A Place of Hope and No Pain

Chloe's POV

I wasn't really bothered when Matt told me about Thanksgiving lunch at first. I mean I could understand, it was a family thing and it made sense that his parents wanted to have Thanksgiving with him and the boys and besides, he was coming to have dinner with Harper and I anyway.

Well I wasn't bothered at first, that was until Ryder accidentally told me how Lucy was having lunch with them.

So Lucy was family and I got that, she was the mother of their grandchildren, but I wasn't classed as family? I wasn't invited to this family lunch and that hurt me. It made me feel horrible to be so blatantly rejected by Matt's family.

You'd think I'd be used to it, being rejected by families, but even after everything my own family had done, it still hurt, it really did.

"So I'll drop the boy's off." Matt told me, not that I was really listening, I was still thinking about Lucy getting invited to lunch. "And then I'll be back."

I looked at him and nodded. "Okay."

"I'll pick something up for dinner." He told me, dropping a kiss on my lips.

I nodded again. "Okay." And I watched as him and the boy's ran out to the car laughing.

I closed the door sighing and shaking my head. Nope I was not going to sulk. Harper would be here in a minute and she was staying the night again. She'd spent the night a few times over the last couple of weeks and I'd loved every minute of it. Tucking her in, waking up and making her breakfast, all of it.

"Besides." I mumbled to myself. "You get to spend Thanksgiving with your daughter." And that was something I never thought would happen.

I pushed the whole Matt and Lucy Thanksgiving lunch out of my head and went into the spare room, making sure it was already for Harper. I'd gone out and gotten girly things for the room, curtain, blankets and I couldn't help but smile looking at it. I was actually getting my daughter back and god it felt so good.

The doorbell rang, waking me out of my daydream and I followed Lucy as she ran to the door, wagging her ass as she went.

She knew it was Harper and she loved having Harper here as much as I did. I just loved that both of my girl's adored each other, when Harper was here they were inseparable, I was ignored by my dog, but I didn't mind.

"Hi." I said opening the door and smiling widely.

"Hi." Harper screeched holding out of her arm's.

I bent down, hugging her tightly. "How are you?"

"Good." She giggled, kissing my cheek and running after Lucy.

"So, here." Drew said handing me Harper's bag.

"Thanks." I said grabbing it off him and smiling.

Drew and I had problems in the past but I was glad we were putting them behind us for the sake of Harper and I really did appreciate the fact that he was letting me spend so much time with her.

"So Harper told me about Thanksgiving." Drew said, smiling back.

"Yep." I laughed. "I'm going to do the whole traditional thing, turkey, the whole lot."

"Sounds good." He said. "How many are coming?"

I laughed. "Only me and Harper." I told him. "And Lucy of course."

"Of course." He laughed. "So, um, would you mind if I came to lunch?" He suddenly asked me.

"Um, no." I told him and I didn't mind really, not at all.

"I just wouldn't mind spending the holiday with Harper as well." He explained. "And well I have nothing else to do."

"Of course." I told him. "And yes you should spend the day with her as well." After all Thanksgiving was all about family and he had a point, Harper was his daughter as well.

"Good." He said. "I can come over early and we can cook, have a little fun."

I smiled. "That sounds fun." And it did, it sounded fun.

"Yeah so let me know if you want me to bring anything." He said turning to walk down the path. "And thanks Chloe, you know, for letting me come."

"You're welcome." I told him.

"So um." He said stopping. "Matt isn't coming?"

I shook my head. "No he has a family lunch."

Drew looked at me, raising his eyebrow's. "I see."

"Yeah so he's coming for dinner." I added quickly, because I could see that even Drew thought it was strange I wasn't invited.

"Anyway." He said walking down the path. "See you tomorrow, I'll call before I pick her up."

I waved as he drove away then I closed the door, heading out the back to find Harper and Lucy.

They were chasing each other around the back yard and I sat down to watch. Enjoying the moment, enjoying them.

"I'm back." Matt called out awhile later and I watched as Harper charged inside.

I followed watching her throw herself into his arms, kissing him. I smiled, Harper loved Matt and he loved her, they had such a great relationship and I adored watching them together.

"I got chinese food." Matt told her, kissing her forehead and placing her back on her feet. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes." She giggled running to the table.

Matt kissed me quickly and followed her while I got plates and cutlery out, joining them.

We sat there eating, Harper chatting away at the both of us, Matt and I answering all of her questions.

"So how come you're not coming to Thanksgiving lunch?" She suddenly asked, looking at Matt.

"Oh well." He told her smiling. "I'm having lunch with my Mom and Dad, but." He said leaning over and tickling her. "I'm coming for dinner."

"Good." She giggled. "So it's just me and you for lunch?" She asked, looking at me.

I smiled, shaking my head. "Nope." I told her. "Daddy is coming for lunch."

"He is?" She asked, her eye's wide.

"He is?" Matt added at the same time, raising his eyebrow's.

"Yep." I said. "He said he wanted to spend the day with you too so we decided to have lunch together."

"When did you decide this?" Matt asked, frowning slightly.

"Oh earlier." I said looking at him. "He asked what we were doing and well because you'll be having your family thing we decided that Drew should just come here."

"Oh." He mumbled, going back to eating.

I frowned. Oh. What was his problem? Did he have a problem with Drew coming here for Thanksgiving? A problem with me spending time with him?

He was going to a family lunch, a family lunch that I wasn't invited too and he had a problem with me seeing my ex husband but he could have a family lunch with his soon to be ex wife.

What a hypocrite.