Thank You..you don't have to take the time to read this or take that extra step to review and such, but you do, and that is awesome.

To the Nashville Guest- you are welcome! Nashville is, well it just IS. I'm there so much and it's everything I love so I had to include it. Glad you enjoyed reading about your hometown. I hope I did it some justice.

Hold on tight through the end of this chapter.

Chapter 25

"Tell me again why your parents are leaving town for Thanksgiving?" I asked Paige. She and I are on the phone going over the details for the week of Thanksgiving. Paige will be in Philadelphia for a few days prior to the holiday to celebrate with her parents.

"My dad's office in San Francisco organizes a Thanksgiving meal delivery program through the food shelter. He and mom fly out for it every year."

I'm impressed by Nick and Clare McCullers' generosity. "That's really nice. Do you ever go with them?"

"I have; I enjoy going. But this year I have something more important keeping me home."

I get what she's implying, but I selfishly want to hear her say it. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"The Black Friday sales," Paige deadpans. My mouth drops open. "You of course," Paige said with dramatics. She knows what I want to hear. I love how well we know each other.

"Good because it wouldn't be Thanksgiving this year without having the one thing I'm most thankful for with me." I clarify after a beat just so she understands, "You, Paige."

"We're so damn cute I don't know how we stand it," Paige says with a laugh. I laugh along with her.

Paige and I went through details of the Thanksgiving celebrations: what time I needed to be at her parents' house, what I should bring, when Paige would be going with me to my parent's house then ended the call.

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I seem to remember a similar feeling the first time I walked up the stone path to the McCullers' front door. I was nervous to meet Paige's parents as a "friend" then. Imagine how I feel now coming back as her known girlfriend. The first ever official girlfriend her parents have met. Sure they knew Becca, and maybe others before her, but they didn't know any of those girls were her girlfriends.

Paige kept assuring me things would be fine. Her parents support her and are excited to see me again. She also said things with her dad are going much better now. Apparently her mom had a deep conversation with Nick and laid down the law.

Clare greeted me at the door with open arms. "Emily, I'm so glad you could come. Thank you for adapting to our crazy holiday schedule."

I walked into the large foyer and returned Clare's hug with one arm. In the other I held a homemade pie. "Thank you for inviting me." I held out the pie dish covered in foil. "I brought this."

"How nice. Let's take it into the kitchen. It will distract Nick from trying to dig in to the turkey early."

Paige was in the kitchen when we walked in taking a baking sheet of rolls out of the oven. She sat down the sheet and removed the oven mitt before coming over to me. She wrapped me in a hug and kissed my cheek, "I'm so happy you're here."

I looked over to Clare to gauge her reaction at seeing Paige kiss me and surprisingly I saw none. She must have sensed my apprehension. "Emily, I want you to know how highly Nick and I think of you. Paige seems very happy, and for that we are happy as well."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Thank you, Clare. To be honest I've been a little nervous about coming." I suddenly caught how that could have sounded. "It's just…I don't know how to say this without it sounding like I assume the worst of you…I guess you know, I just want you to know I'm the same girl you met before but now you know I'm your daughters girlfriend…"

Clare came up to me and rested her hand on my shoulder. "Emily, I understand, and you have nothing to worry about. Having Thanksgiving dinner with my daughter's girlfriend is something I'll admit I had not considered I'd ever do but you are more than welcome."

Clare started walking back towards the stove to stir the pot of green beans. "In our house we've learned to expect the unexpected at Thanksgiving. Has Paige never told you?" I shook my head no.

Paige groaned. "Why? Why always with the embarrassing stories?" Apparently she knew what was coming.

Nick walked in, said hello, and grabbed a slice of turkey from the serving dish being kept warm on the stove. Clare slapped his hand. "Embarrassing stories? I came in just in time," Nick said with a wide, inviting smile.

Clare looked up from the pot to her daughter, smiled and kept going. "You know I've told you before what a handful Paige could be as a child. Well, she can be quite passionate about things she believes in too."

"You got that right," I confirmed. Nick laughed out loud.

"Oh, so you're going to gang up on me now," Paige teased with a jab to my side.

Clare continued with her tale. "In first grade Paige really started showing her creative side. She'd come up with these skits to perform and characters to emulate. Paige had just learned about the Native Americans and how they taught the Pilgrims to farm so on Thanksgiving Day she comes marching into the kitchen dressed as Squanto."

"Who?" I asked with a laugh and looked at Paige.

"Hey, don't make fun. Squanto helped make possible why we're gathered here today," she said, spreading her arms around the kitchen. "He knew English and taught the Pilgrims how to farm the soil."

"Anyway, here is Paige, I mean Squanto, dressed as a Native American, or as close as she could get to what she saw through pictures in her schoolbook, and absolutely insisted that Nick and I play the part of Pilgrims at the feast."

"You have not lived until you play the part of a Pilgrim to little Miss Paige McCullers' Squanto, I assure you," Nick said with a chuckle.

I threw my head back in laughter. I could vividly see little Paige McCullers sitting at the dining room table playing this part talking to her parents like they were Pilgrims. Paige pouted, of course, to which I gave her a quick hug. "Tell me more," I said excitedly to Clare.

"Then there was two years later in third grade when she really learned all about the First Thanksgiving. She came home from school lamenting about how we do it ALL wrong and the modern Thanksgiving is 'NOTHING like it was back then. We don't eat the correct food; there was no turkey then, they didn't eat potatoes, we should grow our own corn.' And 'don't call them Pilgrims,' she insisted. 'They called themselves Puritans' and on and on she went."

"Paige, you're adorable," I kissed her cheek. "I feel like Spencer's mom probably has a very similar story to this one."

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"Emily, this dutch apple pie is amazing. You are quite the baker," Clare said after taking the last bite of her pie.

"Thank you but don't give me too much credit," I say, modestly. "I'll admit, not everything I make is edible."

Nick looked up from his plate. "Sounds like there is a story there."

"Yes, do tell," Paige said leaning her arms against the table in anticipation. "It's only fair we get to hear stories about you too since you know all about me as Squanto and such."

"Well, the most obvious example I can think of was when I was in high school. I worked at this café as a barista. I wanted to make a few extra bucks so I volunteered to cater an event when the guy my boss hired quit last minute."

Clare looked up with a knowing look in her eyes, "Uh, oh.."

"Yes, uh oh. I was adamant that I could handle the job. My mom was in Texas that weekend visiting my dad so I had to call her every five to ten minutes asking for advice and step-by-step directions. It was a nightmare. Nothing was going the way it should, I made a complete mess of the kitchen, I wore half the ingredients on my clothes, and my hair was falling out of my ponytail."

Paige started laughing. "I can so picture this in my head right now."

"Turns out Emily's Empanadas were not the hit of the party. I practically had to force feed my friends after they found my hair in one and actually said to them, 'eat around it.' Needless to say I learned a lesson in humility that day, and I haven't made an empanada since."

Paige and Clare got a good laugh. I looked over to Nick who was digging his fork through his slice of pie inspecting it. He caught me looking, blushed, and set down his fork.

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Paige told her parents that she was going to stay at my place that night. If they had any objections about it or thoughts one way or another they didn't voice them. I for one was glad to know that I'd have my girlfriend in my bed tonight.

"Paige, what are you thankful for?" I asked as we walked in the door to my townhouse and we both slipped off our shoes.

She started kissing my neck and mumbled, "I'm thankful that Spencer is in Rosewood this week doing a case study with her dad's law firm."

I was glad for that too but I was actually being serious. I pulled away, "No, I mean really. I've had a lot on my mind lately and with Thanksgiving a few days away one thing I've really been thinking about is gratitude for what is good in my life. I'd like to know your thoughts."

"Em, I haven't seen you in over a month. I'm ready to climb you like a spider monkey. Are we really gonna do this right now?"

I thought of a way to get what we both really want. "Tell you what, let's make this interesting. Here are the rules: for each thing we say we're thankful for we get to remove one item of the other person's clothes. We don't go any further until everything is off."

"Deal. Me first." Paige stepped towards me as she said, "I am thankful you gave me chance." She pulled my sweater over my head and kissed down the column of my neck then sucked and grazed her teeth along my right collarbone.

This was a fucking good idea. I began to unbutton Paige's black silk shirt while I said, "I am thankful for your love and kind spirit." I slid the shirt down Paige's arms while I kissed her hard on the mouth.

Paige broke from the kiss and hungrily ran her hands up my hamstrings, stroked my butt, then continued up to the zipper of my skirt and started to unzip. She whispered sensually into my ear, "I'm beyond thankful that you wore skirt tonight." She let the skirt fall to the ground, running her hands around the back of my thighs as she eased the garment down.

Paige expected my hands to go to her waist to unbutton her jeans and pull them down her long, lean legs. But I had another idea. I unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor at our feet. I licked my lips then took both of her breasts in my hands and ran the pads of my thumbs over the hardened nipples. "I am thankful for frequent flyer miles so I can visit my smoking hot girlfriend."

The looks we are giving each other can only be described as fuck me eyes. Paige is in her jeans and panties. I am in my bra and panties. Just four articles of clothing remaining between us and ecstasy.

Paige moaned and immediately dropped to her knees. "Fuck it," she growled out. She tore off my white lace panties and said, "I'm thankful rules are meant to be broken," and buried her face between my thighs.

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Paige and I walked into the Rosewood Women's Shelter to help serve the Thanksgiving meal to residents there during the holiday. I knew how much Paige liked doing this with her parents when she went to San Fran so I thought this would be a good consolation this year.

Needless to say, we got a little "sidetracked" this morning and were running late to hit the road. We had just enough time to drive into town for our shift in the meal line at the shelter.

Paige was in her element. She seemed to connect with each woman who came through on a truly personal level. Her smile was infectious and put everyone at ease. I kissed her cheek, "Paige, you are so sweet. I love you so much."

"I love you too. This is the least we can do, you know?" Paige looked me in the eyes with sincerity. "I've always been pretty fortunate, and I've never taken that for granted. I just think it's important to be there to lift people up in their times of need. If I can spare a few hours of my time then I give it willingly."

A few hours later Paige and I were driving to my parents' house. Paige had to get back to Philadelphia that night for an early flight to Atlanta the next day so this would be a quick trip.

Paige was fidgeting constantly in her seat next to me. "Babe, why are you so nervous? You've already met my mom. It went fine."

Paige set forth with a barrage of questions and concerns about meeting my dad, Lt. Colonel Fields. "What should I do when I meet your dad? Do I salute? What do I call him? Am I dressed ok? Will he be in uniform? Maybe I should have shined my shoes."

I reached across the center console and patted her knee. "Paige, relax. My dad is just another human being, OK? Don't salute him. Call him Wayne. You're beautiful as always. He will be in civilian clothes. And you're shoes are fine you dork."

Dad must have seen us pull into the driveway because he was waiting at the door as we walked up the porch steps. I ran to him, "Daddy!"

"Hi baby girl," he said giving me a huge hug. He let me go and turned to Paige.

Paige stepped forward and shook dad's hand firmly. "Pleasure to meet you, Wayne. I'm Paige McCullers."

Dad straightened to his full height and put on his "serious face." Oh great I thought to myself. "That's Lt. Colonel Fields, ma'am."

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry Sir, I mean Lt. Colonel Fields," she stammered, giving me a hard look.

I hit him on the arm. "Dad, I told you to behave." I looked over to Paige. "Sorry, I told him not to do this. He always tries to scare my friends."

He leaned back and laughed after slapping Paige good-naturedly on the back. "Pleasure's mine, Paige. Come on in, Pam's been buzzing around the kitchen all day."

My mom wanted to show Paige the progress that had been made on the azalea bush Paige helped her rescue. After that we sat down to dinner. Things were going well until my dad misspoke. "So Paige, I imagine being down south now is an adjustment. Nice girl like you though probably has the southern boys lined up."

Mom gave dad a look. Paige gave me a look. Dad just looked confused at the reactions he was seeing. "Um, not exactly, Wayne," Paige said, filling the silence.

"Wayne, remember, I told you…Paige is…you know," she said nudging her head in Paige's direction. I wanted to crawl under the table. The hairs on the back of my neck started standing up. I did not foresee the rest of this conversation going smoothly.

"That's right. Sorry, I forgot," he said looking to Paige. He tried to recover, "Imagine that you have the girls lined up then."

Paige smiled at his attempt to smooth things over. "Well, I don't think my girlfriend would appreciate that." My eyes widened immediately and I looked down to my plate to cover my reaction. What is she doing I panicked to myself.

"You really are dating another woman," my mom asked to Paige. She nodded her head yes. Mom sat her fork down and looked at Paige across the table from her. "Paige," she said, shaking her head. "What do your parents think of this girlfriend?"

"My parents really like her. They know how much I love her and they support me. They support us together."

Dad and I were no longer eating. We were watching the conversation take place around us; neither one of us knowing how to stop the train that was quickly detaching from the rails.

"Your parents must be quite a bit more lenient than I would be. I'd never allow it," my mom said adamantly.

Enough was enough. "Mom, I think you've said more than enough. Neither Paige, nor anyone, has to defend themselves to you."

Paige put her hand up. "No, it's alright." Paige pinned my mom with her eyes. It wasn't an aggressive stare but it was one that showed Paige would not be backing down. "Pam, my parents love me unconditionally. Is me being a lesbian an adjustment to them? Yes. Do they shun me because of it? No. They accept me for who I am and who I love. There is no 'allowing' to it."

"There is in this home." I could feel tears start to prick my eyes. My mom just made it perfectly clear, without meaning to directly, that Paige and I wouldn't be welcome. That I with any girlfriend wouldn't be welcome.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Paige said. "Fortunately for me my parents don't feel the same. I'd only hope that if the circumstances were ever turned, and you had found yourself with a gay son or daughter, you'd have come to your senses."

I couldn't take anymore of this. Tears were streaming down my face at what Paige was just subjected to by my mother. I stood and said to my mom in a surprisingly calm but icy tone, "I am ashamed to call you my mother." I turned to my dad, "Daddy, I love you but I'm sorry, we have to go." Then I turned to Paige and pulled her from her seat.

"Happy Thanksgiving," we both said as we exited the dining room and made our way to the front door.

I was practically bawling as we got into my car. "Paige, I'm so sorry. I love you so much. I'm so sorry."

Remarkably, Paige was holding herself together. I don't know how she was but she was a pillar of strength before me. "Emily, it's ok. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to antagonize her, but I couldn't let her keep saying that awful stuff."

"Don't you dare apologize, Paige. What my mom said was nothing but pure ignorance."

"I had no idea she felt that strongly," Paige said, giving me a sad look. "But don't worry, we'll work through it, she'll get there."

I shook my head. Paige did not know Pam Fields the way I do. Despite her gross display at dinner, Pam Fields was a very nice woman, but she was set in her ways and unwavering in her opinions and believes. "No, she won't Paige. She will never accept us. She will never accept me."

Paige kept trying to reassure me that things would work out. I wanted to believe her. I wanted to so powerfully. But I couldn't shake the feeling that this was the start to something bad.