Keep My Blood Cool

Chapter Eleven

"You should invite her over for Thanksgiving."

Romeo's father's shocking words kept replaying on his mind. He had never thought the man would suggest something like that. Especially considering how they barely celebrated Thanksgiving anyway. But he did. During one of their awkward dinners, he broke the silence to ask if Savannah would be going home for Thanksgiving. When Romeo told him she couldn't afford to go twice and chose to go on Christmas instead, the man didn't hesitate to suggest inviting her.

Of course, Romeo had planned on doing something with Savannah for the holiday. He knew how much of a family person she was, so it wouldn't be easy to spend a day he assumed was special to her away from her home. However, he never thought of bringing her to his house to spend the evening with his father. The thought alone was weird and frightening.

Yet, there they were, standing in front of his entrance door. Savannah even bought a new dress for the occasion, something she didn't do often. It was a discreet knee-length and long-sleeved brown dress, yet she looked so beautiful. She was wearing her church shoes and her mother's necklace, and had waved her hair and put some subtle makeup on that matched the outfit perfectly. Romeo himself didn't think too much about his outfit and ended up wearing his best denim jeans and a white shirt.

"We can still go back. Eat a turkey sandwich on the drive-through. Try to get a spot for the Macy's Parade." Romeo suggested in a whisper.

"Oh, shut up." Savannah whispered back before she rang the bell.

"Why did you ring the bell? I live here, I have the keys." Romeo pointed out. As nervous as he was, it was obvious Savannah was even more.

Before he could open the door, though, his father did. His attire wasn't different from usual, but slightly more casual as he was wearing a wool sweater instead of the usual formal blazer. It was weird to see his father in anything but a complete suit, but then again Romeo assumed a lot about that evening would be weird.

"Good evening. Romeo. And you must be Savannah." His father greeted with his usual stoic tone of voice. He looked at the young woman and stared at her for a while that felt too long for Romeo, as if he was deep analyzing every inch of her.

"Yes, I am. It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Russel." Savannah greeted with the shyest smile Romeo had ever seen on her face. "I brought a pumpkin pie. My mother's recipe." She said as she handed him the plate she had been holding on her hands.

"Thank you, you didn't have to, but I'm sure it will be delicious." Romeo's father answered as he picked the plate from her hands. "Please, come inside, it's too cold. Mrs. Young, our house-keeping lady, has left a turkey prepared and I've already put it in the oven. Make yourself at home, Savannah. Romeo, get her coat and purse. I'll add this to the desserts table."

The man walked away and that was the first time the couple had a chance to take a look around. Everything was as clean and neat as always. The fireplace was lit and the TV was on the Parade. The dining table was already set with their best dishes and there were even candles on the center of the table. Romeo assumed Mrs. Young had been the one to do all that, but it still felt surprising to him to see his father in such a setting.

The warmth of the fireplace and the subtle smell of the turkey starting to roast was giving Romeo nostalgia for the times his mother was alive. Back then, they always had the best Thanksgiving. Everything was just like in the movies. He remembered waking up early to watch his DVD of the Peanut's Special. And how his mother insisted on preparing everything herself instead of relying on the housekeeper. Romeo would always eagerly help, but now that he looked back, he was sure he gave her more work than he saved. He remembered the mixture of smells coming from the kitchen making his mouth water while he watched the Parade on TV. How delicious dinner was and he always ended up with stomach ache from overeating, only to fall asleep on his father's shoulder. It was a very happy day throughout and he kept the memories fondly in his heart. However, after his mother's death and their house move, they basically stopped celebrating the holiday. It was very hard on the first year, because Romeo wanted everything to be just the way it used to. He remembered helping Mrs. Young prepare the turkey and make the desserts, hoping it would make his father happy and proud, only to reach the end of the night and him not even showing up. After that, Romeo lost all interest in Thanksgiving, so he didn't really care that his father always stayed at work until late, and was satisfied with eating a turkey sandwich on his car and partying with his friends after.