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Thanksgiving

          I wake up Thursday morning and shake myself out of my usual fear from the night. I will not allow stupid nightmares to ruin today. It's thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays! The Trayco's will come around 10am to play games and the ladies will cook the big meal.
       I sniff appreciatively, it seems mom's already gotten started.
      7:30 in the morning mom, really?
       I can't complain though. Who wouldn't want to wake up to the smell of pumpkin pie? Mom always starts Thanksgiving day with baking the pies.
     I throw on my pre-planned outfit of  jeans, a green cardigan that brings out my emerald eyes, and brown Ugg Boots. I put my long, red, curled-last-night-by-Blair hair into a ponytail and carefully do my makeup. I turn and pat Little Bear, then head downstairs.

Happy Thanksgiving Blair! I'm so thankful you came into my life, and love you lots! -Lexi

     Happy Thanksgiving Noir! Hope you have fun out there in Cali with your grandparents!-Lexi

     After sending those texts I enter the kitchen. "Good morning Mom, Dad! Happy Thanksgiving!"
     My dad looks up from his coffee at the table and my mom pauses her baking. "Good morning sweetheart!"
   They pull me into a group hug and we stand for a minute, quiet. I feel Mom's tears dripping onto my hair. "We're so thankful to have you back." She whispers, my dad sighs into my hair.
     "Okay Mom, Dad, please. I want breakfast."
     They pull away and I help myself to a cinnamon roll. I take the sticky pastry and head into the living room to watch TV until the Macy's Parade is on.
         Around 9:30 they start with the pre-parade advertisements, and I leave it on in the background and head into the kitchen to grab hot chocolate.
      I curl up in my favorite chair to watch the parade and wait for the Trayco's. I zone out as I watch Charlie Brown float by, and then I see that Kaitlyn Kutch will be on the next float.    

This calls for an immediate phone call.

"Blair! Is your TV on? Kaitlyn Kutch is on the next float!" I shriek.
     "Lexi quiet down!" My mom yells.
"Yes! I'm watching it!" Blair squeals in my ear. The opening chords to "Volcano" are struck and next thing I know, I'm screaming and Blair's screaming and Little Bear is barking and it's general chaos.
     Somewhere in the song the Trayco's come in. I'm not terribly embarrassed that they see me standing on the couch, with my cell phone to my ear, screaming the lyrics to 'Volcanos' first verse, "YOU THOUGHT I NEVER WOULD, NOT IN A THOUSAND YEARS, EXPLODE AND HURT A CITY WHEN YOU WEREN'T HERE!"
     Little Bear is spinning in circles and running around like a nut, and my Dad is shouting for me to chill.
       The float moves on before the 2nd verse, and I settle down and hang up the phone. Little Bear will not calm down though, so Carson and I are forced to take him out.
       "Happy Thanksgiving, Lexi." Carson says, with a little half-smile. I throw Bear's tennis ball and grin at Carson. "Right back atcha old pal."
       He scrutinizes my face. "You look pretty."
     I blush, "Thanks. Blair curled my hair."
     He nods, "I noticed. You never curl your hair!"
     "I always burn myself. I'm just grateful I know how to straighten it."
      He smirks at me, and by then Little Bear is calm enough to re-enter the house. "All settled down, big guy?" I croon, wrapping him in my arms. "You like her as much as I, don'tcha? You just didn't settle down as quickly as me!"
    Carson raises an eyebrow. "Kaitlyn Kutch?"
    I nod, he nods, and we head back inside.
Carson and I sit together to watch the parade, and when it's over we play Scrabble. And then Blokus. And then Jenga. I win at all three.
     He growls in frustration, "I can't beat you!"
I laugh, "You came close in Blokus."
     At around 3:30pm my mom calls out, "Lexi, Carson! Please set the table, we're going to eat in about 10 minutes!"
I arrange the places and Carson lights the candles. Mrs. Trayco comes in with the green bean casserole and the cranberry jelly. My dad carries in the turkey, Mr. Trayco has the mashed potatoes and the stuffing. My mom comes in with the corn.
"Lexi there's two bowls of bread on the counter, would you please grab them? Thanks hon."
I nod at my mom and head into the kitchen. I grab one bowl with my left hand and attempt to wrap my right arm around the other bowl. I carefully pick it up, and start to walk to the dining room when I feel it slipping. There's nothing I can do.
But before the bowl crashes to floor, Carson is there and he grabs it.
"I figured you'd have a little trouble," he whispers.
I close my eyes. "I feel so useless," I whisper back.
"You're not useless," he says sternly. "It's mostly my fault your poor right arm got ruined."
"No. It's not. It's mine. I tried to run away."
He looks at me, "Lexi, don't ruin today. You're not useless and it's neither of our faults. Okay?"
I nod, "Okay."

We seat ourselves and wait, looking at our parents. Mrs. Trayco and my mom are both teary as my dad speaks.
"This year, we are so thankful to have our precious children with us. We weren't sure we would. Thank you, God." He looks at me and Carson tenderly.
"We love you two," Mr. Trayco says softly. Carson and I nod mutely.
I glance surreptitiously at Carson's profile.
He's so handsome. Thank you for Carson.
As one, we all dig into our meal with gusto. I eat slowly, unable to speed up because of my arm.
When we think we can't get any more full, my mom brings out the pie.
I wolf down my slice.
After dessert, the men retire to the living room to watch football while the women clean up.
Carson jerks his head at the door, "Want to go for a walk?"
I glance out into the dusk, and say, "Yes, definitely."

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I don't know about you, but Thanksgiving at my house gets mega hectic. There's like, 20 kids running around and movies playing everywhere and the parade, and games, and lots of screaming. Maybe a smoke alarm or two ;)

What's Thanksgiving like at your house?

-M.R.