The Queen home could be described less as a home and more like a mansion. In fact, less like a mansion and more like a palace.

It was so big, Felicity couldn't take it in all at once. She and her mother were both whipping their heads every which way, trying to see as much as they could from so close a distance.

"Oh my," Donna breathed. "Felicity, are you sure we're in the right place?"

The younger Smoak woman nodded tightly. While her mother was busy trying to soak it all in, Felicity was busy trying not to puke up the banana she choked down as breakfast that morning. Oliver and Thea had both reassured her that she had nothing to worry about, but that didn't stop her from worrying.

Donna glanced over at her daughter. "Oh, honey, are you all right? You look a little green."

"I'm fine," she answered. Her fingers immediately grasped the ring on her left hand. She rubbed it soothingly, like it was some sort of talisman protecting her from all the horrors she imagined awaited her on the other side of foreboding front door.

When they finally reached the front step, Felicity took in a deep breath. Her mother stood beside her, clutching the basket of "homemade" rolls they brought with them. "Are you ready?" Donna whispered.

Felicity nodded. Then before she could lose her resolve, she lifted bright pink fingernail and pushed the doorbell.

Less than a second passed before the door whipped open to reveal Thea and Oliver standing in the doorway. "You're here!" Thea squealed. She rushed forward with excitement and threw her arms around Felicity, and her previous nervousness started to melt away. There was just something about the teenager's enthusiasm that made her feel a little more at ease.

When Thea pulled away, it was Oliver's turn and whatever anxiety remained in her bones melted away. It had scarcely been twelve hours since she saw him last, but it felt like an eternity as she stood there, smiling at her fiance.

Whoa, she thought idly to herself. Fiance. Fiance.

"Hi," she grinned.

"Hi," he responded. Then he took her hand and pulled her forward through the door to kiss her sweetly on the lips.

"Aww," Donna sighed and the sound made Felicity smile into Oliver's kiss.

When they pulled away, Felicity turned back to her mother. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Oliver and Thea Queen. Oliver is my … fiance."

"AHHH!" Donna squealed. Before she knew what was going on, the older Smoak woman shoved her daughter out of the way to throw her arms around Oliver and give him a big hug. "So you're the famous Oliver! You're the one that finally got my girl to come home for Thanksgiving!"

Oliver, surprised by the woman's enthusiasm, stuttered his response. "W-well, I don't think it was just me. I think you and Thea had a lot to do with it."

Thea grinned widely at the scene and while it was kind of embarrassing for Felicity to watch her mother practically assault her future husband, she had to admit it was kind of heartwarming in a way. Donna was almost as smitten as her daughter, and Oliver received her affection with all the grace and patience of Mother Theresa.

"Well what are we standing in the doorway for?" Thea declared. "Let's get you inside and get you both a drink."

Oliver raised an eyebrow at his sister. "Aren't you a little young to be offering people a drink?"

Thea waved her hand in dismissal and led the way through the foyer. Donna and Felicity both followed, Oliver bringing up the rear. But when no one was paying attention, Oliver caught Felicity's hand and pulled her into the empty alcove underneath the staircase. When they were completely alone, Oliver leaned forward and kissed her, holding her flush against his body as he coaxed her lips open for him.

The kiss sent Felicity's pulse skyrocketing. The blood rushed to every skin cell, setting her practically on fire as she clinged to him, wishing very much that she could disappear upstairs with him for a few minutes … or maybe a few hours.

When they finally pulled away, Oliver rested his arms around her waist and grinned into her eyes. "Hello."

"Hello," Felicity answered with her own smile. "That was quite a greeting."

"I just wanted to express how much I missed you in the past few hours."

"Mmm." She brushed the tip of her nose over his and giggled. "I missed you too."

"Pretty soon we won't have to miss each other," he murmured, pressing feather-light kisses up her nose and over her eyebrow. "Pretty soon we'll be in the same apartment."

Felicity's smile widened. It had been a whirlwind few hours since Oliver had come back and proposed to her. During the plane ride back to Starling City from Nashville, they discussed practically everything. In between the hand holding and the laughing and the kissing, they covered a lot of ground.

They both agreed to take their time with the engagement. They were in no rush to set a date. Now that Oliver was out of the Army and Felicity was working at Starling General, they had all the time in the world and they fully planned on taking advantage of that.

They also agreed that the minute they returned from their vacation on the Queens' private island in the North China Sea, Oliver would move into Felicity's apartment. He didn't have a lot of stuff anymore in the five years he'd been in the Army, so it would be quick work.

And last but not least, Oliver decided that he was going to take a few classes at Starling City Community College to figure out what he wanted to do now that he was a civilian again. He had a few ideas, most of which centered around criminal justice and community outreach, but he didn't know how to merge the two. Felicity, however, was more than happy to help him figure it out. Because again, they had all the time in the world.

"I can't wait," Felicity murmured. Then she leaned forward again to take his lips with hers. His mouth dropped open slightly and his tongue pressed against hers as they deepened the kiss together.

The thing about kissing Oliver was that Felicity tended to lose track of time and space. She'd forget where she was, or what she was supposed to do. All she could do was concentrate on keeping his lips on hers, her body pressed against his and her hands touching every square inch of bare skin as she could.

Which was why, when Felicity heard the very distinct sound of someone clearing their throat right next to her, she jumped out of her skin in surprise.

The throat clearing came from none other than Moira Queen, the very woman Felicity had been scared to meet since she landed in Starling City.

"Darling," she said coolly, her beautifully shaped blonde eyebrow arching upward. "I don't believe you've introduced us to your guest."

Oliver, on the other hand, was completely at ease. He just grinned apologetically at his mother in that kind of aw-shucks charm that made Felicity want to slap him and kiss him silly at the same time. "Sorry, Mother. This is Felicity."

"Hi, Mrs. Queen." She stuck her hand out for a handshake, hoping like hell no one could tell how much she was trembling.

"Hello," the older woman said, graciously taking her proffered hand. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Same to you."

Once the introduction was complete, Felicity didn't know what else to say. She stood there, awkwardly trying to search for something when Moira saved her the trouble.

"Well this isn't the best place to be spending Thanksgiving, is it?" she asked with a sardonic smile. "Come, join the rest of us in the living room."

When Moira left, Oliver shot his fiance a playful wink and Felicity just rolled her eyes in response. He took her hand and led her through the foyer and into the living room where everyone was waiting for them.

"I finally found our wayward guests," Moira announced as she entered the room. Felicity followed shyly and took a seat on the couch next to her mother. Oliver took her lead and sat on her opposite side, his arm slipping casually over her shoulders.

"You must be the famous Felicity Smoak." Robert Queen was perched on a loveseat next to his wife, nursing a lowball of scotch. He smiled at her in a calm, reassuring way that hadn't really translated to his progeny, but it made Felicity feel slightly more at ease. "My children haven't been able to stop talking about you since they came home."

"Oh." Her face lit up with pleasure at the thought that Oliver talked about her. "I'm not all that famous, I promise. Not like you or your family. Not to say that you're famous. Or not famous! That's not what I mean. What I mean is that you guys are like super well-known. And not like super well-known, I don't mean it like you guys are like the Kardashians or anything, it's just that I know a lot about you. And not like a lot a lot, I'm not a stalker or anything — "

Felicity finally stopped her rambling when Oliver laced his fingers through hers. She glanced over and he was smiling at her, and that was really all it took to shut her up.

"What Felicity means to say is that it's very nice to meet you, too," Donna explained. The older Smoak woman was in full charm mode. All the years she spent as a cocktail waitress in Vegas squeezing tips out of inebriated old men with cash to burn made her a pro at working a room full of rich people with her dazzling smile. "We're very grateful to be here with you for Thanksgiving."

"It's just as well," Moira said with a bland smile. "I think we'll probably be spending a lot of time together in the future, won't we? What with the engagement."

Robert let out a loud laugh. "Yes indeed! When our Ollie told us last night he was engaged to someone he met while he was overseas, I thought for sure he was pulling our legs, but sure enough! Here she is!"

Felicity's gave a weak smile in response. It seemed that Oliver's dad didn't really care about the engagement, but his mom was shooting these eye daggers at her while she clutched her martini in her brittle hands. The sight made her grip onto Oliver's hand even tighter.

But God bless Thea Queen, because when she noticed the tense looks between her mother and her soon-to-be sister-in-law, she got to her feet and announced, "Felicity, I don't think you've gotten a drink yet. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Wine. Anything red, please." The words came gushing out of her mouth, like a broken dam. Beside her, Oliver scowled at the idea of his underaged sister serving alcohol, but Felicity was clutching his hand like a life raft and he knew he couldn't go anywhere.

"Coming right up," Thea smiled.

But Thea could only dispel so much awkwardness at a time, because the minute she left, Moira zeroed back in on the topic at hand. "So, Felicity. Tell us more about yourself. You're a doctor, is that correct?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm a trauma surgeon. I just got a job at Starling General, actually."

"So I've heard," Moira replied with a sharp grin. "My daughter was quite persuasive when she was putting in the good word for you."

Felicity's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sorry?"

"Oh, I'm on the hospital board of directors," she explained. "When she found out that you had applied for the job, she assured me you were one of the best in the field. Unfortunately at the time she also failed to mention that you and my son were in a relationship."

Felicity could hear the implication in Moira's tone and it made her flush with embarrassment. Mrs. Queen seemed to think she was a gold digger, looking for money or connections or something. Oh God, she thought to herself. She had to fix this. This woman was going to be her mother-in-law for crying out loud. She couldn't have her future mother-in-law thinking she was a gold digger.

"That's not why I recommended her," Thea said tartly as she came back into the room and gave Felicity her drink. "I recommended her because she's amazing. She worked as a trauma surgeon at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany where she had the lowest mortality rate of anyone there."

"Landstuhl," Robert interrupted. "Isn't that a military hospital?"

Felicity was in the middle of taking a big gulp of her wine when he asked. Quickly she swallowed and nodded. "Yes," she answered. "I worked there for five years."

"Wow," the older Queen said, his tone and his face impressed. "You must have some stories."

"A few," Felicity hedged. "None of them really appropriate right before we partake in a giant meal."

Everyone in the room let out a hearty laugh. Everyone, that was, except Moira Queen, who was still regarding Felicity with a calculating stare. Felicity fidgeted in her seat, begging for some kind of distraction to take the woman's glare off her.

Sure enough, just as she was about to open her mouth and ramble about something or other, the doorbell rang.

"That must be Tommy," Robert grinned. He turned to Donna and asked, "Have you had the chance to meet Tommy yet?"

"No, but from what I understand he's quite a character," she answered with a smile.

"Oh he's a whole cast of characters by himself," Robert laughed. "But he's a good person. He and his father have been great friends to our family."

Oliver and Thea both made faces at the mention of Tommy's father, and not for the first time did Felicity wonder what was so weird about Mr. Merlyn.

A few minutes later, Tommy announced his presence in the living room. "Well if it isn't my favorite family!" he shouted. His arms were wide open, like he was waiting for someone to rush into them and give him a big hug. And sure enough, Thea got out of her chair and rushed toward him to give him exactly what he wanted.

"Happy Thanksgiving," she chimed.

Oliver got up from the couch and shook his best friend's hand. "Nice to see you finally decided to show up."

"Hey, I'm fashionably late," Tommy sniffed as he adjusted his sport coat. "I'm getting older, Ollie. It takes a little longer to look dashing."

Felicity smiled in spite of herself. She hadn't known Tommy for very long, but she had come to love him like the brother she never had. He was a huge comfort to her while Oliver was away, and he was always there to relieve the tension when things got a little too real.

This was certainly one of those times.

Felicity stood up to take her turn greeting her friend. "Happy Thanksgiving, Tommy," she said warmly as she hugged him. Then she turned to her mother. "Mom, this is Tommy Merlyn. Tommy, this is my mother, Donna Smoak."

He shot Felicity a mischievous wink during the introduction. Then he took Donna's hand and lifted it up to his lips. "Enchante, Ms. Smoak," he said in a voice oozing charm. "If Felicity hadn't told me you were her mother I would have been absolutely certain you were actually her older sister."

Thea and Oliver both rolled their eyes simultaneously, but Donna just giggled at the young man's attentions. "Oh, we get that all the time!" she trilled. "All of my coworkers say the same thing!"

After Tommy had greeted everyone, he took his seat on a chair next to Thea's. It gave Moira the perfect opening to ask the question Felicity had been dreading since they got there. "And what exactly is it you do, Donna?"

"Oh, I'm a cocktail waitress at the Bellagio in Vegas."

Donna had never been really ashamed of her job. It was just a fact of life, something that she had little to no control over. She always used to say that she wasn't going to apologize for surviving.

Felicity had felt the opposite when she was younger; she didn't like bringing up the subject of her mother's job, and she often pretended that her mother did something much less humiliating. But as she got older, she realized that her mother fed and clothed a genius child with the scraps thrown at her in a Vegas cocktail lounge.

Donna Smoak may not have had the same IQ as her daughter, but she was smart and savvy in her own way. She stretched every dollar she could to give her daughter the best she could afford and sure enough Felicity was one of the most sought after trauma surgeons in the world. If anything, Donna's job was a testament to her strength and ingenuity.

But the minute the words "cocktail waitress" left Donna's mouth, Moira's own lips twisted into a horrified grimace and Felicity felt every muscle in her body go cold.

This was really not helping her image as a gold digger.

Tommy must have noticed what was going on because he chimed in with his charming laugh. "Oh, the Bellagio. Ollie and I have quite a few stories about that place, don't we?"

Oliver chuckled as he shook his head. "I'd rather not go into those stories in front of my fiancee, dude."

Donna, who'd been oblivious to Moira's mounting attitude since they sat down, let out a tiny squeal. "Oh, fiancee! I can't get over it. It's just the sweetest thing! And this ring." Donna picked up Felicity's hand and gazed at the rock again with adoration. "Oliver, you certainly have incredible taste."

"He had help," Thea announced proudly. "He was sending me picture after picture every day and I thought the emerald was the best choice. Did you know that it's called the stone of successful love?"

Donna squealed again and hugged Felicity's arm, which was the closest thing to her. "Oh, isn't that perfect?" Felicity couldn't help but smile fondly at her mother. Donna Smoak may have been a simple woman, but she was kind and loving, and Felicity owed her the world.

"Well," Moira intoned, her lips tight as ever. "Isn't that nice."

The conversation continued for an hour more. Tommy and Donna were mostly the ones who kept it afloat with some help from Robert and Thea. Oliver and Felicity chimed in every so often, but Moira sat completely silent in the loveseat next to her husband, glaring stone-faced at Felicity.

Finally, Raisa came into the living room and announced that the meal was ready. Moira led the way, followed closely by her husband. Oliver and Felicity brought up the rear.

"This is a disaster," she hissed. "Your mother hates me."

"She doesn't hate you," he said soothingly. "She just doesn't know you."

"Oliver, she's been glaring at me for the past hour! And I have to tell you I am way too sober to be dealing with an angry, soon-to-be mother-in-law right now!"

"Just relax." He rubbed her shoulders as if to drive home his point. "I promise, by the end of this meal she's going to love you."

Felicity didn't really hold out much hope for that promise coming true. But then again, Oliver had yet to break a promise to her, so maybe she should have had more faith him.

Everyone was already seated when they entered the dining room. Robert sat at the head of the table while Moira sat at the other end. Tommy and Thea sat on the side closest to the kitchen while Oliver, Felicity and Donna sat on the opposite side, closest to the window.

On the table was one of the most elaborate Thanksgiving feasts Felicity had ever seen in her entire life. The roasted turkey was huge: twenty pounds at least. The skin was perfectly golden brown and glistening with steam coming off of it in waves. The cavity overflowed with stuffing, studded with onions, garlic and bits of sausage. Surrounding the perfectly roasted turkey was an industrial-sized vat of fluffy white mashed potatoes and two boats of thick gravy, a silver dish filled with deep red cranberry sauce, a huge serving dish of sweet potatoes and a crystal serving dish of green bean casserole. The rolls Donna and Felicity brought were nestled in a wicker basket, lined with a bright red cloth napkin.

"This all looks so amazing," Donna gushed. "And it smells amazing too."

"Yes," Moira smiled blandly. "Raisa outdid herself this year."

The woman herself was circling the table, laying down the first plate in front of each guest. When she got to Felicity, the young woman turned to the maid and said, "спасибо."

Raisa beamed back at Felicity. "You're welcome," she answered in her heavily accented English. Then she turned to Oliver. "I like her. You keep her."

Everyone in the room chuckled — except Moira.

Once the turkey was carved, everyone started digging in. The first few minutes of the meal were quiet, since they were all preoccupied with their food. But soon enough the conversation restarted.

"So, Felicity," Robert began, "how exactly did you and Ollie meet?"

They both froze at the question. Felicity looked up and shot her fiance a questioning look while her fork hung in the air, halfway between her plate and her mouth. Her eyes never leaving Oliver's, she answered, "Uh...well, that's an interesting question…"

"We met at a hospital," Oliver finished for her. On the other side of the table, Tommy and Thea both physically tensed.

"Hospital?" Moira asked, concern written in her face. "What were you doing in a hospital?"

Here we go, Felicity thought to herself. She immediately made a grab for the fresh glass of wine Raisa had poured for her and took a big, long gulp.

Beside her, Oliver sucked in a deep breath. "Mom, Dad...I haven't been entirely honest about where I was the last five years."

Moira and Robert both raised their eyebrows in a simultaneous reaction of surprise. Felicity would have found it hilarious if she wasn't so busy being terrified.

"You told us you were in Nepal, doing some mountain climbing and some soul searching." There was an accusation in his mother's voice and no one at the table who knew the truth could really blame her, considering they all knew what was coming next.

"Right," Oliver nodded. "Except. I wasn't. I was actually...I was actually in the Army."

Felicity was staring very hard at a slice of turkey on her plate as she continually chewed, her ears straining through the pregnant silence. She could hear hesitation in her fiance's voice, so she reached under the table and quietly put her hand on his knee and squeezed. It was the only way she could reassure him at the moment.

"You were in the Army," Robert repeated. It was the first time all night his voice sounted flat and incredulous.

"Yes," Oliver affirmed. "I was in the Army. I was an air assault soldier stationed at Fort Campbell, and I went on two tours in Afghanistan. A little into the second tour, my men and I were caught in an IED attack and I was life-flighted to Landstuhl, which was where I met Felicity."

Well there it was. The gist of it was out. His parents knew the truth. But Tommy, Thea and Felicity still hadn't let go of the breaths they were holding because Moira had yet to say a word.

"So all this time," Robert said slowly, "all this time, you were in the Army? Every postcard you sent us wasn't actually from Nepal?"

"No, those were from Nepal," Oliver admitted. "I ordered them online."

"Wait a minute." Robert's face looked like he'd had a sudden epiphany. Then he turned to his daughter and Tommy. "When you two went to Germany on that so-called business deal for Merlyn Global, were you actually…?"

Thea and Tommy both exchanged glances before the former turned back to her father and nodded. "Yes. We were in Germany to visit Oliver in the hospital."

"You knew?"

They nodded.

"Oliver Jonas Queen."

Moira had finally broken her silence and the hand Felicity kept on Oliver's knee tightened.

"Do you mean to tell me," she said in a scarily quiet voice, "that you enlisted in the Armed Forces without our knowledge, then proceeded to lie about it for five years?"

Yep, there it was, Felicity thought to herself. She took another huge swig of wine.

"What on earth could have possessed you to do that?" she demanded.

Oliver sighed. "Mom, it's a long story and we have company — "

"Yes, company who were all aware that you were in the Army and lying about it to your parents." Felicity stilled when Moira shot her an angry look. "Tell us the truth."

He sighed again, then launched into the whole story. He explained his failed relationship with Laurel, her last words to him and his desire to change himself to be someone worthy of being in a relationship. He explained why he kept it a secret from everyone who knew him except for Tommy and Thea and he explained how throughout his five years away he grew to be a better human being.

Felicity knew the story well, but she still hung on to every word. She also watched the Queens' facial expressions. Robert's stoniness melted as the story went on, until he looked at his son with a newfound respect. Moira, on the other hand, maintained her cold facade throughout the entirety of the explanation.

"Son, why didn't you tell us?" Robert asked.

"Because I knew you and Mom would try to talk me out of it, and you'd probably succeed," Oliver answered. "I wanted to do this. I wanted to do this, for me. I needed to make a decision on my own."

"So you decided to go and get yourself almost killed." Moira's declaration was flat, her eyes alight with fury. "Oliver, what in the world were you thinking? What if you had died? What would have happened? What were your father and I supposed to think if that ever occurred? This was unbelievably selfish of you!"

"Mrs. Queen, I don't think you're being entirely fair."

Everyone at the table turned their surprised eyes at Felicity, and she couldn't blame them because she was just as surprised as any of them that those words had escaped her mouth. But there she was, and there was no point in backpedaling now.

"I mean, sure, it was really crappy for Oliver not to tell you about this monumental decision to join the Army and continue to lie about it for five years, but he wanted to do something for his own personal growth."

Underneath the table, Oliver's hand found Felicity's and he squeezed it. She shot him a soft smile before continuing.

"Do you really want to know how we met? We met five months ago, after he was brought to Landstuhl. He'd sustained massive injuries from an IED explosion and an ensuing firefight. I mean it, it was pretty gory. I'm a trauma surgeon and I'd spent the last few years stitching up soldiers who were blown apart and even I was surprised by all the injuries he had on him. There was blood everywhere, multiple bullet wounds, his legs were practically blown off. I mean, you would not believe how many bags of O-neg we had to — "

Tommy cleared his throat loudly.

"Right, sorry." She blushed. "Not really polite Thanksgiving talk. Anyway, the point is he was in pretty bad shape when I first saw him. But you know why he had all those injuries? Because he saved four other guys during that battle. Your son is the reason those four soldiers are at home right now with their own families, actually having something to be thankful for at Thanksgiving."

For the first time, Moira's poker face cracked. Felicity took that as an invitation to keep going.

"So yeah, it was selfish of him not to tell you, but Oliver is still one of the most selfless people I know. He put himself in harm's way to save his battle brothers. And during his recovery period at the hospital, he spent his time getting to know me and helping me through one of the toughest points of my life.

"I didn't know him at all before he was in the Army, but from what I've heard, I think it's safe to say that he's changed a lot. I know you and your husband have wanted him to live up to his potential and become the leader you know he can be."

Felicity looked over at Oliver. His eyes were filled with wonder and emotion, like there was so much he wanted to say, yet didn't know how to express. So she just smiled at him in return.

"I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that Oliver has become that leader. In those five years he was in the Army, he's grown to be such an incredible person, someone you and your husband can be proud of. I'm proud just to even know him, and I'm incredibly honored to love him and be loved by him."

Silence reigned over the table after Felicity's mini speech. Her hand was still in Oliver's, his fingers squeezing hers tightly so there was no way she could pull from his grasp even if she wanted to, and he was staring at her with such love that she felt her heart would burst right there.

When she finally pulled her gaze away from his, she turned her glance down the table to see Moira Queen, staring back at her. Except instead of the contempt and judgment she'd radiated for most of the afternoon, she had a completely different expression.

It was one of respect.

For the first time since Felicity walked through the doors of the Queen manor, she could breathe easy.

The Thanksgiving meal was finished. Thea and Tommy had taken Donna on a tour of the extensive grounds while Oliver had retired to the den with his mother and and father for a much needed heart to heart. Felicity didn't know what to do or where to go, so she hung out in the kitchen with Raisa, helping her clean up the dishes.

"Miss Felicity, you don't have to do this," the Russian maid insisted for the fifth time.

"I know I don't," she smiled. "I just want to feel useful."

Raisa grinned and placed a maternal hand over Felicity's as she was scrubbing out a huge pot. "You are a good person, Miss Felicity. Mister Oliver is lucky to have found you."

Felicity gave Raisa a warm grin before turning back to her work. The two continued in companionable silence until the sound of a clearing throat echoed behind them. They both turned only to find Moira Queen in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Felicity," she said with an almost welcoming expression. "Do you mind if we go somewhere to talk?"

"Um." Despite the change in attitude, Felicity was still extremely wary of her fiance's mother. But Raisa must have sensed her hesitation, because she gently pried the sponge out of Felicity's hands and handed her a towel with an encouraging smile. Felicity tried to return it, but she failed pretty miserably.

"Sure," she finally answered.

Felicity followed Moira out of the kitchen and through the maze-like hallways of Queen Manor. Eventually they ended up in the greenhouse that was attached to the very back of the house. All the walls were made of plexiglass, though it was completely fogged over from the heat of the greenhouse clashing with the November cold.

"Felicity, I have a confession to make," Moira began as she picked up a spray bottle and started spraying the leaves of different plants. "When Oliver came home and told us he was engaged and that he was bringing you to Thanksgiving so we could meet you, I was expecting the worst."

The younger woman chuckled in spite of herself. "No offense, Mrs. Queen, but I kind of figured."

Moira joined in Felicity's laughter. "I suppose I wasn't very good at hiding how I felt about his engagement."

"No, not really."

They were both silent for a beat as Moira continued spraying. Then she began again. "As you know, my son has had quite a few trysts in his life. None of them ever lasted very long. Well, not until he met Laurel Lance. I thought for certain they would eventually end up engaged, if Oliver ever got his act together."

Felicity started fiddling idly with the ring on her hand. Was this why Moira wanted to bring her out here? To go on and on about the lovely Laurel Lance, to make her feel more insecure about Oliver's ex than she already was?

"So when he said he was engaged to someone who was not Laurel, I was immediately suspicious. My son is a handsome, charming and rich young man. He's a catch by anyone's standards, and I was terrified that my son was bringing home some gold digging social climber, someone who would only use the Queen family name to further her ambition.

"Now, however," Moira turned to give Felicity the first genuine smile she'd seen on the older woman's face all day. "I am happy to say that I was wrong in my snap judgment of you."

That threw Felicity for a loop. She shook her head in confusion as she tried to wrap her mind around Moira's words. "I'm...wait, I'm sorry...what?"

"Oliver told me what you did for him while he was bedridden," she continued. "He told us how you stayed by his side, wrote his letters and took care of him. Not only did you save his life, but you kept him sane."

Felicity blushed and looked down. She didn't know what she was supposed to say to this, so she kept her mouth shut.

"As his mother, I want to be where my son is whenever he's hurt or scared or sad. I couldn't be there, but I'm so, so grateful that he had someone. And after hearing what you said at the dinner, I'm even more grateful that that someone was you."

Felicity looked up at her words. Moira was smiling at her with true warmth. "Felicity, I'm sorry for being so judgmental when you first walked here. I should have had more faith in my son and in you." She walked forward and put a reassuring hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Thank you for making sure my son returned to me healthy and whole."

She was speechless for a long beat. Finally, Felicity blurted the first thing that came to her mind. "Thank you for raising such a beautiful son. I mean, not that he's beautiful — except he is, I mean everyone can see that — but what I mean is — what I'm trying to say is — "

Moira laughed. "Don't worry, dear. I understand."