More Than Words

Thanksgiving. A time for family, for thanking who or whatever’s out there for the good in your life and trying to forget about the bad long enough to really appreciate the good.

Well, I definitely have a lot to be thankful for this year.

This time last year I was sitting alone in my dining room, eating the meal I’d prepared for myself because Carly was at Damien’s parents’ house for the holiday, meeting the parents for the first time. They’d asked if I’d be okay on my own, and I’d said yes, and the sad part was that I actually thought I was fine on my own.

I had no idea how much better life could be when you had someone to share it with.

This year would definitely be better than last, but the holidays were always a little bittersweet for me.

The holidays were the time you were meant to spend with your family, catching up about what happened over the last few years, laughing about old times and just enjoying being together.

But… my family was gone. I never really knew my father, my mother was gone and she was an only child. The last time I saw a member of my family that wasn’t my mom was when I visited my grandpa the week before he died. I didn’t even end up going to the funeral.

So the holidays were never a great time for me.

But this year, I had Nick. We were going to spend the holidays together, and I was excited. We were going to cook a huge dinner for the two of us, sit at the table and eat like civilized people, instead of camping out in the bed or on the couch like usual.

“Hey, Ellory!” Nick called from the kitchen. “Can I get some help out here?”

I walked into the kitchen to find Nick struggling with a huge turkey and five or six grocery bags.

“Woah, what’s all this?” I asked. “It’s the two of us, not a whole army.”

“I know! But we have to have a turkey! It’s Thanksgiving!”

“I thought you didn’t like the holidays?” I asked, grabbing the grocery bags and setting them on the counter.

“I don’t like them when I’m alone, but now I have you.” he said, setting the turkey down with a huge thunk.

“You’re sweet.” I said. I looked down at the turkey on the counter, then up at the oven. “Hey, Nick, the turkey’s great and all, and I’m glad you’re so excited, but…”

“But what?” he said, the smile falling off his face.

“How do you propose we get it in the oven?”

He looked over at the oven and then looked back at me, looking like someone just told him Christmas was cancelled.

Then burst out laughing.

I joined in and soon we were both on the ground, silent laughs coursing through us and making our shoulders shake.

I rolled onto my side and wrapped an arm around Nick, pulling him close to me.

“Happy Thanksgiving.” he said through the laughter.

This was already the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had. And there wasn’t even any food involved yet.