Thanksgiving... the only other holiday in the year apart from Christmas when all my family members would get together at my grandmothers' house for an early afternoon barbecue where we would all interact and get updates on each other's lives. Later on we would have dinner where we would all sit at the table in one room for Grandma's famous Turkey.
As usual we were running kind of late and mom was running up and down. Margaret and Hannah said they were on their way so they would be arriving soon. They have this thing where they alternate so this year we were taking Margaret's car
The doorbell rang and Hannah walked in looking cheery
"Mom come on they're here"
"I'll be right there" she yelled from God knows where in the house
I rolled my eyes and walked over to Hannah giving her a hug "Just like every other year we are going to be late"
"Yeah, I'm sure grandma Grace is used to it by now"
We walked over to the car and got into the back seat
"Morning Bree" Margaret greeted
"Morning"
"I see we're running late even this year"
"Yep" I smiled
Mom came out of the house about ten minutes later and that's after Margaret hooted a few times. I could hear the sound of the clicking of her heels as she rushed to the car with her casserole in hand
Mom liked to dress immaculately even when we were doing something simple. One of the things I didn't inherit from her.
"I'm ready" she sighed as she fastened her seatbelt "we can go now"
There was a moment of silence as we all just sat there looking at her
"Every year" Margaret murmured as she started the car
We mostly picked up Danny on our way but he insisted on driving this year so that he could easily find his way back.
My grandparents didn't live very far but it was quite a distance from our home.
"Have you told her yet?" Hannah whispered
"Told her what exactly?"
"Have you told your mom about Kevin?" She whispered a little loudly making me hit her thigh
"No I haven't"
Mom and Margaret were busy talking so they weren't paying attention to us
"Tell her"
"Why now?"
"Because you know how your family gatherings get... you might not be friends with your mom on social media but I'm pretty sure your cousin's noticed some of the pictures you post and get tagged in. In short some of your nosy aunts already know..."
"What are you guys whispering about?" Margaret asked looking at us through the rear view mirror
"Nothing" We answered in unison making her give us an eye that told us that she did not believe us
Hannah was right. Mom would probably find out that I'm dating someone at the thanksgiving dinner. People in my family just never seemed to mind their own business. I sighed rubbing my temples while wondering how my Mother would react she could be unpredictable and judgmental sometimes
"I actually have something to tell you"
Mom turned while Margaret kept her eyes on the road throwing me a glance here and there through the mirror
"I'm seeing someone"
"What!" She exclaimed "For how long?"
"We started dating at the beginning of the semester"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know how you would react, you know how you get sometimes, you never really approve of the people I date and I really do like him"
Mom opened her mouth to say something but Margaret cut her off "Tell us about him sweetheart" she beamed
"His name is Kevin and he is a medical student. We met at school and started dating some time after"
"Aww that's so sweet" Margaret cooed "It's good to know that you're finally seeing someone"
"If he makes you happy then it's okay with me besides nothing you've said so far could make me think he's not good for you, unless there's something you haven't told me"
"Nope that's it" I quickly responded
I knew for a fact that mom wouldn't be too enthusiastic about Kevin's family. She had a thing about people with money and mostly grouped them into one category-trouble-and I was pretty sure Kevin's past with women wouldn't paint a good picture of him but I feel like it's exaggerated since I've never encountered or had trouble with any of his ex's. If it was as bad as some people say it was then wouldn't I have met any?
"What do his parents do?
"His Father is a businessman and his mom's a paediatrician"
"What kind of business does his Father do?"
"Oh just normal business" I shrugged trying to play it cool
"Well that's pretty shallow"
"Kareen stop interrogating her" Margaret scolded
"I just want to know-"
"Oh look we're here" I cut her off and quickly got out of the car once it was parked
Hannah followed me out and we decided to go in without them. There were a few cars parked outside and I could hear some music coming from the backyard. The thing I realised about these family gatherings was that I always met someone new every thanksgiving and the most annoying thing just like I said before was that some people didn't like to mind their own business
You'd be asked questions about everything happening in your life and by everything I mean everything. The question that always came up when it came to me was who I was seeing and my aunts would go as far as giving me lectures on why now was the best time for me to be in a serious relationship. Trust me their reasons didn't make sense but I mostly just nodded and pretended to listen like the good niece I was.
My cousin Veronica who just happened to be two years older recently got married so everyone was looking forward to seeing just how she was coping with the married life. I was also looking forward to it since she was one of my favourite cousins.
The house was almost empty when we got in with most of the people being outside chatting and laughing. Grandma didn't allow anyone to be alone, she wanted everyone to mingle and get to know each other a little more. I'm actually grateful that grandma insisted that we come over every year because it was the best way for me to keep in touch with the rest of the family.
We went to the backyard where everyone was. There were tables and chairs arranged on the grass with a canopy on the other end that had a huge table to accommodate the entire family. My grandparent's house wasn't big enough to fit all of us so we mostly had it outside.
Hannah and I looked around for my grandparents but none of us could spot them. I saw some of my cousins by one of the tables and dragged Hannah there. To my surprise Danny was already seated and comfortable trying to woo Sandra who just as always pretended not to be interested. The thing was I could tell that she loved the attention he gave her.
"Hey everyone" I greeted as we took our seats with the rest of them
They all knew Hannah and Margaret since we almost always came with them. Their family lived very far so they rarely went over but they always tried to make it for the Christmas holidays like they planned on doing this year.
"Hey you guys" my cousin Taya greeted "glad you could make it"
"You say it like we had a choice"
"I know, grandma would have your asses if you missed it"
"What time did you even get here?" Hannah asked Danny
"As early as I could since I have to be home for dinner and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity of spending some time with Sandra over here"
He gave her an air kiss but she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms "When are you going to understand the fact that you and I will never happen"
He whistled "Doll haven't you learned that you should never say never besides I heard that you're coming over to Winston's university. I could give you a tour when you get there"
"I won't need your help" she said standing up "I'll talk to you guys later" she smiled then gave Danny one last nasty look before she left the table
All the while Danny had his eyes trained on her ass... that was until Hannah gave him a smack on the back of his head
"Ouch" he complained rubbing the spot "What was that for?"
"Do you even have to ask? You know that kind of behaviour is the reason she'll never go out with you right?"
"She has a great ass and weren't you paying attention?" he said shaking his head before turning to face us "Never say never, I would think you girls would get it since most of you have an obsession over Justin Bieber besides, I think I'm slowly bringing down those walls, it's just a matter of time"
We both just looked at him and shook our heads. In all honesty I felt like he really liked her but he still had a lot of growing up to do. Sandra was a very nice girl and she seemed to have a thing for him too but I guess she didn't take him seriously.
"Girls I've been looking for you" I heard Margaret say from behind "Guess who I have with me"
Hannah and I turned around to see Mom and my grandma standing next to her. I quickly got up and went to her "Grandma"
"Aww baby" she hugged me and kissed my cheek before pulling away "you don't know how much I missed you"
"I missed you too Grandma"
She pulled away and hugged Hannah afterwards giving her a kiss on the cheek too. My Grandmother was petite just like my mother but slightly shorter than her. One look at her and you would know where my mother got her youthfulness from. Her hair was grey and the wrinkles were a little more than they were the last time I saw her.
Grandma stood in front of Hannah and I as if assessing us then frowned "Are you girls eating right because you don't seem like it. Don't tell me you spend your money buying all that useless take out and don't bother lying to me because I will know. Those things aren't good for you"
"We know Grandma Grace" Hannah responded "but we get so tired" she gave her best puppy dog eyes and Grandma shook her head "You know that doesn't work on me Hannah, you need to eat right"
She shrugged "It was worth a try"
"I see my wife still hasn't given up on lecturing you kids on your eating habits" I heard Grandpa say as he walked towards us.
He gave us both hugs before going to stand next to my grandma with one hand over her shoulder.
"You're looking good Grandpa Benjie" Hannah complimented "At this rate Grandma Grace is going to have to keep an eye out for the ladies"
"Yeah I've been going on a few runs" He said shrugging it off like it was nothing but I could tell he liked the compliment
"Oh I wouldn't have to baby" Grandma smiled "They know better than to come near what's mine"
"Now that's the woman I love" Grandpa grinned kissing her on the forehead
I admired my grandparents love for each other. They had their own share of fights and disagreements but they always worked through them, I would know since I spent part of my childhood with them. I wanted to have something like what they had and for some reason Kevin's face kept popping up whenever I thought of it
The rest of the afternoon was spent interacting with the rest of the family members. Danny left later on but there was something about him when he was leaving. I wanted to ask him about it but quickly brushed it off as nothing.
Hannah and I helped set the table. There was so much food that I wondered if it would all finish but knowing my family it would.
When dinner time came we all sat at the table with my Grandmothers long awaited turkey at the middle. It looked amazing and so did the setup. I took a few pictures before we all sat down and took some more with all of us at the table then uploaded them. A few of my cousins insisted that I tag them so I did.
The dinner was going great and the food was delicious. My grandmother really outdid herself on the turkey this year. The thing I loved about my family is how free I could be around them, I also loved the fact they welcomed Margaret and Hannah as their own. They would always ask for them whenever they finally managed to spend thanksgiving with their family.
My phone buzzed and I took it out to check. It was a notification saying someone had commented on the pictures I had just uploaded. I quickly opened it after I realised that it was Kevin
His comment read
I miss you and you look beautiful. Happy thanksgiving
I couldn't hide the smile on my face. He was the one guy I had met who always went out of his way to tell me just how beautiful he thought I was. I found it a little uncomfortable in the beginning but I had grown to love it
Aww thank you and I miss you more. Happy thanksgiving to you too, don't have too much fun without me
His next comment came in a few seconds later
Never
I smiled and sent him a few kiss emojis before going offline. Grandma did not like it when we used our phones at the table. I was just lucky that she hadn't seen me.
I looked up to find my cousins smiling at me and I was a little crept out by their actions "What exactly are we smiling about?" I asked
"You know we're tagged in your pictures right?" Veronica commented
"So we got the notifications" Annalee added with a smile
"So who's this guy you miss sweet cousin?" Taya asked sounding deceivingly sweet
I squinted my eyes and looked at them hoping I was giving them the best 'back off' glare I could master "No one"
"He doesn't seem like no one"
"Yeah Bree" Hannah added innocently "Why don't you tell us who this guy is?"
I was about to whisper give Hannah a piece of my mind when my aunt spoke up
"What are you girls talking about?" My aunt Hilda asked
Before I could dismiss the issue Veronica beat me to it "We think Bridget has a boyfriend"
"Really" her eyes widened then before I knew it she was whispering something to my other aunt. My mom's sisters sometimes could be so weird and over the top just like her. Boy was I glad Hannah convinced me to bring it up in the car and as if she read my mind she whispered
"Aren't you glad I convinced you to tell your Mom about Kevin before we got here?"
"Yes Hannah, yes I am"
It wasn't long before half the attention was on me "Gosh you people behave like I've never dated. I have dated tons of guys and mom knows, you guys just never hear about them"
Ok, so me saying tons was over the top but I had dated quite a few guys, just the right number
"So our hearing about this one that means you're serious?" Aunt Jasmin asked
That's all she picked from what I said
"I didn't even bring him up, they did" I said pointing an accusing finger towards my cousins
"Are you dating or not?" Aunt Hilda questioned
"Yes" I sighed
"Praise God, I thought you would die alone "Aunt Jasmin commented shocking me
"I'm not even in my mid twenties yet, why would you just assume I would die alone"
"Tell that to your Aunt Zaria" she said jerking her head in her direction "She was in her twenties too at some point in her life, look at her now..." she paused giving us time to look at my aunt who was smiling from ear to ear while talking to Mom, Margaret and some other relatives. Honestly she looked happy with where she was right now. Whatever she was using on her face and the workouts I suspect she was doing were doing her good, she looked fit and very healthy. She had nice long healthy black hair but that would be expected with all the amazing hair products she used on it. She was wealthy too so she went on trips all the time, she invited me a few times but it was always at a point when school or Mom was in the way. She was really an admirable woman, she gave you the vibe that you didn't need someone to make you happy and that sometimes you're all you need "...she is in her forties and just sad. I mean just look at how wrinkly her face looks, her body's just old and don't get me started on that lifeless hir" I looked at her in surprise because apparently we had a different take on things "Is that what you want for your life... to look like her?"
"Hell I wouldn't mind" Hannah shrugged
"She probably wasn't the best example Jasmin" Aunt Hilda told her while shaking her head before turning her attention back to me "so who is he, what's he like and what does he do?"
I was about to answer when Sandra cleared her throat "His name is Kevin and he is a medical student though he is about to graduate from medical school probably by the beginning of next year. Well that's all I know... well that and he has got a hot older brother and a cute younger sister"
"You stalked him?" I questioned disbelievingly
"Please you call that stalking" she scoffed "I could find out where he stays, what he loves to do or who the last person he had a smoothie with was if I wanted to" she laughed shaking her head though she stopped and cleared her throat after she noticed the weird looks she was getting "Not that I ever do that to anyone... like specifically... or not"
Hannah propped her head on her elbow and smiled knowingly "You don't happen to be stalking a certain someone we know right?"
She crossed her arms over her chest defensively "I'm not stalking Danny"
"Sweetheart no one said anything about Danny"
She blushed and opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it and trained her eyes on her plate. It was cute that she liked him but Danny needed to get his shit together or I wouldn't let him anywhere near my baby cousin. Sandra was cute and a bit on the chubby side. She was a sweet girl but a beast when she was angry, it's like she would have a switch of personalities when she got really mad. Poor cousin Angela found out the hard way... though she may have lost a tooth and broken a rib in the process but then family is family
"Well" Veronica pressed on "Tell us about it"
"She already said most of it. His name is Kevin; he is a medical student and has two siblings. His mother is a paediatrician and his father is a retired businessman" I sighed "He is very handsome, kind, sweet and very tolerant. I mean some of the things I do need a lot of patience but he is very understanding" I smiled "Oh and he has the most amazing shade of blue eyes, you just get lost in them"
"So you're saying that he is a Michael Ealy" Taya smiled
I took a sip of my juice and put it back on the table "No" I answered shaking my head "More like a Henry Cavill, I'm not saying he looks like him but I wouldn't say Michael Ealy"
"I know Michael Ealy but who the hell is Henry Cavill" Aunt Hilda asked looking a little confused
"He is the guy who plays superman"
"Oh" she creased her eyebrows for a second but then widened her eyes in realisation "Ohh... so he is white"
"Yeah, he is" I smiled
"Well that's good" Aunt Jasmin added "that's good"
"Well I wasn't expecting that" Veronica commented sipping her ice tea
"What do you mean?"
"He didn't have his face on his profile picture so I didn't see him and honestly I didn't know that you swung that way"
"I'm sorry" Hannah jumped in looking ready for war "Not that it matters but do we have a problem with Henry Cavill?"
"I'm not saying I have a problem, I'm just saying that-"
"Honestly girl you shouldn't be saying anything" Annalee cut in "seeing as you're only less than six months into your marriage and it's already on the rocks"
"Shots fired" Hannah whispered giddily "I was starting to lose hope on seeing some drama"
"Zip it Hannah" I whispered back
"You're just jealous that I got married and that stupid boyfriend of yours dumped you" Veronica said raising her voice a little and gaining attention from the rest of the table
"Bitch please I have nothing to be jealous of, It's not like the D is that good" she scoffed
"Oh, that was literally a low blow" Hannah snickered
Veronica crossed her arms across her chest "And you would know this how?"
"Cassandra told me"
"Ok... enough" My Grandmother yelled over the table "both of you inside now"
The table was silent as they left the table with my aunt's close by. My grandfather cleared his throat afterwards and signalled for us to continue with the dinner which is exactly what we did
"I love it when your family gets together. I think we should do this more often"
We both laughed and continued chatting just like everyone else at the table. When dinner was done we all helped clean up and people started to leave though due to my grandmothers' insistence we were sleeping over
The little argument between my cousins was settled successfully by my grandmother and aunts. Everyone was happy and smiling by night time. The few of us who were sleeping over decided to play some board games for fun. I got a phone call from Kevin during so I went outside by the swing and sat down
"Hey"
"Hey beautiful, how was your day"
"It was fine and yours"
"Busy" he laughed "Are you back home?"
"No Grandma insisted that we sleep over so I'm in the backyard right now since the people inside are playing board games"
"Well I'm in my room and by room I mean my parent's house"
"You're already going to bed, Isn't it a little early?"
"I had an argument with my mom"
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No, not tonight"
"Ok"
I felt bad that he had a disagreement with his mother. They were so close and I guess it wasn't something that happened that often. It must have been something serious but it was ok if he didn't want to talk about it.
Kevin and I hadn't talked about what he said at the end of the phone call we had that morning. He never brought it up so I decided not to even if Hannah advised me to. The truth is that as much as I wanted to know I didn't know how to bring it up, especially how he would react. What if he just said it and didn't even remember saying it
"Beautiful... are you there?"
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
"You went quiet all of the sudden"
"Oh, sorry did you say something?"
"No it's just... look" he sighed "I need to talk to you about something"
"Yeah sure what is it?"
He sighed again sounding like he was having a hard time which got me a little worried
"Kevin is something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to talk to you about what I said that morning, I think I have put it off for too long"
The mention of 'that morning' had my heart racing. I wanted to talk about it but now that he brought it up I didn't know what to do or expect. I mean what if he said he meant it, what would I do? Worse enough how would I feel if he said that the words didn't mean anything
"Yeah... What about it?"
"You know I said love you at the end of call and I just wanted to clarify on what I really meant-"
"Well I know what you meant"
My mind kept telling me to keep quiet but my mouth had a mind of its own
"You do?" he sounded surprised
"Yeah I know you didn't mean it, you're probably used to saying it to your family a lot so it was just a slip of the tongue"
He was silent for a while before he spoke "So you just assume that I said it by accident? You interrupt me just to conclude on my behalf"
"Kevin-"
"What if I said it by accident but meant it? What if I love you? What then, Bridget?"
"I don't know..." I paused "If you meant it, can you say it?"
"Would you be able to say it back to me?"
Wasn't this what I wanted? I wanted to hear him say those words just so I would know how he feels. I wanted to know that I was not alone. He was asking me if I would be able to say the words back but for some reason I was scared... I wasn't sure of what exactly but I was
"I don't know" I whispered rubbing my forehead
"Well that shouldn't matter, should it? I mean we might not feel the same way yet and I can't force you to feel what you don't but I want you to know..." he paused "that I love you Bridget"
In that moment my heart soared. Hearing him say those words to me brought indescribable joy to me. I opened my mouth to tell him that I loved him too but I just couldn't say the words. I knew how I felt but there was something stopping me... fear
"I'll talk to you tomorrow" I hated myself the moment those words left my mouth.
He just told me he loved me and I told him that I would talk to him the next day
"Sure" he sounded a little disappointed by my answer and I didn't blame him because I would have been too
"Goodnight"
"Goodnight..."
*****
Hello...
So school's a bitch and a pain in the ass. I wrote a quiz I'm pretty sure I failed and I have a bunch of tests coming up... thus the really annoyingly slow updates. I hope you guys are having better days 😄😄
If you liked the chapter please feel free to vote and comment to let me know how you feel it's going. I would really love to interact with you guys, I get all giddy when I get a notification saying someone commented on a chapter
Until next time...😚😙😘 mwaah
❤ livi