Take It All Away
Dinner
I woke up around 8 in the morning. Adam was gone but all the guys were passed out on the floor. I smiled, knowing they would have wicked hangovers when they woke up. After using the restroom, I headed down to the dining area for breakfast.
Adam was sitting at a table with a steaming mug of coffee and a waffle.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” I said, joining him with a glass of orange juice and a muffin.
He groaned. “I have the worst headache,” he said and I laughed.
“I’m not surprised. You got pretty drunk last night.”
“Did I do anything stupid?” he asked.
“No. I got you out of there before you could. I couldn’t get the others out, though.”
He took a sip of coffee and we finished our breakfast in silence.
“Mom wants us there to finish up around 11,” he told me as we headed back to the room.
I smirked. “I’ll let you take care of the guys. I’m going to head over early and check on my pies.”
“You won’t get lost, will you?” he asked, looking doubtful.
“I’ll be fine, I promise.”
“Okay,” he said slowly and went into the room.
He brought me my coat and I heard Eric groan. I buttoned up my coat and headed out, feeling around for my phone. I had a missed call from Gina.
“Did you see the news?” Gina asked after we said hello.
“Unfortunately,” I sighed, bowing my head to the cold air. “Nobody was too surprised, though. I just hope they don’t show up here.”
“Are you spending the day with his family?”
“Yeah, I’m headed there now. So, tell me,” I began, “how is Jack?”
“He’s fine,” she said quickly and I snorted. “We went out for dinner,” she admitted and I could almost see the blush on her face. “It was last night and I won’t see him until later tonight.”
“Tonight? We’re usually closed on Thanksgiving.”
“He…. Well, he invited me to his friend’s house for an after Thanksgiving drink.”
I giggled. “Aww! I’m so excited for you!”
She laughed. “Hey, I have to go. Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Happy Thanksgiving,” I returned. “Let me know how your date goes!”
By then I was on Joan’s front porch.
“Someone has a date?” Joan asked, opening the door.
“My friend back home,” I answered with a smile. “I decided to come by early. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course,” she said, stepping aside for me to enter. “Come to check on your pies?”
I nodded. “It’s been a while since I’ve made the pie crust so I just want to make sure it came out right. Good morning, Mr. Young,” I added nervously.
“Morning, Violet,” he said before turning back to the television.
They were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and I hurried into the kitchen, feeling a little disappointed. I pulled the pies out of the fridge, hearing Joan say something to Randal but I couldn’t understand what she was saying. I lifted the aluminum foil just as the oven timer went off.
Randal came in and turned it off, opening the oven door to check on the turkey. It was awkward in the kitchen while he basted it and I got a fork to check the center.
“Perfect,” I said in happiness and took out the pumpkin bread out of the fridge. I cut up the first loaf and cleared my throat. “Mr. Young, would you like to be the first to try?”
He stared at me. “What about my son?” he said coldly.
I blushed. “I’d like you to have it,” I said.
He continued to stare and I was about to put it down when he got out a plate and took a slice.
“My dad usually puts butter on it,” I told him, my heart hammering. “But I like it plain.”
He took a bite and blinked. Joan came in at the moment and I handed her a slice.
“Randal? You’re eating pumpkin bread?” Joan asked. “You don’t like pumpkin bread.”
I blushed as he reached for another slice. He gave me a small smile.
“I guess I do now.” Joan backed out. “Violet, I’m sorry for how I’ve been behaving,” he sighed. “You see, my son has been on TV a lot now that he’s famous. But I saw the news report last night….” I didn’t know what to say and he cleared his throat. “Anyway.” He held his hand out. “My name is Randal Young.”
I smiled and shook his head. “My name is Violet Greene. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Young.”
“Please, call me Randal.”
The guys showed up not long after and I passed around slice of the pumpkin bread. They all complimented me.
“Dad, you’re eating pumpkin bread?” Adam asked, looking as shocked as his mother did.
Randal smiled. “Violet makes wonderful pumpkin bread.”
Adam grinned. The sky was a clear blue and the backyard was set up with games for children.
“There will be kids?” I asked and he nodded.
“My aunt’s kids,” he answered. “And there they are now,” he added.
Small feet were running up the snowy steps.
“Jennifer, Molly!” a voice yelled. “Be careful!”
I turned to see two girls about aged 8 come running in.
“Adam!” they yelled in unison and they ran to him.
“Hey, girls!” he said and wrapped them in a hug. “How are my favorite little cousins?”
“I lost a tooth!” one of the girls said happily.
“I got a gold star on my math test!” the other boasted and he ruffled their hair.
“Good job! Girls, I’d like you to meet my special friend Violet,” he added and stood up, pulling me over. “Violet, this is Molly and Jennifer.”
Molly had long brown hair pulled up in braids and blue eyes. Jennifer also had brown hair but it was shorter and she looked a year or two younger than Molly. Molly immediately gave me a hug but Jennifer hung back, looking shy.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said with a smile.
Adam’s aunt came in, carrying two large vegetable trays and I rushed forward to help her.
“Oh, thank you,” she panted. Like her daughters, she had brown hair and blue eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t know who you are.”
“My name is Violet,” I said and extended a hand.
“I’m Sofia,” she returned, “Joan’s sister.” Adam came forward and she grinned, kissing him on the cheek. “Adam, sweetheart! Take these for me, won’t you?”
It was then that I noticed she had two plastic bags hanging from her arms.
“What’s in here?” he asked. “It’s heavy!”
“Early gifts,” she said, following Adam into the house. “We won’t be here for Christmas so I wanted to bring your things.” She smiled at me. “Joan and told me a young woman was here so I got you something as well.”
I blushed. “You shouldn’t have. I don’t have anything for you.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that!”
“Dinner time!” Joan sang and we all gathered at the table.
Adam was sitting at a table with a steaming mug of coffee and a waffle.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” I said, joining him with a glass of orange juice and a muffin.
He groaned. “I have the worst headache,” he said and I laughed.
“I’m not surprised. You got pretty drunk last night.”
“Did I do anything stupid?” he asked.
“No. I got you out of there before you could. I couldn’t get the others out, though.”
He took a sip of coffee and we finished our breakfast in silence.
“Mom wants us there to finish up around 11,” he told me as we headed back to the room.
I smirked. “I’ll let you take care of the guys. I’m going to head over early and check on my pies.”
“You won’t get lost, will you?” he asked, looking doubtful.
“I’ll be fine, I promise.”
“Okay,” he said slowly and went into the room.
He brought me my coat and I heard Eric groan. I buttoned up my coat and headed out, feeling around for my phone. I had a missed call from Gina.
“Did you see the news?” Gina asked after we said hello.
“Unfortunately,” I sighed, bowing my head to the cold air. “Nobody was too surprised, though. I just hope they don’t show up here.”
“Are you spending the day with his family?”
“Yeah, I’m headed there now. So, tell me,” I began, “how is Jack?”
“He’s fine,” she said quickly and I snorted. “We went out for dinner,” she admitted and I could almost see the blush on her face. “It was last night and I won’t see him until later tonight.”
“Tonight? We’re usually closed on Thanksgiving.”
“He…. Well, he invited me to his friend’s house for an after Thanksgiving drink.”
I giggled. “Aww! I’m so excited for you!”
She laughed. “Hey, I have to go. Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Happy Thanksgiving,” I returned. “Let me know how your date goes!”
By then I was on Joan’s front porch.
“Someone has a date?” Joan asked, opening the door.
“My friend back home,” I answered with a smile. “I decided to come by early. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course,” she said, stepping aside for me to enter. “Come to check on your pies?”
I nodded. “It’s been a while since I’ve made the pie crust so I just want to make sure it came out right. Good morning, Mr. Young,” I added nervously.
“Morning, Violet,” he said before turning back to the television.
They were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and I hurried into the kitchen, feeling a little disappointed. I pulled the pies out of the fridge, hearing Joan say something to Randal but I couldn’t understand what she was saying. I lifted the aluminum foil just as the oven timer went off.
Randal came in and turned it off, opening the oven door to check on the turkey. It was awkward in the kitchen while he basted it and I got a fork to check the center.
“Perfect,” I said in happiness and took out the pumpkin bread out of the fridge. I cut up the first loaf and cleared my throat. “Mr. Young, would you like to be the first to try?”
He stared at me. “What about my son?” he said coldly.
I blushed. “I’d like you to have it,” I said.
He continued to stare and I was about to put it down when he got out a plate and took a slice.
“My dad usually puts butter on it,” I told him, my heart hammering. “But I like it plain.”
He took a bite and blinked. Joan came in at the moment and I handed her a slice.
“Randal? You’re eating pumpkin bread?” Joan asked. “You don’t like pumpkin bread.”
I blushed as he reached for another slice. He gave me a small smile.
“I guess I do now.” Joan backed out. “Violet, I’m sorry for how I’ve been behaving,” he sighed. “You see, my son has been on TV a lot now that he’s famous. But I saw the news report last night….” I didn’t know what to say and he cleared his throat. “Anyway.” He held his hand out. “My name is Randal Young.”
I smiled and shook his head. “My name is Violet Greene. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Young.”
“Please, call me Randal.”
The guys showed up not long after and I passed around slice of the pumpkin bread. They all complimented me.
“Dad, you’re eating pumpkin bread?” Adam asked, looking as shocked as his mother did.
Randal smiled. “Violet makes wonderful pumpkin bread.”
Adam grinned. The sky was a clear blue and the backyard was set up with games for children.
“There will be kids?” I asked and he nodded.
“My aunt’s kids,” he answered. “And there they are now,” he added.
Small feet were running up the snowy steps.
“Jennifer, Molly!” a voice yelled. “Be careful!”
I turned to see two girls about aged 8 come running in.
“Adam!” they yelled in unison and they ran to him.
“Hey, girls!” he said and wrapped them in a hug. “How are my favorite little cousins?”
“I lost a tooth!” one of the girls said happily.
“I got a gold star on my math test!” the other boasted and he ruffled their hair.
“Good job! Girls, I’d like you to meet my special friend Violet,” he added and stood up, pulling me over. “Violet, this is Molly and Jennifer.”
Molly had long brown hair pulled up in braids and blue eyes. Jennifer also had brown hair but it was shorter and she looked a year or two younger than Molly. Molly immediately gave me a hug but Jennifer hung back, looking shy.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said with a smile.
Adam’s aunt came in, carrying two large vegetable trays and I rushed forward to help her.
“Oh, thank you,” she panted. Like her daughters, she had brown hair and blue eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t know who you are.”
“My name is Violet,” I said and extended a hand.
“I’m Sofia,” she returned, “Joan’s sister.” Adam came forward and she grinned, kissing him on the cheek. “Adam, sweetheart! Take these for me, won’t you?”
It was then that I noticed she had two plastic bags hanging from her arms.
“What’s in here?” he asked. “It’s heavy!”
“Early gifts,” she said, following Adam into the house. “We won’t be here for Christmas so I wanted to bring your things.” She smiled at me. “Joan and told me a young woman was here so I got you something as well.”
I blushed. “You shouldn’t have. I don’t have anything for you.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that!”
“Dinner time!” Joan sang and we all gathered at the table.