Look up I've Got Plenty to Be Thankful For by Bing Crosby (from the movie Holiday Inn).
November 25, 1942
The young woman happily hummed while raking leaves on her front lawn that crisp fall morning. Though it was relatively cool outside, the sunbeam shining down on her made it feel so much nicer, and that in turn put her in a good mood as she worked. Paisley Sophia sat nearby with her toys on a large picnic blanket, though the only thing that she was interested in was a teething ring in her mouth. This was not a job that the young woman normally did, as this was usually her husband's job, but she found it unusually relaxing. When the wind blew, one or two leaves would usually hit Paisley Sophia in the face. This in turn would make her start to bust out giggling. The young woman could not help but laugh herself. No matter what she went through, her daughter could always make her smile.
"Well look who has her big boy britches on!" a young woman standing in front of the white picket fence exclaimed.
The young woman could not help but smile at her friend's reaction to her 'man work.' "Kairi!" the blonde exclaimed, "What brings you here?"
"Just going to the market to get a couple of last minute things for tomorrow night's dinner. Are you not going home?" Kairi asked.
"Well I am home. But no, I'm not going to go visit my family this year. Money has been tight with me just cleaning houses occasionally."
"Have you thought about returning to teaching?"
"As much as I would love to, I've got Paisley Sophia here to look after. I get Mrs. Gainsborough next door to watch her occasionally, but I don't want to give her the burden of watching her every day. My daughter is my responsibility."
"You know that she wouldn't mind," Kairi answered, "she loves children."
"Still. Have you heard from Sora recently?"
"Yeah, I actually got a letter from him about two weeks ago. Things aren't pretty over there, but you know Sora. He's a trooper." The blonde thought about this. Her husband's best friend was always Mr. Positive. And Mr. Goofy. "Have you heard from Riku recently?" Kairi continued.
"Yeah, I received a letter not to long ago. I've sent back pictures of Paisley Sophia as well. She's already grown so much since he last saw her."
"That she has. Can I not convince you to come over to my house for Thanksgiving?"
"Thanks for the offer, Kairi, but I think I'll pass. I don't want to impose on your family."
"Trust me, you wouldn't be, especially since the only man that will be there is Sora's granddad. There will be plenty of Turkey to go around."
"Eh that's alright. I wanted to take Paisley Sophia to the Macy's parade in Manhattan, but they cancelled it this year. Such a shame, I wanted her to see Santa this year now that she's excited by everything around her."
"You can't eat a Thanksgiving Dinner by yourself, though."
"I know. I'll probably will just make myself a sandwich and listen to some Christmas music on the radio. Besides, I won't be alone. I'll have my daughter, and Riku will be with me in spirit."
Kairi smiled at her friend. She always loved her friend's positivity and bubbly outlook every since they met, but she knew how much the blonde loved her husband, and him not being there killed her, even though she would never show it.
"Are you sure Krissa?"
"Positive."
"Alright. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving."
"Thanks. You too," Krissa answered. She went back to raking the leaves while humming her happy tune.
November 26, 1942
Krissa had heard on the radio that morning about a last minute Thanksgiving parade that they would have on Long Island that afternoon. Having nothing else to do that day, Krissa put Paisley Sophia in her stroller and pushed her downtown. Her daughter was also wearing the turkey hat that Krissa's mom had sewn for her. It wasn't a large turnout as most people were already spending time with their families, but it was a fair crowd given the circumstance. They high school marching band and cheerleaders joined together to sing and dance to various Christmas melodies. A dozen clowns and a man in a Mickey Mouse suit ran around, and a guy in a Santa Claus suit walked at the end of the parade. It wasn't the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but it still provided a festive atmosphere nonetheless. It was exactly what the community needed given the circumstances.
It was already dark by the time Krissa took Paisley Sophia home. It was a lovely day besides the fact that it was a bit chilly, so Krissa had decided to take her to the park to let her run around after the parade. The park was nearly deserted, so it allowed Krissa an opportunity to really think while her child played. She had a good day, but she really wanted her family around for Thanksgiving. She wanted Riku. She couldn't help but sigh. She wasn't any different than any of the other women in the community as the majority of men were overseas. She didn't want to be selfish. Her husband was still alive. She could not say the same for all of the other wives in the community.
By the time Krissa walked up her driveway, Paisley Sophia was already asleep in her stroller. She decided that she would put her to bed before she ate herself. However, she was surprised to see half a dozen other faces looking at her when she walked through her front door.
"Kairi," Krissa laughed. She knew Kairi had the spare key, "What are you doing her?"
"Did you really think I was going to let you spend Thanksgiving alone?"
Krissa could only laugh. This did not surprise her at all given that Kairi was the most caring person that she had ever met.
"Heh, I guess not. But what about your family? I thought you were having a big Thanksgiving dinner?"
"We did that at lunch time. So I pulled a few strings and got everybody here." Krissa looked around. She could see Xion, Namine, Aqua, Selphie, Aerith, Yuffie, and Tifa carrying food to the kitchen and bringing it to the dining room. All of their men were stationed at various places either in Europe or Japan.
"You guys..." Krissa began, "thank you. Let me just put Paisley Sophia to bed and we can chow down."
Krissa carried her daughter upstairs, put her in her pajamas, and laid her in her crib. She never woke up. Krissa kissed her on her cheek before joining the party downstairs.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Ladybug."
Krissa turned on the Christmas music on the radio to create a more festive atmosphere. As the ladies ate around the table, the usual conversations could be heard.
"Namine, when will you and Roxas finally get hitched?"
"Xion, how long before you have a ring on your finger?"
"Aqua, how much has Luna grown?"
"How's Paisley Sophia doing?"
"When will you and Sora pop out a kid, Kairi?"
All and all, the young women had a lovely time. For that moment, their minds were not focused at their men at war. Rather, they just enjoyed their company and friendship.
"Krissa, have you thought about singing again?" Xion asked.
"I don't know. If I need the extra funds, perhaps. I just don't want to leave Paisley Sophia if I don't have to." Krissa thought about the times she used to sing at night. Back early in her marriage (before she became pregnant with Paisley Sophia), Krissa used to sing at Lea's, the hottest club in Manhattan. It was owned by Sora's cousin, so she was able to earn extra money singing along with the big bands that would show up there. There were times that she would sing with Kairi, Sora, or Roxas as well. Riku never performed. He was satisfied just watching his wife and friends at the table closest to the stage. He always supported those he cared about.
"I miss those days sometimes," Aqua said. Like Krissa, Aqua's life changed when she and her husband, Terra, settled down and had a child. She used to enjoy dancing during the shows, but these days she was busy raising her 4-year old daughter, Luna.
"I do too," Kairi said.
"Our lives are different now," Krissa said. It wasn't just the fact that she was a wife and mother, but it was the fact that she and all of her friends were working alone one way or another. It was different for all of them doing all of the work without the mens' help. A couple of the ladies had to get jobs in factories just to support themselves. Still, all of them would feel guilty if they complained about their lives, especially given all the men had to face overseas. They had a lot to be thankful for.
Ok, I know I posted the first chapter of this story just this morning, but I wanted to go ahead and get the final introduction chapter out of the way. The plot should begin during the next chapter, so stay tuned! :)