The Art of Knowing [Completed]

36. • endless gratitude •

[to all who have reached their dreams, the one moment peace and love collide.]

                                    •  •  •  •
"Girls, please do not run in here."

Emilia's insistence made the children halt with sudden giggles. Faced with slight annoyance, the blonde gave Cassandra an apologetic look as she skinned the potatoes. It wouldn't be long before Daniel would arrive to Cassandra's apartment to meet up with his family, but in the meantime, it looked as if some entertainment was needed for the girls to remain still. With a coy smile towards Emilia, the artist let go of her share of the work in the kitchen for a moment and ushered the girls to the living room coffee table. It was one of the rare moments she could be truly grateful for having so many art supplies.

"You guys can draw a thanksgiving card for your dad, okay?"

Cassandra beamed at the excitement within the girls' bright eyes. With a content sigh, she stood back up at the pleasing sight in front of her, watching as Emilia's beautiful girls snatched crayons and began their creations. She walked back to the kitchen before receiving a bewildered look from Emilia. It was a catalyst for the artist's laughter to hover over the kitchen.

"What did you do?" the blonde asked incredulously as the deafening silence engulfed them.

"Art is for everyone," Cassandra beamed knowingly as she waltzed back to the counter filled with various ingredients. Thanksgiving dinner would start in a couple of hours, and nothing elated the artist more than to have a full house for the heartwarming holiday.

"You're a miracle worker, I swear. When's Ryan showing up, by the way?"

"I told him to bring the pies. He should be back soon," she breathed with a cautious approach towards taking the freshly cooked turkey out of the oven. When she looked back to see Emilia's unrelenting smirk, the artist reciprocated a glare. "I can't afford to ruin dessert, okay? Besides, there's barely anytime left for that."

"Well, looks like the turkey came out perfectly. You're not as bad as you thought," the blonde encouraged with a laugh.

"Yeah well, it's been far too long since I've had an actual Thanksgiving dinner with other humans." A chuckle erupted and filled Cassandra's ears, earning a coy grin from the her at her own words as she continued the nervous check up on the cooked bird. "So, I'll have to impress if I want to be the host next year, too."

"Who's coming again?"

The artist lifted her gaze as she recalled, counting off all the guests in her head. For the last couple of years, the holiday wasn't as monumental as she thought it ought to be. If for some reason the artist found herself being invited to Jason's family dinner, it would've been the only time she'd actually celebrate it with another group of people. And yet, as a clear testament to life's unpredictability, the thought of having to bring out extra chairs and fill her kitchen with a collection of herbs and spices for the big feast was surely something she'd never see coming— the fact that it would be far more than just one person visiting made the event that much more foreign. Despite the change, it was by far the greatest gift Cassandra could've asked for, and the mere thought of having her friends around for the holiday was surely something to be grateful for.