Thanks for the Company
He opened the door, letting out the breath he held every step he took in crossing the room.
She was there, just as she was before and yet…
"Come in," he said closing the door behind her before helping her out of her jacket. "I trust the commute was decent?"
"No complaints," she said. "Which is a good thing considering…" She left the sentence unfinished as she took the small bag and set it on the table.
He watched as she surveyed the room, taking in details that had to have been far removed from memory for time's sake, he thought. Then again, he was certain that very few things had changed since the last time she had been there.
"I know, I know, I should do something about 'downsizing," he said with a smile. "What can I say? I earned my 'packrat' nickname for a reason."
She simply smiled. "Did you leave me anything to do or did you decide to do everything yourself?"
It didn't escape his notice that she omitted 'again' or 'as usual.' What could he say to that? 'Um, no, I left you the things you enjoyed doing even though it's been ages since we've even done this sort of thing together.'
He wasn't about to confess how every year he bought the ingredients for her favorite dessert, waiting against all hope, but doing it just the same. He wasn't about to confess how every year he'd put those ingredients together, creating the dish to take into work the next day - everyone convinced that it was 'just something he did.'
He would confess to having a surprise for her. "Well, you're the expert on making that one dish," he said nodding his head in the direction of his excuse of a kitchen. While it suited him just fine all these years alone, it seemed… He couldn't say just yet.
It was almost like old times as he watched her pull her hair back in a ponytail before rolling up her sleeves, before putting the apron on - the same one she'd worn long ago, not saying she'd say so if she'd noticed - before scrubbing her hands and getting down to work.
He refilled his cup of coffee and watched her periodically as he finished the other side dishes. It was this moment that would be the second best moment of the day for him, he decided.
The meal prepared, the two of them sat at the small table, with its wobbly leaf extended, and enjoyed the meager feast.
The conversations went about from weather, sports, work, to finally more personal things.
"What did you mean earlier, when you said what you did about the commute?" he asked. "Is that your way of saying I should learn to 'venture' out some?"
She smiled. "I know how much you love to drive, let alone take 'troublesome trips.' No, what I meant was… I know this was a long time in coming, one of those 'too little too-."
"No," he said quicker than he meant to. "This…this isn't a 'small' thing-."
"Too late," she finished. She took a deep breath then let it out slowly.
He watched as he saw a myriad of 'ages' pass over her face, wondering what level of worrying was appropriate.
"I accepted a job offer far from here." She paused before looking him in the eye. "I leave next week."
He gave her a faint smile. "I was wondering which of us in the family would be the more 'restless one.' I'm happy for you. When do you start?"
"Next month. So…this first Thanksgiving together is really-."
"Really something worth treasuring," he said holding up his water glass to her as a toast, "something to be thankful indeed."
Savoring the remains of the day with her, this was the best moment, he thought, giving a small prayer of thanks for having the opportunity in the first place.
