Page 53 of As Long As You'll Have Me
“Hello? Happy Thanksgiving,” Coop’s voice calls from down the hall.
“Happy Thanksgiving, big brother.” Willow beams and takes off running. When Coop steps into the doorway, Lola trotting in close beside him, she flings her arms around his neck and pulls him into a long hug. Thanksgiving is a hard day for them as it’s also the anniversary oftheir mother’s passing. Christmas isn’t easy either, but Thanksgiving is especially hard on them. It’s part of why they come and eat with us every year so they don’t have to be alone.
“Thankful for you,” Coop says as he squeezes her tighter.
“Thankful for you,” she hums back. Pulling away, she looks at him with a somber smile. The air feels heavy for a moment before Ivy’s warm voice cuts through.
“I’m thankful for everyone in this house and getting to spend tonight with all of you. I’m especially grateful that all of you are here, safe, and surrounded by one another.”
“Cheers to that, Ivy,” Coop says, taking a step closer to her. “Thank you for having my sister and I join you and your family for another year.”
“Oh please.” She swats a hand at him before he pulls her into a hug, dwarfing her entirely. “You two are family. Have been for years. Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without you.”
He gives her a polite kiss on the cheek and reaches for my hand. “How was the day shift?” he asks, pulling me into a hug.
“Quiet, thankfully. I always sleep better when there aren’t any calls on holidays,” I say with a shrug.
“Can’t disagree with that,” he replies. “Hey, Carter.”
“Hey,” Carter calls back, not getting up from his seat or looking up from his phone. Ivy notices his lack of appreciation for Coop’s arrival and when I see her narrow her eyes on him, I know what’s about to happen.
“Carter Michael Jensen, you get off your butt right now and greet Cooper appropriately. That’s not how I raised you to treat your family,” Ivy scolds him from the stove, using the wooden spoon she’s holding like an extension of herfinger. His eyes snap up from his phone when she uses his full name.
Shoulder slumped, he stands from his seat and leaves his phone behind. “Sorry, Ivy.”
When he crosses the kitchen, he makes a point to glare at Willow as he passes her, knocking his shoulder into hers like a child.
“Hello, Cooper, you strapping young chap. You’re looking as dashing as ever,” he says to Cooper with gusto before pulling him into a full hug. When he pulls away, he plants a kiss on Coop’s cheek and smiles at him before turning to smile at Ivy.
“Smart mouth.” She sighs.
When she turns away, Coop shoves Carter back. “If you ever kiss me on the cheek again, I’ll deck you.”
“What? You didn’t like it?” Carter says playfully, making kissing noises at him. “Come on, come here, come give me another kiss.”
“Get the hell away from me, you freak,” Coop grunts, trying to slip under the arm Carter is using to hang onto him.
“Come on, Coopey, give me a kiss.”
I laugh at the two of them and feel my phone buzz in my pocket. Rolling my eyes at the show my two best friends are putting on, I take a few steps away from the chaos to read the new message on my phone.
Pick a board game and I’m in, fireman.
I feel the corner of my lips tip up as I read her message. It’s been a couple hours since I texted her and when she didn’t text me back, I figured shewasn’t going to at all.
I don’t know, I’m pretty partial to checkers. Feels like it’s our game now.
Checkers it is then.
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.
She sends the second message quickly after the first and I use it to continue the conversation.
My Thanksgiving has only just begun. I had the dayshift at the firehouse so Thanksgiving is a dinner only affair for me.
Ahh, I see. We’re more of a ‘Thanksgiving linner’ family, personally.
Linner?
