A Thanksgiving Disaster
New Beginnings Chapter 6
In this chapter we will meet Jennifer's ex-husband Willie and her in laws Sam and Robin. These characters are my originals. Jen Farrell and her children are Mandalicious's original characters. We own no characters from Annie. This set at Thanksgiving in 1941.
Kathryn Farrell was not a very happy camper. She knew it was Thanksgiving time and she had so much to be grateful for but the fact that she was going to be seeing her father again put a damper on her holiday spirit. She would have much rather preferred to go to Queens to see her Uncle Oliver, Aunt Grace and cousins Annie, Molly, Joanne and Frederick.
"Mom, do we really have to go to Connecticut?
Jennifer nodded. "Sweetie pie, I know you're anxious about seeing your father again but try not to worry about it."
"I would much rather to go to New York to spend the holiday with Aunt Grace, Uncle Oliver Annie and Molly then see him."
Jen pulled her daughter close to her and kissed her forehead. " We can go visit Aunt Grace this weekend how does that sound?"
Kathryn sighed. "Fine."
"Trust me darling, this will be an awkward day for both of us but we'll get through it."
Jen Kathryn and Jacob piled into the car mid-morning on Thanksgiving day to drive to Connecticut. Dinner would be starting around 4:45. They arrived at Sam and Robin's around 1:30. Kathryn's cousin Rachel opened the door. She was 21 and a junior at UMASS Boston.
"Hi Aunt Jen Kathryn and Jacob we're just about to have some appetizers come on in."
Jen marveled at her brother in law's oldest daughter and kissed her cheek. "You're growing up so fast my dear. It's lovely to see you. We missed you last year."
"Yeah, Rachel we can't wait to hear about your study abroad trip." Kathryn said excitedly. The previous fall Rachel had studied abroad in London.
Sam and Robin entered the hallway to help Jen and Kathryn carry the trays of food into the kitchen. When they got to the kitchen Jen froze in her tracks when she saw her husband.
"Hello Jennifer." Willie greeted. "It's nice to see you again."
"I wish I could say the same for you." Jennifer responded.
Willie's jaw dropped when he saw his daughter.
"My little Katie bear is that you?" he whispered.
"Don't call me that." Kathryn hissed.
"Isn't she gorgeous? She looks almost exactly like Jen." Robin remarked.
Willie nodded, then looked at his son. "Jacob, you've grown into such a handsome young man. How old are you now?"
"I'll be 13 in a couple months." Jacob replied.
Robin noticed that there was bitterness in the air between her brother and sister in law. "Shall we have appetizers and some wine?"
"Yes. Let's. I'm famished. It's been quite the drive." Jennifer said not even stealing a second glance at her husband.
They sat down in the parlor with their wine glasses and appetizer plates. Rachel could sense the awkwardness between Jen Willie and Kathryn so she decided to divert the attention away from the situation at hand and talk about her study abroad trip. Kathryn really admired her older cousin for being so brave and studying in a different country... Especially during war time.
"Wow, your trip sounds so exciting and interesting! I hope I get to study abroad some day!" Kathryn said.
Her cousin squeezed her hand. "I'm sure you will Katie."
It was during dinner that the sparks really started to fly.
"So Kathryn. How old are you now?" her father asked her
Kathryn swallowed a bite of potato. " 16. I'll be 17 at the end of March."
"You must be looking at colleges right now then?"
Kathryn nodded. "Just started looking.. the reason why we moved to Boston was because I want to focus my search mainly on colleges in New England and New York."
"Have you ever considered looking at colleges in Florida and moving there?
Jennifer looked at her husband. "Excuse me, what did you just say?"
"I said has she ever considered looking at colleges in Florida?"
Kathryn shook her head. "Why, who is in Florida?"
"I will be in a couple months. Still trying to find a job but there's a few things in the works. I want your brother and you to come live with me."
Jennifer had fire in her eyes. "Are you insane?"
"No, I just want to get to know my children better. After all I have been out of their lives for 11 years. You've known them their whole lives Jennifer, I barely know them at all."
Kathryn looked at her mother with a look that clearly said "I wish we never came!"
"There is such a thing as joint custody you know." Robin said diplomatically.
"That only applies for people who are divorced or separated doesn't it?" Jacob asked. "Technically Mom and Dad aren't divorced."
Willie squirmed in his seat like a child who had made a big mistake. Jennifer could tell she wasn't going to like what he was going to say next.
"The truth is Jen. I met someone else a few years ago and I think I'm in love with her."
Jennifer was completely shell-shocked. She did not know what to say and took a minute to process her thoughts.
Kathryn stood up from her seat and stared at her father angrily.
"You utter asshole!" she yelled
"Kathryn Grace, watch your language!" her aunt scolded.
"It's okay Robin we're all adults here." Her husband said.
"I can't believe you have the nerve to waltz back into our lives. Especially on Thanksgiving! You don't even have a good excuse for leaving us all those years ago do you?"
"I felt I was an unfit father."
"Bullshit!" Jennifer said. "If you felt that way you would have left way before Jacob was born… there must have been some other reason."
Willie shook his head. "Nope, none that I can think of."
Kathryn was not quite through with her tirade. "If you loved us you would have never left us."
"But I do love you Katie bear, you'll always be my little princess."
"Doesn't fucking call me by a childish pet name! You never took any interest in our lives after you left us. Why would you want to get to know us better now?"
"Obviously I have lots of lost time to make up… look at how you kids have both grown up in to such beautiful young adults."
"You've been cheating on Mom too? What kind of example does that set for us? That's it's okay to abandon your family and cheat on your wife?"
"Kathryn , sweetheart please calm down." Her uncle said.
"She's right though." Jennifer smiled. She was proud of her daughter for standing up for her family. She was her mother's daughter that was for sure.
"Technically I've only been dating Susan for the past year and a half."
"So you love her more than Mom then?"
"Your mom was my first love but I've moved on with my life. I still want you kids to be part of it though" Willie said.
'That's pretty fucking obvious and I don't want you in my life.' Kathryn said to herself.
"Willie, you're a bastard. I can't believe you would come to Thanksgiving dinner practically asking me for a divorce." Jennifer looked like she was about to cry.
Kathryn couldn't take any more of this conversation… she had completely lost her appetite. She bolted from the dining room.
"Oh dear, I have a feeling it was a huge mistake coming here today." Jennifer said.
'We should have gone to Grace and Oliver's.' she added silently to herself.
Rachel touched her aunt on the shoulder. "I'll go talk to her Aunt Jen."
Jen smiled at her niece. "Thank you sweetheart."
Rachel went upstairs to search for her cousin. It didn't take her too long to find her. She was in one of the guest bedrooms convulsing in sobs on the bed.
Katie, it's Rachel. Come here darling."
Kathryn felt like she was five years old again and crawled into her older cousin's lap.
"I told my mom I didn't want to come here today! I knew this was going to be a disaster!"
Rachel rubbed her younger cousin's back comfortingly."
"I think we can all agree that Uncle Willie is a rat bastard."
"Has he really been together with that other lady for a year and a half?"
"More like two years.. that's what he was telling Mom and Dad before you guys came over."
"I am not going to move to Florida… there's no way in hell. He can't make me!"
"I don't think your mom is going to let you guys go out there to live with him… especially since you JUST moved to Boston last year."
"Who does think he is anyways?"
Rachel shrugged her shoulders.
"Does he really love me?"
"I'm sure he does. I know you have a hard time believing that."
"I think if he'd never left us in the first place then things would be different."
"They certainly would be."
Kathryn kissed her cousin on the cheek. "I love you Rach."
Rachel returned her cousin's kiss. "I love you too Katie. Are you ready to go back downstairs now?"
"Yeah, I think so."
Rachel and Kathryn came back downstairs to see Jennifer and Jacob gathering their jackets and preparing to leave. Jacob approached his sister
"Mom wants to leave now. She doesn't feel it's a good idea for us to stay longer because of all the arguing." Jacob whispered.
Kathryn was relieved. She went over to go hug her uncle.
"I'm sorry we have to leave so early Uncle Sam. Thanks for dinner!"
Sam looked at his niece sadly. "I'm sorry that this day didn't go better for you sweetie pie. We'll let you know the next time we're at UMASS visiting Rachel and then maybe we can meet up for lunch and spend the day together."
Kathryn smiled. "That would be awesome!"
Jen and her children said their goodbyes and headed to the car. The car ride home to Cambridge was utterly silent.
As Kathryn was getting ready for bed Jennifer came into her room.
"Sweetheart, you were right. Perhaps it would have been better if we'd went to Uncle Oliver's and Aunt Grace's."
Kathryn was silent but gave her mother a pointed look that said "I told you so."
"Come here my beautiful girl." Jennifer whispered.
Kathryn fell in to her mother's arms and started to cry…. The tears flowed freely from her eyes.
"I was so proud of you for how you were standing up to your father." Jennifer said.
Kathryn was smiling on the inside but looked at her mother nervously.
"Are me and Jake really going to move to Florida to go live with him?"
Jennifer shook her head. "No, you two are staying right here with me. There's no way in hell that I will let him tear apart this family. You and Jake mean everything to me, you've always known that Kathryn."
"What about that joint custody thing that Aunt Robin was talking about, would you ever consider that?"
Jennifer sighed. "I don't know sweetheart. Honestly even though I'm still bitter with your dad for leaving us I don't think it's a really good idea to dump him being back in the picture on you guys so soon. I quite honestly don't even want him in my life at all. I've been perfectly happy with the way things are. Aren't you?"
Kathryn nodded.
"How come he never sent us any child support money?"
"I don't know but I suppose whatever money we get from the divorce settlement will more than make up for that."
Kathryn climbed into bed. "Mommy, will you lay down with me?"
Jennifer smiled. "Of course my angel."
Jennifer climbed into bed next to her daughter and felt her curl into her side.
"One thing I'm always grateful for at Thanksgiving time is our family.. Especially Aunt Grace and Annie. They're my most special relatives."
Jennifer kissed her daughter's forehead gently. " Moving to Boston was the best decision we ever made. I hope that because of this move you will have an opportunity to grow closer to Annie and Molly than you ever have been before."
Kathryn nodded. " I had a nice conversation with Rachel today . I'm thankful to have a cousin like her in my life too."
"Would you like to go visit her at UMASS sometime?"
Kathryn nodded. "Definitely."
"We'll have to talk to your Uncle Sam and Aunt Robin about the next time they're visiting her. We should unquestionably take them up on their offer meet up with them when they're in town. We can even tour the UMASS Boston campus if you like."
Kathryn grinned. " I wouldn't mind checking it out."
Kathryn wrapped her arms around her mother tightly. "I love you Mommy."
Jennifer pulled her daughter close to her and kissed her forehead gently.
"I love you too my precious Kathryn Grace, forever and always."
Kathryn fell asleep in her mother's arms like she did when she was a young child. Jennifer tucked her daughter into bed, kissed her forehead once more and closed the light shutting the door behind her. She then went into to her bedroom to call Grace.
Her sister answered on the first ring.
"How'd things go today?" Grace asked her.
"Completely disastrous."
"Was Willie asking for money?"
"Oh, no! Far worse."
What could possibly be worse?"
"Asking me for a divorce and asking the kids to move to Florida with him."
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
"Gracie, are you there?"
"I'm here. I just can't believe what you just said. I hope you said no to Katie and Jake moving to Florida with Willie."
"Kathryn put that idea out of his head real quick. She really stood up to Willie today, I was so proud of her."
"She takes after you Jen."
"I'm glad I've raised my daughter to speak her mind." Jennifer said
"Do you regret going to Connecticut today?" Grace asked her sister.
"In a way yes and no. It was certainly an emotional day but it was good to see Willie… I think it's the last time I'll be seeing him for awhile."
"Will you at least consider joint custody?"
"You know Robin suggested the same thing. It's something I might consider down the line not right now."
"Is he ever going to pay the child support money he owes you?"
"Probably not… but the money we get from the divorce settlement will take care of that. At least I am hoping it will."
"Annie Molly and I are planning on coming to Boston for the day on Sunday I figured you Katie Lissy and Marlene Pugh and her daughter Marie could all do some holiday shopping. How does that sound to you?"
Jennifer smiled for the first time all day. "That sounds great Gracie. We'll pick you up at the train station around noon and we'll spend the day in town shopping. After today Katie and I could use some cheering up."
"Sounds like a plan then. I love you Jenny."
"I love you too Gracie. Good night."
"Good night."
Jennifer hung up the phone and climbed into bed. She was thankful to have such supportive sisters and such a wonderful family. It had taken today to realize how lost she would be without them. It was what she was most thankful for this Thanksigivng.
