The Unstoppable Zuri

Thankful for You

I put on my brand new, and one of my much larger, maternity sweaters. I was looking big and round at thirty-two weeks. Baby girl was as active and healthy as can be. According to Dr. Andrews, who I saw every other week now, my little one would be here sometime in January, if everything goes smoothly.

    I grabbed my purse and walked out of the room, then got in the car with my dad. My aunt and uncle never saw us for Thanksgiving. Why would they? They're Canadian, through and through. Both of them never even lived in the US.

So, it was just Papa and I again. A few times in the past, after his grandparents died, we had a small potluck with Elliot, his little brother, Herschel (we called him Hershey), and Kathleen. After all this time, I wondered about Elliot, but every once in a while I'd think of his family, too. Hershey had some issues, but was a good kid. I bet he would've been really excited to be an uncle.

While we were in the car, I scrolled through my social media, full of pictures of classmates and friends, smiling with their families. I always, always wondered what it was like to have a big family. Maybe someday I'll find out.

Emmi posted an incredible TikTok of her and NaiNai cooking a Chinese Thanksgiving feast for their family. It already had thousands of views and she just posted it an hour ago.

"Oh, la la, this parking lot is crowded tonight. Good thing we can park in the front!" my dad said, putting my parking pass around the mirror and pulling into a spot.

It was in the mid fifties, which was unusually warm for Thanksgiving. A lot of people were waiting outside on the porch, gathered around in circles, kids rocking madly in the rocking chairs.

    I watched as a few of the adults stared when we pulled up right in front of them, but their eyes averted when they saw me get out with my crutches. I walked into the restaurant with my dad and started perusing around the gift shop while he spoke to a hostess.

    The gift shop was full of kids that were running around and touching everything, as always. I found myself looking at the big Christmas tree in the corner, which was full of different ornaments. There was one that looked like a pair of pink baby booties. I had to have it for my little gem.

    "Zuri, alons-y! Our table is ready," my dad called from the other side of the room.

    "Hold on! I gotta buy something first!"

    While I went up to the counter, I heard a stressed-out mom whispering something to her husband.

    "I get that she's pregnant and on crutches, but seriously? They just walked in and we've been waiting for our table for almost an hour," she said.

    Her husband immediately shushed her when I turned around. I put my ornament on the counter and paid, the cashier commenting on how cute it was. She wrapped it up, put it in a paper bag, and I walked back over to my dad.

    The hostess brought us to a table on the rim of the main dining room, right up against a wall, which was perfect to lean my crutches up against. The hostess put two menus on the table, along with the special Thanksgiving menu for today.

    "Well, another Thanksgiving at the Cracker Barrel," my dad said with a chuckle as he picked up his menu. "Are you going to change up your sides this year?"

    "Yeah, I want mac and cheese!" I said.

    "Ah, see, this is how you know you're out of whack when you're pregnant. When you, of all people, are not only ordering the thing you usually hate the most, but you're going to pair it with turkey and ham."

    "Hey, how are you guys?" said the waitress as she came over to us. She looked really familiar. She probably went to my school and graduated, because I hadn't seen her in a while. "I'm Destiny. I'll be taking care of you tonight."

    "Thank you. We're very glad you guys are open, but so sorry you have to work Thanksgiving," my dad said.

    "Oh, it's okay. I lowkey don't want to see my family tonight anyways, so this is literally just what I need," she said, then looked towards me. "Did you go to OFH?"

    "Yeah. I still go there. I'm a senior," I said.

    "I knew you looked familiar. I just graduated from there last year!" she said. Ah. Mystery solved, then. "Anything for you guys to drink?"

    "A water with lemon, for me," my dad said.

    "I'll have an iced tea," I said.

    "Nice. I'll be right back with those for you guys," she said before walking away.

    "So, are you looking forward to meeting Hannah tomorrow?" my dad asked.

    "I'm nervous. Never met a midwife before. But you said she delivered a baby for your co-worker's girlfriend, and she's been doing this a long time, so she seems like she fits the criteria."

    "I think she'll really be able to advocate and help you out, since you don't want me there." I watched as he pouted his lip and pretended to cry. "I am just so, so sad!"

    "Papa, we've been over this. I know you're my dad and everything, but I'd feel weird if you were in the room with me when I was almost naked and pushing my daughter out of my crotch."

    He sighed. "I know. I wish I could be there, and it's hard that you don't want me there, but I have to respect your decision...even if I don't like it."

    "I promise, I'll make sure the nurses come get you right away so you can see her," I said.

    Destiny brought our drinks over and took our dinner orders. We clinked glasses and drank.

    "Cheers to your last Thanksgiving as a normal teenager," he said.

    I rolled my eyes. "I was never normal, but I appreciate the thought."