Without You

Chapter 38

This is the dress Allie wore to the Thanksgiving dinner.

•-•-•-•-•

The next few weeks flew by really quick. Jason just sprained his shoulder and bruised come cartilage which he could play with but Coach started me instead. I never found out why he stormed off before the game ended but it wasn't brought up again. We won the game therefore we got a first week bye in the playoffs. I had been missing a lot of practices between Autumn's Check-Ups, which seemed to be going well, and court cases.

Javier was sentenced to 30 years in prison, which will probably be lowered, last Wednesday. The court hearing appertaining to the Reed brothers' death was on Monday. Deborah came and went and stayed in the barn, a wreck most of the time. The 2 men that were caught were sentenced to life in prison and they were still looking for the 3rd man. Neither men admitted what their motive was. Deb and I both knew it was Phil and Victor but we can't prove a thing.

Today was November 26 or also known as Thanksgiving. We were planning on having to go to practice but coach cancelled it because we don't have a game tomorrow. We were instead going to have a Thanksgiving Meal. I haven't had one since I was 10 with my grandparents and Mae. This year it was going to be Susan, Jake, Maddie, Avery, Autumn, me and some 'guests' Susan won't tell us who.

I am looking at the table arrangement as Jake is placing the silverware and I notice there are 4 extra seats. I start to wonder who it is that Susan would bring in for Thanksgiving. Maybe it was a homeless family, she seemed like the type to do that.

"Who do you think they are Jake?" I ask him after he finishes the silverware.

"Honestly I have no idea. Really I don't have a clue." He tells me truthfully.

"I guess just a couple hours until we know right? I'm going to go and help in the kitchen." I walk out of the dining room and into the kitchen.

"Need any help?" I ask her.

"Please, um could you do something with those vegetables and then make cranberry sauce?" She asks as she's going something with the turkey.

"Sure." I reply and start cutting up some carrots.

"Thanks for helping, Jake never helps with anything." She laughs to herself.

"No problem. I haven't had a proper Thanksgiving in 6 years so it's nice to have one for a change." I smile at the carrots recollecting memories.

"This year will be your very best then." She told me.

We work in silence for a little bit. I continued working with the vegetables and she's working in the stuffing.

"Could you tell me who the guests are?" I ask out of the blue.

"Nope." She tells me.

"Please? A hint? A name? Why they are invited?" I push her.

"Fine." She says and stops working so I do too and look her in their eyes.

"I met a man and both of his wives have died. The second one recently so I decided to invite him and his children over." She says lowly and then adds. "You can't tell Jake because he'll have a fit now but he won't have a fit if people are here."

"I won't." I smile thinking maybe Susan has moved on but then my smile drops thinking that somehow this guy has 2 dead wives. "How old are his kids?" I ask after a bit of silence.

"The boys are 22 and 17 and they have a girl who's 14. Maybe Autumn and Jake will have new friends by the end of the night. Oh and I forgot to tell you, if you want you can invite anyone you know from the barn you work at." She tells me.