Beautiful Mistake

xxxi

"Caroline!" My mother calls as she knocks on Collin's door. I open my eyes, stretch, and look to the left of me. Collin is gone and I lay in his bed alone.

"Come in!" I say and she opens the door.

"What's Collin doing sleeping in your room?" The last thing I remember from last night is after dinner, we both came back up here, laid down, and fell asleep.

"Uh, I didn't want to sleep in my room last night." She nods and comes to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Happy thanksgiving baby!" She smiles and hugs me.

"Happy thanksgiving Mom." I slide off the bed and follow her out into the hallway, "I'm going to get ready for the party. I'll see you soon." I open my bedroom door and Collin is sprawled out in my bed.

I walk into the bathroom and leave the door cracked so it doesn't get too hot in here. I turn on the hot water and begin to take off my clothes.

Once the mirror fogs I turn down the heat and get in.

After my shower, I fully pull open the door and Collin sits on my bed in some black jeans, a white tee and a red and black flannel over it, "I'm going to head to my parent's house in like twenty minutes."

"Alright." I slide my closet door open and grab a black blouse and jeans that fit me tightly. I really need to get some bigger clothes.

"I'll give you some privacy. I'll be downstairs helping your mom out with the food." I nod and shut the bedroom door behind him. I change into my clothes and put on some ankle boots to go with them.

I take a second to look around my room and before I can get sad, I feel the butterflies. I sigh and put my hands on the spot. I try to keep myself from crying but I let a single tear slip. Just one.

I wipe the tear away and open the door. My mother greets me when I walk into the kitchen and my dad stands over the counter, chopping potatoes into cubes.

"Jennifer is bringing her kids, so don't try to torture them, Caroline." My Mom says as she rubs seasonings onto the turkey.

"Torture them with what?" I raise an eyebrow and grab a random thing off the plate.

I put the food in my mouth and begin chewing, "No! Don't eat that!" Both of my parents basically scream. I spit it out immediately as the foul taste registers in my brain.

"What the heck was that?!"

"It was the kidney of the turkey." My mother laughs, picking up the bag of organs and throwing it away, "I forgot to throw this away."

I gag and rush to the refrigerator, I waterfall orange juice from the jug and nearly spill it all over me.

"That was disgusting mom! Who keeps a kidney inside a turkey?!"

"Some people like to cook the turkey with the organs inside." Mom shrugs and once the oven beeps, she puts the turkey in.

"Fine. I'm gonna stay out of the kitchen. I don't want to swallow any more insides."

-

A knock sounds from the front door and I take it as my time to meet and greet. I walk up to the oak wood and turn the handle that I've turned a million times.

I am met with the unfamiliar and somewhat familiar faces of many family members.

"Hi!" I say, they say the same thing back and I am given a hug by almost every person who comes in. My Aunt Becky stops in the doorway and looks me up and down.

"Honey, have you gained weight?" I shut the front door after her and follow her into the living room.

"Technically yes," She cuts me off before I can say anything else.

"Oh thank goodness! I thought you were pregnant." Becky laughs and I turn my head to look at my mother, she shrugs and begins to set out the food for everyone.

"I um, I actually am pregnant Aunt Becky," I say, everyone turns to look at me and they all erupt in cheers.

"I'm having a great grandchild?" My grandma Margaret basically screams, "I've been waiting!" She gives me a tight hug and feels my stomach, "This blouse just makes you look, chubby darling, why not show off your child?"

"It does?" I ask, adjusting the top, "I thought it looked fine."

"Well whatever, if you like it then it's alright." Grandma Margaret sits down on the couch and flicks on the TV. The news comes on a news broadcast says that there is a thirty percent chance of snow next Monday.

I feel a slight tugging on my fingers and I look down to see a little boy, his hair is chocolate brown and his eyes are a vibrant green. He kind of reminds me of Collin.

"Uhm, do you have juice?" The boy asks, holding up his sippy cup. He has got to be at least two, three even.

"Yes, I do." I smile and lead him into the kitchen where I pull out some apple juice. I take his sippy cup, fill it midway with water and then fill the rest with the juice. I give it back to him and immediately he attaches his mouth to the nub and bounces away, drinking his juice.

Another faint knock sounds at the door and I walk over to answer it. I open the door and Collin stands there with two, very well dressed people behind him. I take them in and I see he and Beth look a lot more like their mother than their father.

His mom has deep brown hair, dark green eyes, and a perfect face. His father has fawn colored hair, blue eyes, and a very sharp jawline.

He turns to look at them and then back at me, "Caroline, meet my parents, Darla and Steven Bronze."