocolate bar and the Coke-Cola, Tyler bought me from the vending machine in the hospital. The soda was in the Classic glass bottle, with the polar bear on the label.

One of the nurses helped him find his way back into the room, he was seven.

That night we sat and watched the 'Home Alone' marathon on ABC Family, until we fell asleep. The next morning, Diana came to see my mother, when she heard about what happened. After mommy was discharged we packed up most of our shit. And we stayed in this apartment building, Dan was friends with the landlord so we were able to stay there a month before mommy signed any contracts. So, mommy could get back on her feet. Even though we moved away from my father. That surely wasn't the last time we would be seeing of him. The building is only two blocks from our house, so we see it ever time we come back home.

"Des, what are you doing. Grab your bag," Jayda said to me.

"Oh shit," I cursed. I reach for my bag which was moving quite quickly on the baggage claim.

Jayda and I are headed to my parent's house in South Carolina, and by headed I mean we are here at the airport. And Eric is outside waiting for me and my 'lesbian lover' to go outside.

We make it through the crowds of people heading home for break. Surprisingly a very packed airport, for it to be this late at night. Through the revolving doors and outside, I reach into my handbag to get my phone out to call Eric. Two honks from a car horn capture my attention, I smile as Eric makes his way out of his truck.

"Hey girls, how was the flight?" Eric asked walking up to us and grabbing our luggage.

"It was good, probably the quickest flight I've been on." Jayda responds.

"Yeah, It was good." I respond as well.

Eric is such an amazing person, I thank god everyday that my mother found him. He treats her, the way she should have treated, like a queen. When they first met, it took me a while to be comfortable around him after everything with my father. The only man that I really was alright being around was Dan. And Eric understood that, and we quickly developed a father-daughter like relationship. It came very easily, mainly because he didn't have any daughters before me.