"So I finally got all the shopping done for Thursday's dinner," I mumbled to myself as I wrote down my little checklist.
I was finalizing everything. I had gotten a 20-pound turkey for dinner. It was going to be my parents and Andy's parents, his sister Berri, Violet, and Grandma, and us. I was beyond nervous about hosting my first Thanksgiving.
The good thing was everyone but my parents would go home after we ate. Grandma and Violet were planning on doing some Black Friday shopping so they'd leave early.
As for Andy's parents and sister Berri, they would go home by 6 because of the drive to their house.
One thing I couldn't process was the fact here I was 26 years old and I was living my dream to a point.
Thanksgiving was in 6 days. My parents would be here in 4. I was so excited to see my parents and get to spend some sort of quality time for the holidays together.
Andy was planning to spend the next week at my house. So, he drove up around 5 with Sam.
"Hello darling," he greeted as he walked in.
Sam ran to the back door and wanted to go outside right away.
"Hi," I remarked as I kissed him.
"How was your day at work?" he asked me.
"Good good. I got all the Thanksgiving shopping done now for dinner next week. It was pretty decent," I commented.
"That's great darling. How big of a turkey did you get?" he asked curiously as he went to put his stuff up.
Yet almost 7 months together we were basically living with each other.
"I got a 20-pound turkey. It's in the freezer in the garage," I told him.
"20 pounds?" he asked as he came back to where I was.
"Yes is that too small?" I asked him.
"No I just thought it would be smaller than that," he replied.
I laughed.
"We have 8 people including ourselves. I want leftovers as well," I replied back.
"Oh true," he remarked chuckling.
Andy walked to the kitchen and came back quickly.
"Good you haven't made dinner yet," he retorted.
"Yes and why?" I asked curiously.
"Because I know you said you were craving eggrolls yesterday after the AA meeting. So I wanted to order Chinese takeout," Andy replied as he went to the coffee table where I kept all the takeout menus.
I smiled at him.
"You really do remember the little things, don't you?" I asked him.
"Of course darling I do," he remarked as we sat down to look over the menu.
"I definitely want eggrolls but you can pick whatever else. I don't mind except no caviar," I teased.
He laughed.
"I don't know why all people think caviar is great. I think it's super salty," he replied before grabbing the telephone.
"I never have tried it but I definitely wouldn't ever anyhow," I told him as Andy dialed the restaurant.
Andy got the food ordered and we sat back and waited.
"They said about 45 minutes for the food to be delivered," Andy told me after a second.
"Not bad considering it's a Friday evening," I told him as I turned the TV on.
"That's a good point," Andy replied to me in response.
"So how was your day?" I asked changing the subject.
"Better than the last few. I managed to get some songs written or at least started. I'm not too crazy about the bridge on this one but I'm sure Barry or Mo can help me see what's wrong with it," he commented.
"Did you bring your notebook? Can I see them?" I asked him.
"Yes of course hold on," he remarked as he went to the bedroom to get the notebook.
I smiled as he returned with the notebook.
"Here maybe you can see if there's something better that goes here," Andy remarked as he pointed to the page.
It was a song called "For Love and Life." That was the running title anyhow.
The lyrics were:
"A song is like a kiss. I would never miss giving to you. I'll be your words and music again and again let me prove it."
"Wait this section of lyrics? I think it's beautiful. It references your first single," I told him.
"You like it?" he asked.
"Yeah I do. I mean I'm not a professional but it seems sentimental cause you released your first song 11 years ago right?" I asked him.
He shook his head.
"So it's sort of like now and then," I explained as I read the rest of the lyrics.
Most of the page was blank.
"I'll be an everlasting love, don't throw our love away," was another line.
"From that time till now," I remarked to him as I read more.
"Wait I like that a lot," he remarked as he grabbed a pen.
"I mean I was just stating what I read or felt from the lyrics you had," I told him.
"From that time till now. Wait the song should be called "Til Now." It's showing all my past till now if you really think about it," he remarked.
"If you like going places "After Dark," I got a "Desire" deep inside to love you," I commented after a second of silence.
"I guess I didn't need Barry or Mo to help me out on this one," he remarked happily as he wrote down what I had said.
"I'm not poetic or even a writer. It could be terrible," I told him.
"We'll work with it and see what comes about," he told me as the doorbell rang.
"Our food is already here? How did the last 45 minutes go by like that?" I asked as I stood up.
Andy gave me the cash and tip for the food.
I carried the bags to the kitchen. Andy was right behind me.
"Go on find the eggrolls," he teased as he got us iced tea.
"Shush," I told him as I laid the food out on the counter.
"I know how bad a craving can be," he told me as he got plates out for us.
It felt like so much love was beaming from the both of us. Andy moreso. He was really looking happy.
I found the eggrolls and I grabbed one right away. I took that bite without a care in the world.
"Hits the spot?" Andy asked.
"Mmmmhm," I remarked as I found some of the chile sauce to drizzle on the eggroll.
Andy chuckled at my remark.
"That's my girl," he told me as we got our food plated shortly.
A contemporary evening at home before the rush of the holidays.