"Is anybody home?"
"In the kitchen", answered Sonny as he filled up the fridge with some beers and other drinks.
He looked up and smiled as Zoe and Julia walked into the kitchen.
"Hey Sonny," they both said as the gave him a hug.
"Hey girls!"
"Where's mom?" asked Zoe as she took advantage of the fridge being opened to grab a can of diet Coke.
"Your mom went to pick up your Uncle for dinner tonight."
"What's wrong with Uncle Eric's car?" asked Julia.
"In all honesty, I don't think there is anything wrong with his car. I think your mom is nervous about meeting my dad and needed to get her mind of it or have your uncle reassure her."
The girls sat down at the kitchen bar.
"Since when is mom afraid of anything?" asked Julia as she took a sip of her sister's Coke.
"I think it's because it's important to her. I know she wants my dad to like her."
"Everyone likes mom, she shouldn't worry about that," said Zoe.
"I know that and trust me I've told her enough times. I knew your Uncle before I started dating your mom and I was also worried he wouldn't take us being together too well."
Zoe shrugged. "In the end, as long as you two love each other, it's all that matters."
"You're absolutely right. Hey, do you need help with your bags?"
"Nah," said Julia as she waved her hand in the air, "we only brought a duffel bag each, but thanks."
"Alright," said Sonny as he looked at his watch.
"Sonny…?"
"Yep."
"Do you think mom would agree to have Jacob over for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night?"
Sonny tilted his head to the side. "I thought Jacob was headed to Montana to be with his family?"
"Well, the plans kind of changed and well he's here."
"Here? Here like at the house here?"
"No. He's at the hotel."
"Zoe, I don't know. This is going to be a lot of firsts for your mom to handle."
"Right, so maybe it's better if it's all at the same time. Maybe you can talk to her?"
Sonny passed a hand over his beard. It was their first Thanksgiving together as an official couple, with the entire family, with her meeting his dad for the first time and now Zoe wanted to bring in the boyfriend into the equation… "I think you should be the one to talk to her about it. She'd want to hear it from you."
"Yeh but I'm sure she'd take it better if it came from you. You two are like in your honeymoon phase, she won't get mad at you, where she might get mad at me."
He blinked a couple of times as he looked at her. "The honeymoon phase?"
"You know in the beginning of a relationship when everything is roses and rainbows, you can't stop telling each other you love one another, can't keep your hands to yourselves, can't…"
He cut her off a bit phased out by what she had said and what she was most probably about to say. "I think I get the picture Zoe. But your mother and I have been together for quite some time now."
"So, what you're saying is that the honeymoon phase is over?" said Julia.
His eyes grew wide open. "What?! No. That's not what I'm saying at all. All I'm saying is that your mother can get mad at me if she wants to."
"Are you guys fighting? You're not breaking up, are you?" asked Julia nervously.
"No. Is that what it looks like? Has your mother mentioned anything?"
Suddenly, just as Julia, he too was getting more and more nervous as this discussion continued.
Julia looked at Zoe. "Has mom said anything to you?"
"No. But then again, she wouldn't," said Zoe as she shrugged.
Sonny passed his hand in his hair and looked again at his watch. "I need to go pickup my dad at the airport and drop him off at his hotel. Tell your mom, I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Sure. We'll get settled in," replied Julia. "See ya later."
Sonny drove out to the airport, without really looking at the roads he was taking. Had Emily mentioned anything to Zoe and Julia to make them think that they were on the verge of breaking up? He and Bravo had gone out on a lot of missions the past month and then there had been the fact that Jason had kissed her at Trent's barbecue. Would that be enough of a reason for her to break up? Had she met someone at the hospital? He knew she spent more and more time there volunteering. Their relationship was good and stable wasn't it? Yeah, it was. They were happy together and madly in love. She meant everything to him, and he knew it was also the case for her. Why was he so worried all of a sudden?
He walked into the airport terminal and went towards the arrival area. As he watched the different passengers arrive and be greeted by family and friends, his phone rang.
"Hey Pops, I'm at the arrival hall."
"I'm not there Percival."
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
"Something came up and I can't come."
Sonny frowned. "What's going on?"
"Nothing major but something I need to tend to. I'll make it up to you and Emily. Apologize to her for me."
"OK. Are you sure everything is alright?"
"Yes. I've got to go."
Sonny hung up and sighed. The girls were making him doubt about his relationship with Emily, his dad wasn't coming, what else could possibly go wrong this Thanksgiving? He turned back and headed for the parking lot.
He was halfway home when his phoned beeped. He knew that beep too well and he cursed underneath his breath as he looked at it and the message. He put it down and angrily slammed his hand against the steering wheel. Well, apparently that was what could possibly go wrong.
He walked into the house, dropped his keys, cap and yelled after Emily. "Ems?"
"Upstairs," she answered back at him.
He walked up the stairs two by two and headed for their bedroom. When he entered it, she had his duffel bag and his things spread out over the bed, preparing his departure. Eric must have received the call when she had been with him and so she knew. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Thought I'd get you a head start."
With that smile and those words, the tension slipped off his shoulders. He walked over and took her in his arms.
"This is not how I wanted us to spend our first Thanksgiving together."
She put her forehead against him and looked into his eyes. "I know, but it won't be the last. Don't worry, I'll take care of your dad."
"He's not here. He says something came up and he couldn't come."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure he would have preferred being here with you."
"He apologizes for his absence."
"He doesn't have to, but you can tell him it's OK."
They separated and she looked at him. "I think I've got everything you need from here, but I couldn't find your headphones."
"I put them in my nightstand. I'll get them," he said as he walked over to the other side of the bed.
"Has Zoe said anything to you?" asked Emily.
Sonny lifted an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I don't know.. It's like she's lurking in the shadows waiting for me to say something to her."
"She might have mentioned something earlier," said Sonny trying to be elusive. The last thing he wanted was to add another log to the burning fire of messed up Thanksgiving.
"Like what? Sonny? What is it?"
"She said that Jacob ended up not going to Montana to spend Thanksgiving with his family and that he's actually here in VA Beach."
"And she wants him to join us for Thanksgiving, is that it?"
"That would appear to be what she is implying," said Sonny still trying not to be too direct.
Emily put a few of Sonny's shirts in the bag and sighed. "Well, I guess with your Dad, Eric and you not being here, we may as way just have Jacob join us. One of us should have the one they love at their side."
She headed to the bathroom and he followed after her.
"You're upset."
"No. I'm not upset, babe. I'm sorry, it's not what I meant. I'm tired and disappointed and that came out wrong. It's not fair of me to say that. I know you'd prefer being here with us."
She shook her head in anger against herself. "I should be making this easier on you than harder. I'm sorry."
"Don't ever say you're sorry for telling me how you feel. I just want to make sure that you're happy."
"I'm happy, don't ever doubt that," she answered back.
"Do you love me?"
She furrowed her brows. "Of course, I love you."
He smiled and nodded. "OK."
They heard a car honk it's horn just outside. "That's Clay, he offered to pick me up."
Emily walked out of the bathroom. "Why don't you finish your bag, I've prepared a few things for you to eat, I'll get them packed in the kitchen."
When he finished packing his bag, he headed over to the girl's room and peaked his head in after having gently knocked on the door.
"Hey Sonny. Mom said you had to head out, that's too bad. I'm sorry," said Julia.
"That's alright, I'll make it up to your mom when I get back." He looked at Zoe. "I told your mom about Jacob, but I still think you should be the one to officially ask if he can join you guys."
"Thanks. I will."
He exhaled. "Look, I know how much you love your mom and I know I don't need to ask, but in my absence, can you just make sure she's OK? I know she was really looking forward to this Thanksgiving all of us together."
Both girls nodded.
"Sonny?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't die."
He looked at Zoe stunned. "Nothing will happen to me."
"Good, because, if anything happens to you, I don't think Mom would ever recover from that. You've changed her life. She's lucky to have you, we all are."
He suddenly felt a tug at the heart. He had heard these words from Emily in the past. But hearing them from the girls was something even more important. He had never wanted to take the place of their father, but he had always hoped that they would accept him and knowing that they did, was so comforting.
"If I'm not back before you head back up, your mom and I will come up to see you as soon as we can."
"Promise?" asked Julia.
"Promise," replied Sonny. "You girls, take care of yourselves and your mom."
Clay honked his horn again and Sonny left the room.
He shuffled down the stairs and met up with Emily who was already waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. As he grabbed his cap and put it on, she opened the door, stepped out and waved out at Clay and walked towards his pickup.
Clay opened the window. "Hey Em."
"Hey. You OK?"
"Stella is not too thrilled about us leaving. We were on our way down to Florida and had to turn back."
"It's not easy. I'll reach out to her."
"Don't worry too much, she decided to go down without me."
"Oh. I'm sorry you guys had to cancel your plans."
"Yeah, but that's the life we chose."
Clay looked past Emily at Sonny that was walking out of the house toward them. "What about you? You OK?"
"Yeah. I'm OK."
Sonny flung his duffel in the back of the pickup and walked up to Emily. She handed him the bag with what she had prepared him. He took it and put it on the passenger seat through the window.
"I'll let you know when we get to our destination or at least as soon as I can."
"Babe, I know the drill. Don't worry about me."
"I do worry about you. Come here."
He opened his arms and let her in. They hugged and she took in the moment in as intensely as she could. Almost as if, the most she could take in would be enough to fill the void when he would be gone. He pulled his face away from her shoulder and neck and stared into her eyes. "I love you."
"I love you more," she answered back.
He kissed her and wished it never had to end.
"Get out of here cowboy," she said as they parted, and she opened the door for him.
He settled in and closed the door. She took a few steps back and crossed her arms in front of her as they drove off. She stayed there for almost twenty minutes without moving, lost in her thoughts.