Nikki and Evelyn were making thanksgiving dinner.
"Is Jeff joining us," Evelyn asked.
"He is," Nikki replied, "that's still okay?"
"Just wanted to know how many cornucopias to fill," Evelyn said.
"He said he'd help this time," Nikki said, "I hope he's learning."
"Your brothers are trying," Evelyn said.
"Owen is," Nikki agreed, "he still doesn't love Jeff."
"It doesnt matter what your brother thinks do you love Jeff," Evelyn asked.
"I do," Nikki replied, "mom he might be the one."
"Then you do what works for you," Evelyn said, "you know your mind and what you want you always have. You might be my most stubborn."
"No that goes to Owen," Nikki replied, "Owen is the most stubborn of us. I may have the biggest temper."
"You also have the reddest hair," Evelyn smiled.
"Is that a guage of temper," Nikki asked.
"It works for my kids," Evelyn teased.
"Mom," Nikki groaned.
"Sorry darling but it's true," Evelyn laughed.
"So who had the darkest hair," Nikki asked.
"Meghan probably, you and Owen are only a few shades apart if he'd let it grow," Evelyn replied, "have you told your siblings about getting the GTEP?"
"Not yet I haven't actually seen them this week," Nikki said, "I emailed Meg."
"You still do that," Evelyn asked.
"I always will," Nikki said, "it's almost a diary going back to when I was 8."
"I let you get an email so you could write to them," Evelyn said.
"Its the only thing I use that for now," Nikki said, "dancecool I can't use that for anything. I use my gmail with my name or my university email. Maybe one day somehow she can read them."
"Maybe," Evelyn said, "or she reads them in heaven. But she knows. Going to Kenya that's going to be a great adventure."
"I'm really excited," Nikki said, "I meet my team in January."
"You'll be with them all year," Evelyn said, "did they say how many in your group?"
"The welcome letter said 24 in my cohort," Nikki said, "Dr. Eberly our faculty advisor called us the wolf pack."
"Wolf pack thats fun," Evelyn smiled, "we'll have to start collecting the stuff you need."
"They said they'd give a list in January," Nikki replied, "I don't know what I'd need."
"Your siblings will help you pack," Evelyn said, "Teddy will be good at this and with the the humanitarian work Nate has done he'll really be able to help you pack and know what you need."
"What are we helping you pack for," Owen asked.
"I got the GTEP program," Nikki shouted, "I'm going to Kenya!"
"Yes," Owen shouted hugging Nikki, "you did it. You got Kenya I knew you would."
"Congratulations Nikki," Teddy added giving her a hug, "kenya thats huge. You're going to be great."
Nathan had let himself in, "what are you doing in Kenya? Why Kenya?"
"Global Teacher Education Program," Nikki replied, "so I start training and group bonding in January. Then my teacher training courses start April 1. I take classes through the spring and summer. Do my classroom experience in the fall, back to campus for a few weeks then in January and February I'm teaching solo with a mentor observing. March is on campus doing final classes and getting ready for my praxis exams. Then early the following April I fly to Kenya for 4 months with the global teachers initiative."
"You're going to love being in the field," Owen said, "it's different from being home. You have less stuff, you have to be more creative, rely on your team more."
"When did you find out," Teddy asked.
"Monday," Nikki said, "I had to actually see you I didn't want to text and we haven't been around at the same times this week."
"You didn't come home Tuesday night," Owen said.
"Jeff and I were celebrating," Nikki replied, "I stayed at his place."
"She's 21 Owen," Evelyn reminded.
"I know," Owen said, "would be nice to know when you're not coming home because we worry if we don't see your car."
"Just text and tell us," Teddy said, "we're not judging we just want to know you're safe."
"Crossig the parent line," Nikki argued.
"Just humour them," Evelyn said, 'if you lived here I would want to know if you weren't coming home. If you lived here Jeff couldn't sleep over."
"I don't get that rule," Nikki said.
"When theres a ring he can stay under my roof with you. I can't change what happens at your place but in my house there needs to be a ring," Evelyn said.
"I always slept on the couch," Nathan said.
"You let Teddy one Christmas," Nikki pointed out.
"They were 35 or 36 and she was pregnant," Evelyn said.
"That was Allison," Teddy said.
"You were lame and wouldn't do first flakes," Nikki teased.
"I was asleep," Teddy said, "you pulled the blanket off the bed and yelled at us."
"It was the first time in years I had siblings to do first flakes with," Nikki said, "I was excited."
"I need to be called for that this year," Nathan said.
"As soon as it starts to snow come over," Owen said, "Nikki is in the basement."
"Not leaving the basement yet," Nathan teased.
"When I'm done school and have a real teaching job," Nikki said, "I'll look for an apartment or a house."
"Sounds like a good plan," Evelyn said.
Jeff knocked on the door.
"I told them," Nikki said, "they're really excited."
"I'll miss you when you go," Jeff said.
"It's a year and a half away," Nikki said, "who knows what we'll be doing in that time."
"Our own place," Jeff said.
"I'm going to stay in my place until I'm done school," Nikki said.
"Maybe I could move in," Jeff suggested, "I'm out of my place in April."
"Julie and I agreed on until we both graduated and she's doing the GTEP with me," Nikki said. She still wasn't ready to have Jeff live with her, she liked having him spend the night once in a while or staying at his place but it was better for her to have her own space. She felt like living together was like getting engaged. She wanted to make sure it was exactly what she wanted. She had heard Teddy's story of living with a boyfriend in residency and how that had gone sideways. She knew she needed to make sure she could live with him forever.
"Julie is going," Jeff said.
"She is," Nikki replied.
"Kids we need to get moving here," Evelyn said, "Scott and Liam are coming."
"What's going on with Scott mom," Owen asked.
"We're dating," Evelyn said, "it's slow Liam still isn't sold on me or the idea of my kids. He likes being the only child."
"None of us live here," Nikki said, "he sees us for the odd family dinner."
"Liam really struggles with school and keeping friends," Evelyn explained, "so seeing all of you successful is hard on him."
"We're adults," Nikki said.
"You just want to eat at the grown ups table," Owen teased.
"I haven't been at the kids table in years," Nikki replied.
"We never had one of those," Evelyn said.
"No you just let squirt make a mess of mashed potatoes at the big table," Nathan teased.
"Back to Scott," Nikki said, "is this a possible step dad?"
"No sweetheart," Evelyn said, "we hang out on the one weekend a month he doesn't have Liam. It won't be more until Liam finishes school."
"Do you want more," Owen asked.
"I like having dinner or coffee with him when we can," Evelyn said, "spending time with my granddaughters. I'm working a lot."
"Why are you doing that mom," Nikki asked.
"Because I can retire in August," Evelyn said, "I want to do as much as possible now to build up my pension."
"What will you do with your time," Teddy asked, "I get bored after 3 months on maternity leave."
"Volunteer, finally write a book I've been thinking about, read all the books that have piled up," Evelyn listed, "travel a bit."
"Where would you go," Jeff asked.
"I want to go on a cruise," Evelyn said, "no kids."
"No kids," Nikki gasped.
"I'm not canceling uncamping," Evelyn said, "we'll still go."
"Christmas what's the plan," Owen asked.
"I thought we were hosting," Teddy said, "it's so much easier for the girls to be home. Santa expects them to be there."
"Nik what are you doing," Jeff asked.
"I'll be here. I can't miss Christmas with my nieces. It's the first one Amber can participate in," Nikki smiled.
"My mom said you could come," Jeff said.
"What if I came down for New Years," Nikki suggested.
"That would work," Jeff said, "you might have to share a room with my sisters though. My parents are old fashioned."
"I understand," Nikki said.
"I'll tell my mom new years would work," Jeff said.
"It's a good compromise," Nikki said.
"We need the chairs in, table set and to finish cooking," Evelyn said.
"I'll help cook and keep an eye on the girls," Teddy said.
"We've got the table," Nikki said.
"I guess we have chairs," Nathan said.
"Everyone in their normal jobs," Evelyn smiled.
"Turkey's are where," Nikki asked.
"Turkey napkins and the leaves are on the hutch," Evelyn replied.
Nikki started taking what was needed out of the cupboards and gave Jeff a look. This time he got it and started carrying things to the dining room table. Jeff laid out the plates as Nikki did the utensils and decorated the table.
Scott arrived with flowers and wine.
"Nikki, you're 21 now aren't you," Scott asked, pouring wine.
"No thank you," Nikki said, "I don't drink."
"Still," Scott asked.
"I'm driving," Nikki replied.
"You always drive," Nathan said.
"I don't like drinking," Nikki explained, "you all know why. By being the DD no one questions me not drinking."
"Good strategy," Scott said, "your friends must appreciate it."
"They do," Nikki replied.
"Nikki, Jeff you should be almost done college what's next," Scott asked.
"I'm looking for engineering jobs," Jeff said, "I'm hoping for boeing. I've been studying aeronautics engineering."
"Nikki," Scott asked.
"I found out this week I got into the Global Teacher Education Program," Nikki said, "I start my teacher training courses in April and spend 12 months straight training to teach here then after all of my courses and practicums are done I do my final four month practicum in Kenya."
"Kenya that's exciting. Four months overseas that will be good," Scott smiled, "how's your mom with that?"
"I've sent them for a year to 18 months at a time in a war zone," Evelyn said, "Nikki in Kenya for four months I can do."
"No one will shoot me," Nikki said, "she can handle this."
"Tropical diseases," Scott asked.
"We'll start all the vaccinations," Owen said, "not much to worry about if she's vaccinated and she'll have to take anti malaria drugs when she's there."
"Can you just figure it out and what I need to get done when," Nikki asked, "what about all the plates and pins in my leg?"
"We get the letter from Torres explaining like you did when you flew to Disney with your friends last year for reading break," Teddy said.
"It said I have to wear pants all the time so I won't have to explain my scars over there," Nikki said.
"I still don't get why you hate your scars," Teddy said.
"Battle wounds," Nathan said.
"Show your strength," Owen said.
"I wear shorts and dresses now I just don't like explaining the mess on my left leg," Nikki said.
"Good way to scare your students out of drinking and driving," Scott said.
"Your leg hasn't bothered you in a while," Owen said.
"Just if I'm exhausted," Nikki said, "or when I get sick."
"That's not bad," Teddy said, "the injury you had almost took your leg if Torres hadn't been as good as she is.
"I know," Nikki said.
"You never told me it was that bad," Jeff said.
"Wasn't relevant," Nikki replied, "the really scary one was my heart stopping twice."
"I got you back squirt," Nathan said, "as long as I talked to you you were fine. It's when we stopped talking you gave us abnormal rhythms."
"I guess I needed family," Nikki said, "before I woke up I remember hearing a voice telling me to come back and to stay with them. Saying she's not there, you won't find her there. And stay with me squirt."
"I said stay with me a lot," Nathan said, "and held your hand."
"You never left," Nikki said.
"No the whole time you were in the hospital one of us was there," Evelyn said, "even when you were awake one of your siblings would be on call overnight and check on you."
"That's when you all got close," Jeff said.
"It is," Teddy agreed, "we were close before but that changed things."
"Let's eat," Evelyn said, "Owen can you carve the turkey?"
"I will," Owen said carrying the turkey to the table.