The wind blew cold that day.
In the Weebie-Am-I house, there was a mad rush to set the table: finding extra chairs and a smaller one for the kids. As the sun was setting, everyone inside kept themselves busy.
Guy checked the turkey out of the oven; it needed another hour to cook. Michellee and E.B. respectively put down placemats and dishes/cutlery. Junior, on the other hand, was sitting in the living room.
Then, one by one, everyone else began arriving. First, there was Sam, Gluntz and Molly. As soon as Junior saw her, he leapt off the couch and ran to her. The two young ones hugged.
Sam held a tray of green bean casserole. Gluntz had a cheesecake covered in raspberry sauce. They stepped around their daughter as she hugged Junior.
"Hi, Sam! Hi, Gluntz!", E.B. greeted them first.
"Hey, kiddo!", Sam greeted back.
"Oh! Hey, you two!", Michellee said. "Just put those on the counter for now."
"Sure thing." After they put their dishes down, Sam then says, "Hey, Guy!"
"Hey, Sam. Hey, Gluntz. Is Molly here?"
"She's in the living room. Junior was really happy to see her."
"I'll go check on them", Gluntz says.
As she went to living room, Pam, Grinch and Jenny were outside the door. She quickly lets them in.
Pam hugged her future daughter-in-law with her free hand. The other one had Jenny cradled in it. Grinch held their side dish, which was candied yams.
"Mom! There you are!", Sam called out from the dining room.
E.B. came out to say hello. Afterwards, she and Gluntz sat at the couch with all the babies.
Afterward, Jack, Melanie, the kids and McWinkle arrive. Finally, Gluntz's parents arrived.
Before having dinner, they all talked among themselves; the five little ones sharing Junior's toys. And then, the final guests arrived. Their royal guests, Looka and Sonja, followed by Cedric.
For the first time ever, E.B. was finally able to meet the Dookess's daughter. Immediately, she bolted up to embrace Looka.
"Oh! E.B., this is Sonja."
"Hello."
"Pleased to meet you", Sonja greets. "Looka's spoken a lot about you."
"I wish I could say the same about you."
Next, Sonja was introduced to everyone else in the room. Guy in particular said, "I actually very briefly worked with your mother. Bomb obsession aside, she's a good person."
Sonja chuckled. "Thank you, sir."
——
Waiting for dinner to begin, everyone kept themselves busy.
E.B. lead Looka and Sonja to her room. "So...Sonja? Tell me a bit about yourself."
"However do you mean?"
"I mean what do you like to do, how's royal life treating you."
Before she began talking, they all seated themselves. Looka took the desk chair, Sonja took the footlocker and E.B. took her bed.
"Well, I guess there's...life with Mom. She does her motherly duties, but she also can be so annoying with how overprotective she gets."
"Yeah. I know what that's like."
"As it turns out", Looka butted in, "she even had her sent to West Flubria when everything started to get hot."
"That's why I wasn't present when Yookia and Zookia found peace."
E.B. drew air between her teeth. "That was nuts, not gonna lie."
"I'm just glad Mom actually let me come here. Also surprised that she hadn't put a camera on me just to make sure I don't eat any nuts."
"I guess with the benefit of hindsight, I can understand why your mom's like that. My own mom was very much the same. She started to let up a couple years ago, especially after she married my stepdad."
Speaking of whom, Guy knocked on the door and popped his head in. "Hey, you three. Sorry for interrupting. E.B., Junior really wanted to come up and say hi to Sonja."
"Alright."
The toddler slipped inside and walked over to Sonja. "Hi!", he greeted her excitedly.
Sonja laughs. "Hello, hello. What's your name?"
"Junior."
"Guy Jr.", E.B. cleared up. "We just say Junior for simplicity's sake."
Terry found his way upstairs too. He was merely following his friend, but he ducked behind Guy when he saw Looka and Sonja.
"Tewwy!" Junior called out to him.
Molly found her way upstairs too. She took longer to go upstairs, but anything to be part of the group. She went into the room no problem.
In a joking manner, she says, "I just hope this doesn't turn into a nursery."
"Jenny and Mikaela are staying downstairs, so probably not", Guy tells her. "Go on in, Terry! Say hi!"
He steps around Guy and waves nervously.
Sonja was enchanted. "You're a sweetie, Terry", she says kindly.
Afterwards, Guy went back downstairs.
"Guess we're babysitting now", Looka notes.
"I'm always tasked with that, Looka", E.B. adds. "Not that I have a problem with it. I love the little ones." She hugs Molly, who took a spot on the bed next to her; Terry, still nervous, sat on the other side of E.B.
Sonja then said, "Is your house always this packed?"
"Not all the time, but all of us come together once a month or so. Wish we had a really big house like my grandparents do in Stovepipe; they live there with their sons and grandchildren and my great-grandfather." She stayed tight lipped about Weebie Manor; no one wanted to know that story.
"In Ookia, we have a really big palace now", Looka says. "Feels a bit more lonely than before. It's much bigger to account for everyone in times of crisis. That's pretty smart, I guess, but it's just more halls to memorize."
Sonja looked down. "Funny. Your house is small but always full. Ours is huge but never full."
——
Downstairs, the rest of the adults mingled.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, Jack struck up a conversation with Cedric. The both of them were excited about sharing a profession.
"What kind of equipment are you on?", Jack asked.
"Y-785", Cedric answered. "That's the Ookia private jet. I also fly a helicopter."
"Nice", Jack said with a smile. "I fly a 747-900."
"You look pretty young to be a pilot."
"I'm 34. I learned how when I was 21. I guess I just look scrawny and my voice still sounds adolescent."
"Not a criticism of you, Jack. Just made an observation."
Melanie, who was sitting next to Jack, then says, "I still love him no matter what!"
Jack's father playfully bumped his fist into his shoulder. "I'm forever proud of you too, son."
Pam then throws her two cents in. "If it's of any interest to you, I also have flight experience."
"It's true!", Sam exclaims. "I had to keep her plane going once. Then we ran out of jam. And the both of us huddled into the seat in her jet."
Jack and Cedric chuckled at Sam's anecdote.
"Glad to know you have wings too, Pam!"
Then Grinch says, "I actually made my own engine powered flying sleigh. I know it's not exactly the same as what you guys do but I thought I'd mention it."
"Every little bit matters", Cedric says.
Mikaela giggled in her carrier. Hearing the baby's laugh brought instant smiles to everyone's faces. Jack picked her up. "You having fun, sweetie?"
The rest of the kids came back downstairs.
"Hi, evwryone!", Junior said.
"Hi, son!" Michellee said back.
"Come to mommy, Molly!", Gluntz said. Instead, Molly ran to Lianna. "No, I said 'mommy', not 'grandma'!" Lianna laughs.
"She could've come to me if she wanted her grandma", Pam remarks.
"Do grandpas not matter?", Gerald asked.
"Exactly!", Grinch and McWinkle concurred.
A ding sound came from the kitchen.
"Oh! Turkey's done!" Guy jumped up from his spot.
"Is it blue?", Sonja asked.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"My favorite!"
As everyone took a seat, Cedric still stood.
"Why don't you sit with us, Cedric?", Michellee asked.
"I'm afraid if I eat too much, I'll be too tired to fly His and Her Highness's home."
"Well,...um...how about this? They can stay the night here."
"I mean, I'll have to inform their parents but-"
"Yes! I would like that!", Looka shouted.
"How about you, Sonja?", E.B. asked her. She nods. "Good. You can share my room."
"Yay! Wooka's staying!", Junior exclaimed. His sister laughs.
Guy brings the fully carved turkey. He kept his "Kiss the Zook" apron, the Z crossed out. "Here we are, everybody! And the casserole Sam and Gluntz brought! The candied yams from Grinch and Pam! Scalloped potatoes from Gerry and Lee! Didn't forget about vegan dishes for you, Michellee, Melanie and Jack!" The three vegans nodded in acknowledgment. "Let's feast!"
E.B., Looka and Sonja sat at a little table with the little ones, the two girls helping Jenny and Mikaela eat their food. The two boys and Molly ate soft foods. Junior and Terry, being boys, ate messily.
Once dinner was done, the desserts came out: the cheesecake, the zippleberry cobbler and the coconut cream pie. Sonja was especially pleased with that last one.
——
By nightfall, all the guests were ready to leave. It took Molly and Junior a good while to stop crying.
"Ok. Looka, Sonja, follow me." E.B. lead them back to her room.
——
After putting Junior to sleep, Michellee leaned her against Guy's shoulder.
"Another successful Thanksgiving, huh, honey?"
"Yes. Wish the rest of the family had come, but we'd have to rent a room at the town hall."
"Ha!"
Guy turns his wife to look at her face to face. "Happy Thanksgiving, babe. I love you."
Michellee smiles. "I love you too."
They kiss.
——
Gluntz cradled Molly in her arms as she finally went to sleep.
"I hope you enjoyed your first Thanksgiving, baby girl." And she kisses her forehead.
Sam entered the nursery. "Your parents just dozed off."
"Good."
"I'm just glad our little peach had a great first Thanksgiving."
"And pretty soon, a good first Christmas too!"
——
Jenny was placed in her crib. Pam smiled. For the first time, she was able to have Thanksgiving with all the family. Her loving husband, her son and daughters, her grandchildren, her friends and their children.
"What'cha doing, Pam?"
"Nothing. Just thinking."
"What about?"
"Just how much I love all of you."
——
"Good night, Dad!"
"'Night, Jack! 'Night, Mel! 'Night, Terry! And tell Mimi I said good night!"
"Sure thing!"
Melanie waves goodbye to her father-in-law. "Okay, Terry. Time for you to go to bed." She carried him to his bedroom and tucked him in. "Hope you had a good day with Grandpa James, Grandpa Grinch, Grandma Pam and Uncle Sam and everyone!"
"Yes, Mommy", Terry says.
"Good! Now get some sleep!" She kisses his forehead, gets up, shuts off the lights and closes the door.
"That was the best Thanksgiving yet, Mel."
She smiles at her husband. "Yes it was. And you made a new best friend too."
He chuckles and hugs her. "You're my best friend, babe."
Melanie smiled.