Happily Ever After

Forty Eight~ The Future

Kris

Once we were settled in Thanksgiving comes along and we head over to my parents house. My immediate family was pretty small because it was just me and my brother and my parents. But once our extended family comes over it can get pretty packed in the house. I have plenty of aunts and uncles and cousins and of course my grandparents. There was even a few nieces and nephews running around keeping us all in our toes. And it's always been a tradition for us to fill someone's house for the holiday, this time my parents hosted.

So we come over early to help set up for all the smiling faces and hungry tummy's we will see today. My dad turns to tv on and they start talking about the Thanksgiving football games on later making my eyes go big.

"I wouldn't do that" I warn as he stops turning it up.

"Why not" he wonders.

A second later Jenna busts in with her eyes as intense as they could be. The Texas sizes smile on her face as she stares at the TV. "I heard people talking football, has the game started" she questions with a thick accent. It happens every time she talked about football.

"That's why" I laugh.

"You excited for the games" my dad asks her. He was a sports fan as much as he was a baseball one so he loved the football games too.

"Do you eat turkey on thanksgivin'" she questions and I laugh.

"So that's a yes" my dad says.

"That's a understatement" I tease. "The woman could run a franchise if she wanted to."

"Oh no, I can't do sports politics" she insists. "I just like yelling and football. That's about it."

"Then you're going to fit right in with us" my dad smiles.

He's saying that now...

Eventually my family slowly comes in and I introduce everyone to Mary and Jenna. Everyone quickly warms up to them and before you knew it they were part of the family. Mary was running around with my nieces and nephews and Jenna was joined at the hip with my cousins Katie and Matt. She usually doesn't like hanging around people her age, she feels like she had to grow up so fast so she relates more with people older than her. But this time around was different, she was trying something new and I hope more than anything that she will like them.

"You got yourself quite the girl there" Matt admits as he approaches me. He leaves Jenna on the couch as she goes in on one of her tirades about why a holding penalty should only be five yards instead of ten.

"I like to think so" I smile.

"You think she's the one" he wonders.

I watch her smile as she talks with my dad and cousin and have a great time. She was so worried about coming here and being exposed to people who might not understand why she is the way she is. Who might not agree with the path she was forced to take because of what happened to her. But everyone I've met that she's met loves her. I haven't heard one bad thing.

"I know she is" I finally answer.

"I can tell" he admits and I turn back to him with a questionable expression.

"How" I question.

"Where do I start" he laughs. "I asked what it was like living in Chicago and you said that the best part was meeting her and her niece. I asked what it was like to be a professional baseball player and you automatically started talking about how she learned about the game just to come watch you play. I asked what your plans for the future is and you said you didn't really care as long as she was with you.

If that's not true love I don't know what is" he claims.

"I'm wrapped around her finger pretty tight. And while it hasn't been easy, in fact it's rarely been easy, its been inspirational at worst and perfect at best. I know that it hasn't been all that long, I can't help but want it all with her. A family, a future, a forever" I explain.

"Does she want the same" he wonders.

I just shrug as I sigh. "I'm not sure, we've never really talked about it. For the longest time she didn't want to think about the future. She was in a lot of pain and the future was just more of that to her. And things slowly started to change, it took a while but finally she let go and now she can dream. She can achieve anything she can think of but she's still scared. After what she went through I don't blame her. She's been through hell and back but she's still trying. She's giving me everything good she had and she is willing to share it with me. That has to mean something" I insist.

"It means everything" he smirks.

We eventually join the rest of my family and I try to keep Jenna under wraps. But I have never seen someone so into a sport in my life, and these weren't even teams she cared about.

"Are you going to blow a gasket" I tease. Everyone turns to look at me because that's not a phrase you learn here in Vegas.

"Oh man, you really are startin' to sound like me" she giggles.

"I would kill to sound like you" I admit.

"I don't think I could take you seriously" she teases.

"Yeah, you're probably right" I laugh.

Mary decided that she missed her aunt and crawls into Jenna's lap. The only way to get her not to be a public hazard while watching football is if Mary is in her lap. Then the only real danger is that mouth of hers but she knew not to say what she really wants to with kids around. Mary cuddles up to her side and I just smile at them. This thanksgiving I'm thankful for a lot. For seeing my family again, for having a good rookie season and winning rookie of the year. For being a part of a special team and living out my dreams and my parents being there for a lot of it.

But I'm most thankful for those two girls sitting on the couch cuddled up together. They mean the world to me, everyone knows that. Even Matt who has only seen us together for a few hours know it. It's something you can see and feel, how much I love my girls. And I'm thankful that even after this holiday I will be able to continue to build a life with them, make a future where we have the world in our hands, but all we want is each other.