Hold Me Close

Chapter Sixteen: Ringraziare

-=Evan=-

We both woke up at the same time. Startled, as something...a lot of somethings...crashed to the ground in the kitchen.

"What was that?" A concerned Alex asked, clearly worried. I laughed at the way his face contorted when he was worried, and the way he comtinued to look at me confused made me laugh even harder.

"It's Thanksgiving, duh." I replied, getting up to get in the shower. When I got into the bathroom I pulled the dial in the shower to the side and started the cascade of water down the drain. I peeled off the clothes I was wearing, balling them and throwing them onto the floor beside the door. In the shower I was washing myself when I pulled out the shampoo I had packed. I was almost already out because of how much freaking fur I have, and TSA rejects anything over 3.4 ounces. Now that I think about it I'd rather the risk of a bomb while flying if it meant I could actually clean myself.

I stepped out and onto the orange shower mat, struggling to resist the urge to shake the water off of me and onto every other surface in the room. I picked up the blow-dryer from the counter and started to dry myself. My fur was extremely floofy as I put my clothes on for the day. Stepping out into the hallway my nose was smacked with a plethera of aromas from cooking food in the kitchen. I followed my nose towards tonight's dinner, picking up on a few staples such as pie, turkey, and most importantly, bread. I swear, my soul consists of straight carbohydrates.

"Oh hey Evan, how'd you sleep sweetie?" Susane asked me, looking over her shoulder at me while continuing to prepare the stuffing on the counter. [I literally just remembered Thanksgiving is a North American holiday. Shit. I'll work it in somehow, idk]

"I slept great, how about you?" I responded, standing kind of awkwardly as the other three furs moved around the tight kitchen preparing a feast of an untold magnitude.

"I slept we thank you, now be a dear and peel those potatoes?" She requested. Glad to now have something to do I walked over to the sink where a bag of potatoes and a peeler were waiting for me. I always found peeling vegetables to be theraputic, just imagine the food as people you don't like and boom, anger managed and dinner made all in one. We kept cooking without rest for the next few hours, until the only thing left to cook was the turkey which was in the oven.

Ben threw a dish towel over his shoulder, sighing and leaning back against the counter. "Well that appears to be all of it haha." My hands were tired...no...aching actually.

"Oh sweet pancakes look at the time!" Susane exclaimed, looking at the small digital clock on the oven.

"Pancakes...?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, pancakes. And we only have an hour until people start arriving so chop chop let's get prepared." She commanded, heading off to the dining room presumabally to start setting up the table.

"Twenty seven years and she still amazes me to this day..." Ben trailed off as he walked away to follow his wife. Alex and I shrugged at each other and walked out as well. A few hours later we were all in the living room, hanging out. I was reading this boom that they had, not really paying attention. I was propped up against Alex's shoulder, and he was tapping away at his phone. Put the large bay window I saw a small silver car pull up in front of the house, horizontally parking on the side of the street. Susane must've noticed as well because she lept to her paws and ran to the door.

It had to have been about an hour before the entire family had arrived, a couple of people even lived in Spain. Alex must have a diverse family I guess...

"Attention everyone!" Ben called over the low chatter of family members catching up. No one seeming to notice the anomaly in the crowd, the black wolf anomalee that was me. Everyone slowly quieted down and faced Alex's father. "We're gonna move over to the dining room, the turkey's just about done." The crowd slowly started shuffling to the dining room table. I scurried over to Alex, who was already sitting, and just barely snuck into the seat next to him. He looked over to me and smiled. Once everyone had settled down, turkey was carved, and food was being stuffed into people's faces, one of Alex's little cousins who was sitting next to me nudged my shoulder. I looked down to him, and he. Was. Adorable.

"What is this party for?" He asked me, his mouth partially stuffed with a roll. It finally occurred to me, they don't have Thanksgiving over here.

"Oh, it's a tradition over across the ocean, we just decided to have it here this year I guess." I responded, spearing some mashed potatoes with my fork. He nodded and continued to wolf down his food--literally.

"So what's everyone thankful for?" Someone said. She was one of the people from Spain, I could tell by the accent. People went in order clockwise around the long table, until finally it came to Alex.

"Hmm...." He trailed off, thinking. What was I going to sa- I was cut off by Alex kissing me in front of everyone. The room went silent. "Enough said." And he picked up his fork again. Someone wolf-whistled across the table and normal chatter picked back up again. I looked at Alex with my eyebrows raised. "What, it worked didn't it?" He asked. I shrugged my shoulders and continued to eat.

-<☆>-

The next morning all of our bags were packed, in Susane's car, and we were saying goodbye to Ben, who had to pop off to work after the rest of the family left to go home. Alex and I clambered into the back seat and we were off. Back to the airport, back to college, back to life. We rode the whoke way in silence, observing the city behind us through the windows as we went.

When we reached the terminal, Susanne hopped out of the car to help us with our bags and say goodbye.

"I'll miss you..." She said as she hugged Alex tightly.

"I will too mom, love you." He said and they disconnected. Before I knew it she was embracing me as well.

"Take care of him, he's a weird one. Don't let him do anything stupid." She warned.

"No promises." I grinned back, chuckling a bit she let go.

"Well I'd better be off, have a good flight. Also, anytime younwant to fly out and say hello, we'll be here." Wow she was taking this really seriously, tears forming in the corners of her eyes and she trudged back over to the car door, driving away and back into the city. We headed into the luggage check. Maybe this flight will be easier to get through...