My phone rang as I got into my car. Looking at the screen I saw it was Oli. "Calm your fucking tits woman, I'm on my way!"
"Can you tell your stupid boyfriend to get off his arse and help me please?" Oli all but screamed down the phone to me. "Him and Sal have been playing computer games all fucking day and I've had to do everything myself."
I groaned. I was about to head into a war zone. I needed to fix this. "Put him on."
I held the phone away from my ear as Oli shouted at Brian. After a few thuds and what must have been the phone falling to the floor, Brian came to the phone.
"Hey babe, what's up?" He asked, slightly out of breath.
"Seriously? I have Oli screaming at me and you're asking what's up? Why aren't you helping her?"
"I swear we tried, but she shouted at us for making a mess then told us to, and I quote 'fuck off out from under her feet' for a while. Then we might have got distracted playing Fallout..."
I sighed at this adorable idiot. "I'll be home in a few, can you try and stay out of trouble until I get back please?" He promised he would and I hung up the phone, shaking my head. Surrounded by children both at work and at home.
I walked into the kitchen and stopped dead at the sight in front of me. It looked like a food bomb had gone off. I dropped my bag on the chair and immediately asked Oli what she needed me to do.
"Thank Christ you are home Shae. I have been so close to killing them both!"
She passed me a recipe...some sweet potato thing with marshmallows. I frowned. "Is this real?"
Oli shrugged. "Apparently so."
We spent the rest of the evening preparing everything for tomorrow, leaving the guys to play their game which meant they left us in peace. Within no time, everything was done and the kitchen was tidied. I yelled for Brian.
"Quinn. Vulcano. Asses in here now!"
A few seconds later they bundled into the kitchen. "Seeing as you two are about as useful as a chocolate teapot, dinner is on you tonight. Order something sharpish."
Oli threw a bunch of takeaway menus at them and we left them in the kitchen. I plonked myself down on the sofa and picked up Brian's controller. "Fancy a game?" Oli nodded excitedly.
It was after midnight when Brian pulled the controller out of my hand and threw it on the floor. "Right missy," he whispered in my ear, "how about we finish this up and get an early night?" He grazed my ear with his teeth, causing me to shudder. I elbowed him in the stomach as I said goodnight to Oli and Sal. I squealed as Brian swung me up and over his shoulder and ran up the stairs to my room.
It was still dark when I woke. I glanced at Brian, his hair strewn across his face as he slept and crept downstairs. I was surprised to see Sal already up and the oven preheating. I looked at him, the question clear on my face as I poured my coffee.
"I wanted to make up for yesterday. You guys did everything." He shrugged.
"You're a good un Sal." I smiled. "So come on then, you and Oli. Spill."
We sat for almost an hour, Sal pouring his heart out about Olivia. I didn't realise how hard he had fallen. I really hoped that she would get her head out of her arse and admit that she felt the same way. I looked at clock, I should wake Brian and Oli up. I paused at the kitchen door and turned back to Sal. "You need to tell her how you feel Sal."
I turned the corner to walk up the stairs and nearly fell over Oli. She threw her hand over my mouth to keep me quiet and dragged me up to her room.
The second the door shut, I rounded on her. "So you know how he feels now. Will you sort your shit out please? Because I know you feel exactly the same way!" She tried to speak but I stopped her. "Don't want to hear it Olivia. I see how you look at him, I see how you are together. Take a fucking risk for once in your life and go for it. I'm going to get dressed." I swung out of the door without another word, leaving Oli opened mouthed on her bed.
By the time I was dressed and ready, everyone was up and the food was in. I came downstairs to Brian and Sal trying to convince Oli to play some touch football. I was up for it, but I had literally no idea how to play. After 30 minutes of explaining and Oli and I still having no clue, Brian gave up and just told us to do what they said.
An hour and a half later, we were exhausted, covering in mud and aching from laughing. What started as touch football, basically ended up in a big game of tag. After cleaning ourselves up quickly, we finished prepping the food. I was starving.
"Woah!" Sal exclaimed suddenly. "What time is it?"
I looked at the clock on the oven. "Nearly 12:30, why?"
"The parade is on at 2. I'm not missing it, just so you know." I rolled my eyes at him.
"That's cool bro." I teased. "We should just about have finished eating by then anyway. Brian, help me set the table?" I nodded towards the living room where we had moved the table then not so slyly pushed Oli into talking to Sal.
I dumped the cutlery down on the table and wrapped my arms around Brian. "Happy thanksgiving mister." I smiled.
He leaned down and kissed me lightly. "Happy thanksgiving to you too. And thank you. You two have done an amazing job."
Dinner was a success. We went round the table, each saying what we were thankful for. I teared up slightly when Brian said he was thankful for having the opportunity to come to the uk and to meet me, and become the happiest he's been in a long while. We raised a glass to each other and toasted our friends, old and new, across the pond before digging in. Everything was delicious, even the strange sweet potato/marshmallow combo.
Sal all but ran from the table to set up the laptop link to the tv for the parade. He was like a big kid. I watched as Oli sat beside him, listening as he rambled away about how he always watched the parade with his family. They were so sweet together. I curled up beside Brian in the chair, full of food and absolutely content. This has been a perfect day, I thought to myself as I closed my eyes.
