2.50: Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 22nd, 2012
It was Thanksgiving at Will and Sonny's apartment and both were rushing around to make sure everything was set for dinner. Will entered the kitchen and found Sonny putting his last pie in the oven. "Are we okay, Sonny?"
Sonny turned around to look at Will to make sure he heard the question correctly. He wondered why Will wanted to talk about their relationship now when he seemed to avoid being real about anything with him prior. "Are we okay?"
Will nodded his head as he looked at the time. "Yeah. Is everything set? Do I need to do anything else before anyone gets here?" he asked before they heard a sudden knock on their door.
Sonny was thankful he didn't outwardly assume Will wanted to talk about them and was able to move on quickly. "We are good – ahead of schedule actually – but I guess so are our guests."
"I'll get the door," Will declared as he made his way to the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see Sami, EJ, Johnny, and Sydney on the other side carrying a few bags. "What are you doing here?"
Sami gave Will a look as if to say he shouldn't have to ask that question. "Are you kidding? You think I am going to stay away from you on a holiday? Don't worry, we are not crashing your Thanksgiving dinner. We decided to stop by with some things before we head out to have Thanksgiving at Maddalena's mansion. Azzura made some sweets for us, and I wanted to share some with you."
Will took the bags from Sami and EJ and looked inside them to see what his mother was talking about. He still felt uncomfortable about Sami and Azzura's friendship. "Coming over here is so out of your way, but thanks. Tell everyone there Happy Thanksgiving for me."
"We will," EJ said as he placed his hand on Sami's back. "We'll get out of your way now."
Sami wasn't ready to leave. "Wait. There's something I wanted to say before we left," she announced as she reflected on how Will had become distant since Abe's death. Grabbing Will's hand, she gave her oldest a loving look. "I know you want to be independent and have your own Thanksgiving with your friends."
"Mom, I already told you why we decided to do this," Will interrupted.
Sami gave Will a good-humored look with some annoyance. "Will you let me finish? I know Adrienne and Justin are out-of-town and that a lot of your school friends couldn't go home for Thanksgiving. I think it's great that you and Sonny put this together. I only wanted to tell you what I'm thankful for this year since you couldn't go to Thanksgiving lunch at the pub. I am thankful that you are alive and well. I am thankful that we are stronger than ever and can support and help each other."
Will felt bad for jumping the gun on his mother and pulled her into a hug. He had tried his hardest to keep everyone at bay, but he couldn't help but allow his mother in because he really did need to hear her say those words. "I'm thankful for all of you as well." After letting go of Sami, Will made sure to give Johnny and Sydney hugs. "You two make sure you save me some of the food that tastes good!"
"We'll save you all the vegetables," Johnny joked.
EJ picked up Sydney and took Johnny's hand. "Well, we should head out so we don't keep everyone waiting."
Will stopped them from leaving. "If Lexie is there, give her a hug for me – will you? Oh, and tell her I'll see her at church on Sunday."
EJ nodded his head and gave Will a look of appreciation. "I most definitely will."
After they left, Will collected himself emotionally before returning to the kitchen to check on Sonny. "No one has arrived just yet, but my mom and EJ dropped off some awesome desserts."
Sonny watched as Will put them in the fridge. "That's great. I rushed through my pies. I hope they turn out alright."
"I'm sure they are perfect," Will complimented Sonny as he pulled out his cell phone to look at the time.
Ezra was the first to arrive. Sonny showed him in while Will checked on the bathroom to make sure it was presentable. "The table is set, but if you want to sit out here while we wait on the others it's okay."
Ezra decided to take a seat on the couch. "I'll wait for the others. I know how well you cook, so your food wouldn't last if I sat at the table," he shared. "Is Deveraux going to make it tonight?"
"Actually, she's having Thanksgiving with her family," Sonny informed Ezra. "It's been a while since she's had one with her dad. She may make an appearance later though."
Ezra nodded his head and looked the room over for Will. "I'm glad things are working out for her and her dad. She told me she would try to come as well."
Will walked out and gave Ezra a hug when he spotted him. "I'm glad you could make it. So your mom went out of town then?"
Ezra nodded his head. "Yeah. She's very weird about Thanksgiving and tries to avoid it. This will be kind of different for me because I've never really celebrated Thanksgiving."
Will patted Sonny on the back as he shared, "Well, you're in for a treat. Sonny has gone the whole nine-yards with dinner tonight."
Sonny appreciated the compliment and smiled. "Will did help me. I don't think I could have pulled it off without him."
Ezra patted Will's arm and stated, "Well, Horton is a good guy like that. He's always there trying to help someone." As he continued to pat Will's arm, he turned to him and shared, "I feel like it's been quite a while since we've really hung out. We will have to set up some one on one time soon."
Will nodded his head in agreement. He had avoided Ezra somewhat as well but figured he needed to stop that. "Yeah. We will."
Sonny watched Will and Ezra and thought he saw a moment between the two. Avoiding the distraction, he changed the subject, "I'm sure the other Kappa guys will be happy to see you."
Ezra's face lit up. "Who's coming?"
Will looked up and replied, "Dustin, Brian, Johns, and Trace."
"That's a good group," Ezra acknowledge. "It will be good to see them again."
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Will decided to answer the door this time. When he spotted Chelsea on the other side holding a tray, he grabbed the tray from her and invited her in. "What's in here?" he asked with great curiosity.
Chelsea waved at Sonny and Ezra as she informed Will, "Green Bean Casserole. With grandma's help, I was able to successfully make a couple batches of it. We had the first one for Thanksgiving lunch at the pub."
"Sorry I couldn't make it," Will apologized before explaining, "I promised Sonny I would help him set up everything for tonight."
There was another knock on the door and Sonny rushed over to let in a few Kappa guys and Kai as Will and Chelsea headed to the dining room table. "Hey guys!" Sonny exclaimed when he saw them.
After everyone greeted each other, they took a seat around the table to eat. Will looked around the table to make sure everyone had settled in before he shared, "Ezra told me he hasn't really ever experienced a real Thanksgiving – I hope it's okay I shared that." After Ezra nodded in assurance, he continued, "I want to make sure we have the whole experience, so... It's a tradition in my family to say a prayer before we dig in, so I'm volunteering to say it."
Everyone looked at each other. No one had any objections, so Will began to pray. As everyone else bowed their heads, Sonny turned to Will and questioned his excuse to say a prayer before they ate. He knew Will had started going to church, but he usually tried to keep it a secret. Turning to everyone else, he reminded himself that today was a day to be thankful. Even if things seemed to shift, Sonny knew he was blessed to have this many people over for Thanksgiving. He felt better knowing that he could cook for everyone here and could feel useful. When Will had finished praying, Sonny made sure to echo Will's amen with a genuine smile on his face.
Meanwhile, the DiMeras sat together in the dining room at Maddalena's mansion. Dario had finished most of his plate and was quite stuffed. "Azzura, you really out did yourself," he complimented her.
Azzura bowed her head slightly to thank Dario. "Wait until dessert."
Ignazio patted Dario on the back. "Are you having seconds?"
Dario shook his head. "Nah. I want to save some room for dessert," he replied as he looked across the table. He caught Lexie's gaze and thought about how they both lost someone dear to them in the same year. He wondered how she was handling it all and then thought about Manny and Arianna. A weird feeling came over him as he realized he wasn't celebrating the holiday with them. He knew they decided to join Victor and Maggie at the Horton/Brady Thanksgiving at the Horton house, but it was so bizarre that this was the first time he really thought about it.
Ignazio caught on that Dario had went somewhere else. "You okay man?"
Dario nodded his head trying to hide the guilt he carried. "Yeah, I was just thinking about family."
Hearing the word family caused Maddalena to stand up to toast everyone who was there. "I would like to say something to all of you. This is my first American Thanksgiving and I appreciate every one of you coming here and allowing me to host. Family is important. Honor is necessary. We would have neither of those without each other. Our family has lived many lives and has made its mark on history – both good and bad. Today, we sit here rebuilding our family values and realizing the importance that we should respect those who came before us and paved the way for our greatness. We must learn from mistakes and never give up on each other. By working together, we will be sure no one in our family falls apart."
Turning to Lexie, Maddalena's eyes began to water as she continued, "Alexandra, the family is hurting with you and Theo, but we will also be strong with the both of you as well. Please do not feel as if there is not a place for you. You are with us and we are with you."
Returning her conversation to everyone after a small pause, Maddalena said, "I am thankful for each of you in this room. We will help each other through the storm stronger and better than before."
Lexie pulled Theo close to her and kissed his forehead as she remained quiet.
Chad pulled himself from the driver's seat of a truck. It was his first Thanksgiving in Texas, and the thought of not spending it with friends and family ate at him. He thought he would be used to living without them now, but their faces haunted him now and then. He wondered what they were doing. He wondered if they all gathered together. He questioned if Will was happy and thankful for his life without Chad now.
Decisions had been made, but Chad knew he had a lot more work ahead of him if he was going to pull this off. It was fearfully hard to think about because life had changed so much since he drove off that early January morning. He understood things differently to the point he almost laughed at himself.
"How depressing," he thought. Chad knew he made mistakes and desperately wished he could change them all, but he couldn't. He didn't have a time machine, and there was no way the person he was then could have known what he knew now. He was mind-fucked when he left Salem, but now he was coming close to a crossroads in his life.
"Not now," Chad whispered to himself. He didn't want to think about what ifs and what could bes because he was not even close to making those things happen. He needed to escape his thoughts and focus on where he was now – at this exact moment. Looking forward, he sighed heavily as he headed into Moonshine Bar. This was where he would spend his Thanksgiving.
