Smells of homemade cornbread, freshly brewed coffee, and pumpkin scented candles wafted through the air.
Gabby reached into the oven and pulled out her homemade cornbread, complete with cheese, onions, and jalapenos. Matt picked up the fresh pot of coffee and poured two mugs full, adding in half and half and sugar. He turned towards Gabby, handed her a coffee mug, and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Gabby smiled up at him, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again.
"I'm so ready for our first Thanksgiving as a family," Matt said, taking a sip of his coffee.
Gabby nodded in agreement, her smile spreading even wider.
"I'm going to go see if the little man is awake yet," Gabby said, lovingly squeezing Matt's arm as she walked past him and towards their foster son's bedroom. She paused in the living room, where she switched on the television and changed the channel to the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Peeking her head into Louie's bedroom, Gabby spotted him rubbing his eyes and slowly sitting up.
"Morning buddy," she greeted him, walking into the bedroom and sitting down on his toddler-sized bed.
"Gabby," he responded, as he crawled into Gabby's lap and wrapped his arms around her neck.
"Do you know what today is?" Gabby asked her son. She could feel him shaking his head "no" against her shoulder.
"Well, it's Thanksgiving, and I'm thankful for you," she said, softly kissing Louie on the top of his head.
Just then, Matt poked his head into the room.
"Guess who's on TV, Lou Man!" Matt said, excitedly.
Louie pulled back from Gabby and looked back and forth between his foster parents.
"It's Thomas! Let's go watch!" Matt told Louie.
A huge smile spread across the toddler's face. The boy loved Thomas the Tank Engine almost as much as he loved Gabby and Matt. Louie hopped off of his bed and ran into Matt's outstretched arms. The pair headed towards the living room, hoping to catch the Thomas balloon in the parade. Gabby followed behind them, smiling widely, thankful beyond words for her little family.
Gabby and her boys snuggled up on the couch, catching a glimpse of the Thomas balloon before the camera switched to a high school marching band. Louie's eyes lit up when he saw the Thomas balloon, and he seemed to be fascinated by the sights and sounds of the parade.
The whole family was still in their pajamas, Matt in green flannel pajama bottoms and an old, ratty Bears t-shirt, Gabby in blue and purple polka dot pants and a gray hoodie, and Louie in fire truck print PJs. Gabby's head rested on Matt's shoulder, her legs pulled up beneath her. Louie had squished himself in between his parents and sprawled out across Matt's legs. They stayed snuggled up watching the parade for almost an hour, only getting up to pour bowls of cereal and refills of coffee. The little family's Thanksgiving dinner plans were later in the day, so they enjoyed the quiet morning and their first major holiday together.
Matt glanced down at his phone on the coffee table and noticed that he had a text message from Kelly. He read the message aloud so that Gabby could hear.
"Can you bring some butter?" Matt read. "Mom's freaking out that there won't be enough for the rolls."
Gabby laughed. "I just bought some at the grocery store, so tell him we're on it."
Ever since Matt and Kelly started working together at 51, Kelly's mom, Marge, had welcomed Matt to her house for Thanksgiving. When they were lucky enough to be off on the holiday, they ate turkey dinner with Marge and her sisters' families. Gabby had joined in on the tradition when she and Matt started dating, since her parents always spent Thanksgiving out of town with their own siblings. This year, Louie would be joining the tradition as well, and Matt and Gabby knew that Marge would spoil him rotten.
By the time Santa arrived in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, Matt, Gabby, and Louie were busily moving around the apartment getting ready for the day's festivities. Matt and Gabby alternated showering and getting Louie ready in the new red sweater, khaki pants, and pint-sized boots that Gabby had bought for him. While his parents finished getting ready in the bathroom, Louie played with his toy trains on their bed.
"I need to order his t-r-a-i-n table tomorrow," Matt told Gabby. "The website has some great Black Friday deals."
"You are an amazing d-a-d," Gabby said.
She thought that she couldn't possibly love Matt more than she did, but every time she saw him in "dad mode," she could practically feel her heart expanding. She leaned towards Matt, at first kissing him quickly, and then lingering longer on his lips. As the kiss became more passionate and intense, they were startled by the sound of one of Louie's trains crashing to the floor.
"My train fell," Louie said. "Gabby, Matt, where you?"
They both walked towards Louie, and Gabby leaned down to pick up the fallen train. Matt glanced at his watched to make sure that they were on schedule.
"Five minutes until departure time. Think we can do it, babe?" Matt asked.
"Sure thing," she responded. "Can you throw some toys in Louie's Blackhawks backpack while I put the food and beer in bags?"
"On it. Come on, Louie, let's pick up these trains."
Right on time, they walked out the front door exactly five minutes later. Louie's backpack was slung on Matt's shoulder, and the toddler held tightly onto his beloved stuffed monkey. Gabby carried cloth grocery bags full of the cornbread, butter, and a six-pack of pumpkin flavored beer. Matt locked the door behind them, and they all headed towards Gabby's car.
Together, they were headed to their first Thanksgiving dinner at Marge's as a family, and together, they were all incredibly grateful.