The Suite Adult Life

Thanksgiving (2.1)

Cody tried to make the next few weeks into a blur. And while time did seem to progress faster than normal, he couldn't bury his head into his work. He begged his editor to send him to bumfuck podunk towns to photograph how the holidays were faring with the current economy. He even threatened to go to another publication. His editor didn't care if he freelanced. But none of his contacts wanted to send him anywhere. The rising costs of the world around them were causing them to tighten their belts, and outsource for cheaper than sending someone to a town. He even offered to pay the travel costs, but no dice.

Currently, he had his arms full of baby, as he sat on his brother's couch, hanging out with Jackson, waiting for some football game to start. Zack had been sent on location for some college game. Apparently it was a huge coup. "The biggest college football rivalry in history!" his brother proclaimed. The Ohio State Buckeyes versus the Michigan Wolverines. Neither Jackson or Cody really card. It didn't stop Cody from asking if ESPN needed a photographer in Columbus, Ohio. Again, no dice. So here he sat, making weird faces, at his niece who never stopped smiling at them.

"Hey, do you want to know what I got you for Christmas?" Jackson bent over the back of the couch, a dishrag over his shoulder after doing a massive amount of dishes that mostly consisted of baby paraphernalia.

"Uh, always." Cody said as he bounced the baby on his knee.

"I'm not having a large Thanksgiving dinner." He smirked, knowing exactly how Cody felt about large crowds, especially around the holidays.

"Really?" Cody looked over his shoulder at his brother-in-law in shock and awe.

"Really. Just us, you, my parents, and your parents."

"Thanks, man." Cody looked back at the baby and smiled. "I don't know which one you are. But you don't know I'm not your daddy!" he cooed at her with a little twist of her body that made her giggle.

"That's Aspen. She's the one who always needs to be held. Summer is the one who doesn't want anyone to touch her. Remind you of anyone else you know?" The two of them laughed at the similarities the babies were already exuding that were similar to the twin men. "But, do you want to know what you got me for Christmas?"

Jackson had a habit of telling people exactly what to get him. You never deviated from the list. Ever. So, he responded in the positive in a half-hearted way, his attention fully on baby Aspen as they waited for the pre-game show to start and Zack would come on screen. Cody had a feeling that before the babies could figure out they weren't the same person, he would be called 'dada' for a while. He was okay with that. He might have to get them to start saying 'no-da' instead though.

Jackson moved to the pen to gather Summer into his arms. He didn't like when one got more attention than the other from a single person. He called it 'The Swap'. "I'm taking all of the plans I made for Thanksgiving and moved them to the reunion and you..." He handed Cody Summer so both arms held a child, "are going."

"Uh... Have you met me?" Cody questioned. He moved the two babies to look at their father.

"I do know you. Very well. And you can be sociable, when you want to. You can be the life of the party!" He started picking up toys and putting them away knowing they would be all out again within the hour. "Besides, you know everyone who is coming. They have come to support you, you go and support them. This is just all of us, in one room instead of spread out across the country and years."

"I like it when it's spread out across the country and years." He grumbled. It was the position that Jackson was putting him in: either reject the small Thanksgiving dinner and be forced to be in a room with strangers asking him all kinds of inappropriate questions from work to his personal life. Or, go to a party where all of his old classmates would be in one room. One person in particular. "You know the position you're putting me in," he accused.

"Moi?" Jackson' voice rose an octave as he dramatically placed a hand against his chest. "Put you in an impossible situation? Why no Cody, I would never do that. You are far too smart for someone like moi."

"Rock," Cody wiggled Aspen, "Hard Place," he wiggled Summer, "Me!" He moved his face between them.

"I know you'll choose the right one," Jackson beamed. Which meant Cody would do what his brother-in-law wanted. "Oh! It's starting!" The title sequence for the pre-game show flared to life on the TV. The father came and took Aspen from her uncle so he could snuggle into the couch as the blonde hair version of Cody welcomed everyone to the "Great state of Ohio" for the "matchup of the year if not decade!"