Fix Me, Fix You: A Jesse Pinkman Story

Chapter Eighteen

The atmosphere of the Coop and Linda's house was vibrant on the morning of Thanksgiving.

Lucy and Lia sat on the coffee table in pretty fall dresses, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the TV in front of them, with happiness and excitement written all over their faces. Their little legs dangled over the side of the table and their eyes sparkled at the beautiful sights on the screen.

Jolie sat on the couch behind them, wearing a navy blue dress sweater dress, with her hair and makeup all done up for the day, watching the parade as well. She sipped on a cold mimosa with strawberries as she relished in the joyful atmosphere.

Coop sat at the kitchen table, watching a Thanksgiving Day football game on a small TV they brought into the kitchen. He groaned at the screen, disgruntled by the referees call on the game. He didn't really care who won or lost, but getting mad at a football game was a part of their Thanksgiving tradition.

Jesse stood next to Linda in the kitchen, holding the turkey upright while she basted and stuffed it. The slimy raw bird suddenly slipped right out of his grip. It hit the pan with a crash, nearly sliding right off and onto the floor, but in one swift movement, Jesse blocked the pan from moving and put his hands around the turkey. With wide eyes, he looked at Linda who had raised eyebrows. When their eyes met, they broke out into a fit of laughter.

"That would've been some shit, huh?" Jesse joked, knowing he would've been in deep shit if he had ruined the main part of their lunch.

"Coop would've been frying your ass if you had dropped that turkey!" Linda teased.

Jesse chuckled, loving the sense of family togetherness that he felt that day. There had been many times when he enjoyed feeling like he was a part of their close-knit family, but this was the first real holiday he was spending with them, and it felt very special.

He wondered if maybe he would've had family experiences like these if he hadn't fucked up so bad when he was younger. But it didn't matter now. This was his second chance. And he was not going to fuck it up.

Around noon, the family sat down at their respective spots at the table, surrounding the mass of warm delicious food that rested in front of them.

"Before we get started, why don't we go around the table and say what we're thankful for this year? We've had a busy year, a lot of ups and downs, so I think it'd be a good idea to throw some positivity into it," Linda declared.

"That's a great idea, Mom," Jolie agreed.

"Okay, I'll start," Linda began. "I'm very thankful for my beautiful family, and for the strength that God gave us to get through a very rough time. And I'm very thankful that the six of us are able to sit here together, happy and healthy."

Everyone smiled, sharing the sentiment.

"Lia, would you like to go next?" Linda asked.

"Okay!" Lia peeped in her typical enthusiastic voice. "Hmm! I'm thankful for all this yummy food..." Her little eyes focused as she thought about the things she was thankful for. "And I'm thankful for recess at school, and I'm thankful for art class! Oh, and I'm thankful for Grandpa Coop, and Grandma Lin, and Jesse, and Aunt Jo, and Lucy – you know, my family! Wait! I'm thankful for my new dress too!"

Everyone chuckled at the various things she was gracious for.

"Lucy, your turn!" Lia announced.

Lucy smirked and pointed cutely at the big turkey in the middle of the table.

Everyone laughed, again sharing the sentiment of being thankful for the turkey.

"I'll go next," Jolie spoke up. "I'm very thankful for the unconditional love and support that my parents have always shown me, and I'm very thankful for the wonderful new addition to our family," she smiled at Jesse. "But mostly, I'm thankful for Lucy and Lia, who brought even more brightness and happiness into my life than they did on the day they were born."

The two little girls smiled sweetly at their aunt. Though they didn't understand the true meaning behind her words, they liked that she was thankful for them specifically.

"Jesse, would you like to go next?" Linda asked.

"Sure," he nodded with a smile, knowing it was time to show his gratitude. "I have a lot to be thankful for this year," he said honestly.

"I'm thankful to Coop for giving me a job that I didn't deserve and for showing me how to create something beautiful with my hands. I'm thankful to Linda for going out of her way to set me up in the guest room and for feeding me amazing meals. And I'm thankful to both of you for giving me a place to live."

Coop nodded in acknowledgement as Linda smiled, thankful for his gratitude toward them.

"I'm thankful to Lucy and Lia for letting me dress up with them on Halloween and build forts and castles with them." He winked at the girls. "And I'm thankful to Jolie for bringing me outside in the eye of the hurricane and for always showing me how beautiful and crazy life can be."

She smiled at him softly, feeling a lump in her throat at his genuine appreciation.

Jesse sighed. "But more than anything, I'm thankful to your family as a whole, for taking me in and allowing me to be a part of this incredible family. I didn't even know this kind of love existed until I met you guys. And you've made me a better person. So, thank you."

Linda placed a hand over her heart, feeling it ache for the sweet boy. She stood up and made her way over to him then hugged him tight.

"We are so lucky to have someone like you in our family," she said softly to him.

"Thank you," he replied.

Linda resumed her seat as Jolie blinked away a few tears away at his kind words. She was proud to be a part of her family and so glad that they were able to make such an impact on Jesse's life, as he had made one on theirs too.

"Ah, jeez, kid," Coop teased. "How am I supposed to follow that?!"

Everyone chuckled.

"Let me just say this, son," Coop sighed. "You brought light back to this family during a very dark time. And I know I speak for all of us when I say we're as thankful for you as you are for us."

"Absolutely," Linda agreed.

"In addition to that, I am thankful for my incredible chef of a wife, who puts up with me day in and day out. I'm thankful for my selfless daughter, who never fails to make me proud. And I'm thankful for my beautiful granddaughters, who keep me young and brighten my days," Coop concluded. "And I am starving, so let's eat!"

~

After lunch, Jesse, Lia, Lucy, and Coop all moved to the living room to watch the Thanksgiving Day specials on TV while Jolie and Linda did their usual cleaning routine of putting away all the leftovers, washing the dishes, and wiping down the table and countertops.

When they were done, Linda retreated to the bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes and Jolie made her way into the living room, where it was awfully quiet.

She first laid eyes on her father, who sat in his usual spot on the couch, asleep and halfway snoring. Lia sat on the other end of the couch, curled up watching the TV, but with sleepy eyes.

Then she saw Jesse, who was holding Lucy as she slept on his shoulder with her face buried in his neck. One of his arms rested under her bottom to hold her up comfortably while he sunk back into the couch. His eyes were adorably heavy, as his full stomach from their delicious lunch made him want to nap like everyone else.

Jolie's heart did its usual flutter at the adorable sight. She was so appreciative of how close he had gotten with the girls, and she cherished how much Lucy adored him. It only heightened her love for him.

She walked over to the back of the couch where she gently placed her hand on his head, caressing it dotingly, then she bent down and placed a soft kiss on the other side of his head right above his ear.

"You're incredible," she whispered to him then placed another kiss on his ear. "I am so thankful for you today."

He glanced up at her sleepily and smiled then pressed his lips to hers gently. "Not as thankful as I am for you, pretty girl."