Stay - Taylor Swift

Chapter 60

November 24, 2016 - St. Louis Missouri - Thanksgiving

Inside Grace's home in St. Louis, Missouri, the same one with the pond out front that she absolutely adored, the couple stood in the kitchen trying to figure out how to cook a turkey.

"I'm telling you, the recipe says we have to put it in now for it to be finished by five," Grace argued, holding her phone in front of Taylor's face and pointing at the cook time.

Taylor pushed it away from her, holding it far enough out from her face that she could actually read the screen, "You'll have to wait, I want to put the cookies in first because the temperature is different."

"Fine," Grace huffed, "But when Kimby starts a riot that leads to both of our brothers standing on a table chanting about how they're hungry, I'm pointing at you and locking myself in the pantry."

The whole crew was coming, both sides of the family and Karlie's entire clan. In total, including the girls they would be feeding a dozen people, who should be arriving in about two hours. They knew the rules, no pictures, no talking about it, everyone had signed an NDA ahead of time.

It made the most sense for them host that year, finally celebrating their first normal Thanksgiving together was important and while the Kent's usually didn't celebrate, Grace invited her mother to join them because Karlie and William would be coming and it would be silly to leave only one person out.

"You don't think they'll actually stand on the table, do you?" Taylor asked a moment later, her face screaming seriousness as she carefully rolled cookie dough into balls.

"I have no idea, I've never seen them in the same room. I can only hope they don't," Grace answered, attempting to peel potatoes over the trashcan.

Taylor laughed nervously and walked over to the sink to wash her hands, the grease from the cookies creating a shine on them that reflected off the window light. She glanced over at Grace, eyeing her empty fingers.

"Where's your ring?"

"It's on my chain, I didn't want it to get dirty," Grace answered, titling her head up to show off the locket on around her neck. She had started wearing it as a necklace a few days after Taylor finally gave it to her, realizing that she couldn't exactly start waltzing around with an engagement ring. She only wore it properly when she was in the house where it wouldn't be seen.

Since Taylor had been religiously staying home since mid-July, she wore hers as anyone who was openly engaged would. However, they had discussed that until she was okay with wearing it around people in public, she too would wear it on a necklace tucked into her shirt, if she wore it at all.

Three and a half hours later and the house was chaos, there were so many people in and around the kitchen Taylor swore if she stood up on the counter and started to sing it would be just like one of her shows.

"Taylor," Austin called out from the seating area adjacent to the kitchen, "Why does your cat still not like me?"

"I have no idea, Meredith only ever seems to consistently like Grace," Taylor replied, bringing bottles of soda in and setting them on the coffee table.

"It's kind of cute how she only likes Grace," Kariann said, reaching down and scratching the cat's ear.

Before she could answer, William walked in and told her she was needed by Grace in the kitchen again, making her turn right around and go back to where she was just seconds prior.

"Will said you needed me?"

"Mhmm," Grace hummed as Andrea, Tracy and Jennifer were sitting at the breakfast bar, drinking tea and chatting away, "Can you run upstairs and find Parker? He shouldn't be sitting alone in his room today, he should come hang out."