The smell of baking turkey and stuffing filled Charlotte's small apartment
that Thanksgiving. John sat in the living room with Kim watching the
football game as Charlotte herself scuttled back and forth between the
multitudes of dishes she was preparing. It had been a busy morning since
dawn. Kim was up very early, eager to see the Macy's Thanksgiving parade
and she had awoken soon after to put the colossal turkey in the oven.
As she violently mashed the potatoes doorbell rang. "John," She called, setting the potatoes aside and untied her apron. "They're here." Her tiny apartment was going to be full today. Her parents were spending the day with her and John, as he was alone this holiday. She quickly scrambled into the den to make sure her boys were presentable. Kim looked fine, but she had to straighten John's tie, which he pretended to protest to but he really loved having a woman around to do little things like that again. "Now wait here while I go get the door." She went down the stairs and opened the front door, and as John waited he could hear he greet her parents. They returned up the stairs and she took their coats and put them in the closet, then turned to start the introductions. "Mom, Dad, this is my friend John McIntyre, John this is my Mom and Dad."
John warmly stuck his hand out to Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie. "Mr. Mackenzie, Mrs. Mackenzie. Charlotte has told me so much about you."
"Oh please, call me Ethel. You're all Charlotte ever talks about these days. Hello Kim love." Charlotte's mother said kindly, and then turned to Kim who was waiting by her side for some attention.
"Make yourselves comfortable, can I get anyone something to drink?" Charlotte called from the kitchen.
"Can I help with anything dear?" Ethel called in return, holding Kim in her lap.
"Uh, no ...oh. Everything is fine. OH!" There was a large crash in the kitchen. "I'm alright, everything is under control!"
Ethel pasted on a worried expression. "I better go see if I can help." She and Kim then exited to the Kitchen to aid, leaving Mr. Mackenzie and John alone to watch the game.
"So, John, Charlotte tells me you are a doctor." Trapper nodded in response. "Private practice?"
He shook his head. "I'm on Staff at Boston General. I had planned to go into practice after 3 years at the hospital, but then I got sent to Korea, and when I got back I didn't have the money any more so I'm on at the hospital indefinitely until I get my savings account back up."
"She also tells me you are divorced." He said as if he were saying 'She also randomly mentioned you play golf, is that true?'. The third degree John had feared had arrived.
"Yes. My wife decided Lawyers were more important then doctors." He replied, as equally non-phased.
Mr. Mackenzie shrugged. "I never liked lawyers." He growled. "Never trust 'em. Guess I'm preaching to the Choir though, aren't I?" He smiled at John.
John smiled back. Maybe this wasn't going to be that bad. He calmly sat back in his seat and watched the game.
* * *
The Turkey was basted and ready, stuffing pouring out of it. The potatoes were mashed and buttered. The ham half was glazed and tantalized all nostrils present. Everything was ready. As Kim put the finishing touches on the table settings, Charlotte and her mother removed the victuals from the cooking dishes onto serving platters and bowls and placed them on the table.
"So, Charlotte, John seems nice." Her mother probed not too subtly.
Charlotte smiled, generously. "Yes, he is very nice." She hesitated for a moment. "Dad isn't grilling him in there is he?" She had the terrible mental picture of John glued to the couch in terror, sweat pouring down his face as her father held a lamp in his eyes and questioned him on everything from his income to how he mows the lawn. This was the guy that had cleaned his shotgun on the front porch when her date for the school social came to pick her up. She shuddered slightly.
Ethel chuckled. "No dear. Your father realizes that you are a big girl now and doesn't have to brandish his shotguns in front of you dates anymore, no matter how unsure he is."
"What is he unsure about?" Charlotte squealed defensively.
She shrugged. "He just wants to get to know him. Well," She surveyed the table. "I think that is about all done. Will you call the boys as I fill the glasses?"
Charlotte sighed, untied her apron and poked her head in the living room door. "Guys, dinner time." She said and hurried back out to the Kitchen, the 2 following close behind.
"That ref made a bad call." John practically yelled.
"You're just mad because it was a bad call against Boston." Charlotte's father yelped in return.
"You're just a traitor to Massachusetts."
"I just think that New York is a better team!"
Charlotte and Ethel just chuckled and shook their heads. "John, you're over on that side, Mom, dad, you're over here." Charlotte directed them to their seats, and then brought the turkey over to the table.
"Oh, Lotte, it looks great!" Her father enthused. "Should I do the honors, or would you like to John?"
This startled John but he recovered quickly and smiled and grabbed the carving knives. After carving and serving up, dinner went well. Conversation was pleasant and the mood was relaxed. Later after everyone had eaten everything they could, the dishes were cleared away and left- overs divided up. Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie, Kim in tow for a sleep over, left early so they could get home in time for Kim's bedtime, leaving Charlotte and John sitting alone on her couch in the living room.
"Did you enjoy yourself today?" Charlotte asked as she curled up next to him.
He nodded. "You parents are really nice." He responded.
"Good." She said and yawned and stretched.
"Y'know this is the best Thanksgiving I think I've ever had. I'm thankful for a lot of things, I've realized." John said. "I'm thankful that I have made it out of Korea alive, when others haven't." His mind drifted towards Henry, and he reminded himself to tell her more about Col. Blake sometime. "I'm thankful that I have 2 beautiful little girls who love me. I'm thankful that Kim is safe and away from Korea. Do you want to know what I am most thankful for?" He paused and she looked up at him, waiting for the answer. "I'm thankful for you. That you are here. That you've given me a reason to be thankful again." H paused again. "Charlotte . . ."
"Yes?"
He shook his head. "I had a great day."
She smiled, and then looked out the window. "Oh, look, it's snowing!" She jumped off the sofa and ran to the window. "I love the snow! It's so beautiful."
He came and stood behind her. "That's what I was just thinking."
And they stood there and watched it snow.
As she violently mashed the potatoes doorbell rang. "John," She called, setting the potatoes aside and untied her apron. "They're here." Her tiny apartment was going to be full today. Her parents were spending the day with her and John, as he was alone this holiday. She quickly scrambled into the den to make sure her boys were presentable. Kim looked fine, but she had to straighten John's tie, which he pretended to protest to but he really loved having a woman around to do little things like that again. "Now wait here while I go get the door." She went down the stairs and opened the front door, and as John waited he could hear he greet her parents. They returned up the stairs and she took their coats and put them in the closet, then turned to start the introductions. "Mom, Dad, this is my friend John McIntyre, John this is my Mom and Dad."
John warmly stuck his hand out to Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie. "Mr. Mackenzie, Mrs. Mackenzie. Charlotte has told me so much about you."
"Oh please, call me Ethel. You're all Charlotte ever talks about these days. Hello Kim love." Charlotte's mother said kindly, and then turned to Kim who was waiting by her side for some attention.
"Make yourselves comfortable, can I get anyone something to drink?" Charlotte called from the kitchen.
"Can I help with anything dear?" Ethel called in return, holding Kim in her lap.
"Uh, no ...oh. Everything is fine. OH!" There was a large crash in the kitchen. "I'm alright, everything is under control!"
Ethel pasted on a worried expression. "I better go see if I can help." She and Kim then exited to the Kitchen to aid, leaving Mr. Mackenzie and John alone to watch the game.
"So, John, Charlotte tells me you are a doctor." Trapper nodded in response. "Private practice?"
He shook his head. "I'm on Staff at Boston General. I had planned to go into practice after 3 years at the hospital, but then I got sent to Korea, and when I got back I didn't have the money any more so I'm on at the hospital indefinitely until I get my savings account back up."
"She also tells me you are divorced." He said as if he were saying 'She also randomly mentioned you play golf, is that true?'. The third degree John had feared had arrived.
"Yes. My wife decided Lawyers were more important then doctors." He replied, as equally non-phased.
Mr. Mackenzie shrugged. "I never liked lawyers." He growled. "Never trust 'em. Guess I'm preaching to the Choir though, aren't I?" He smiled at John.
John smiled back. Maybe this wasn't going to be that bad. He calmly sat back in his seat and watched the game.
* * *
The Turkey was basted and ready, stuffing pouring out of it. The potatoes were mashed and buttered. The ham half was glazed and tantalized all nostrils present. Everything was ready. As Kim put the finishing touches on the table settings, Charlotte and her mother removed the victuals from the cooking dishes onto serving platters and bowls and placed them on the table.
"So, Charlotte, John seems nice." Her mother probed not too subtly.
Charlotte smiled, generously. "Yes, he is very nice." She hesitated for a moment. "Dad isn't grilling him in there is he?" She had the terrible mental picture of John glued to the couch in terror, sweat pouring down his face as her father held a lamp in his eyes and questioned him on everything from his income to how he mows the lawn. This was the guy that had cleaned his shotgun on the front porch when her date for the school social came to pick her up. She shuddered slightly.
Ethel chuckled. "No dear. Your father realizes that you are a big girl now and doesn't have to brandish his shotguns in front of you dates anymore, no matter how unsure he is."
"What is he unsure about?" Charlotte squealed defensively.
She shrugged. "He just wants to get to know him. Well," She surveyed the table. "I think that is about all done. Will you call the boys as I fill the glasses?"
Charlotte sighed, untied her apron and poked her head in the living room door. "Guys, dinner time." She said and hurried back out to the Kitchen, the 2 following close behind.
"That ref made a bad call." John practically yelled.
"You're just mad because it was a bad call against Boston." Charlotte's father yelped in return.
"You're just a traitor to Massachusetts."
"I just think that New York is a better team!"
Charlotte and Ethel just chuckled and shook their heads. "John, you're over on that side, Mom, dad, you're over here." Charlotte directed them to their seats, and then brought the turkey over to the table.
"Oh, Lotte, it looks great!" Her father enthused. "Should I do the honors, or would you like to John?"
This startled John but he recovered quickly and smiled and grabbed the carving knives. After carving and serving up, dinner went well. Conversation was pleasant and the mood was relaxed. Later after everyone had eaten everything they could, the dishes were cleared away and left- overs divided up. Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie, Kim in tow for a sleep over, left early so they could get home in time for Kim's bedtime, leaving Charlotte and John sitting alone on her couch in the living room.
"Did you enjoy yourself today?" Charlotte asked as she curled up next to him.
He nodded. "You parents are really nice." He responded.
"Good." She said and yawned and stretched.
"Y'know this is the best Thanksgiving I think I've ever had. I'm thankful for a lot of things, I've realized." John said. "I'm thankful that I have made it out of Korea alive, when others haven't." His mind drifted towards Henry, and he reminded himself to tell her more about Col. Blake sometime. "I'm thankful that I have 2 beautiful little girls who love me. I'm thankful that Kim is safe and away from Korea. Do you want to know what I am most thankful for?" He paused and she looked up at him, waiting for the answer. "I'm thankful for you. That you are here. That you've given me a reason to be thankful again." H paused again. "Charlotte . . ."
"Yes?"
He shook his head. "I had a great day."
She smiled, and then looked out the window. "Oh, look, it's snowing!" She jumped off the sofa and ran to the window. "I love the snow! It's so beautiful."
He came and stood behind her. "That's what I was just thinking."
And they stood there and watched it snow.
