This weekend was Thanksgiving once again. Valerie was a college senior now. It had seemed to come so quickly. After spending her break on campus over the summer that first year, she had spent the rest of the summers of her college experience staying on campus as well. Christmas breaks were spent on campus as well, since they didn't celebrate that holiday. Thanksgiving was the only time she spent at home anymore.
Valerie got up and got ready as usual that morning. She looked in the mirror when she was done. Her dad might have a problem with her makeup, but since she would soon be on her own hopefully he would keep his opinion on it to himself. For his part, her grandfather didn't comment on it when he picked her up from the train station. As usual, he teased her about other things. When she and Grandpa arrived at home, her father's car wasn't in the driveway, but she took a little glance around the house anyway.
"He'll be home soon," Grandpa said when he noticed what she was doing. "He had some kind of a disaster at work a few weeks ago, so he's been pulling longer hours lately."
"That tracks," she muttered, though she didn't really know why she was disappointed. Although her father had taken the whole of Thanksgiving weekend off for the previous three years, from Wednesday to Sunday, to spend time with her, his questioning had been kind of invasive, as though he'd suddenly remembered he was supposed to be involved and care about what was going on with her, and she hadn't cared for that.
"Don't worry, Val," Grandpa said. "Oh, and we'll be spending the holiday at your father's administrator's house," he added. "I forgot to tell you. She's invited us to the family dinner."
"His administrator's house?" she said. She had never experienced a big family Thanksgiving—it had always just been the three of them, ever since her mother's death. "Why does she want us there?"
"She's been working for your father for a number of years now," Grandpa said. "It was nice of her to make the invitation."
"Hm," Valerie replied. "I think I'll run upstairs to unpack. I'll see Dad when he gets home."
"That's fine," Grandpa said. "I'll make some dinner."
"Okay." She took her suitcase up the stairs with her and lay down, meaning to spend time looking at her COM pad.
When she awoke it was to her father's voice saying her name. She blearily opened her eyes and blinked at him. "What?"
"Dinner is ready, Valerie," he said. "You might have set an alarm so you didn't oversleep."
"It was just a nap," she muttered. Not that she'd intended to fall asleep.
"Certainly," he said. "Come along."
Valerie got up and followed him down the stairs, despite the fact that she would have preferred to snap at him to leave her alone for a minute. Really, why did she have to wake up right away?
Dad served himself at the stove and sat down at the table. Valerie followed suit, sitting across from him as usual.
Dad was looking at her with a frown. "Are you wearing makeup?"
Yup, this is what she'd been expecting. She rolled her eyes. "Of course I am," she said.
"It's awfully heavy," he said. "If you're going to wear it, I believe a more natural look is better."
She rolled her eyes again. "Better according to who? You?"
"I would prefer it that way, yes," he said.
"This is the way I like to wear it," she said. "That's really no one's business but my own."
Her father frowned at her. "Indeed," he said. "However, I would like to think the opinions of your family would be something you would take into consideration."
"I knew what you'd say," she said. "But I like it this way."
Leonard harrumphed quietly before continuing. "Your grandfather says you had a good summer," he said. "I hope you've been having a good school year, as well."
"Sure," she said with a shrug.
"So how are your grades looking this year?" he asked. "I know senior year can get tough."
"It is tough, but I'm handling it," she said firmly. "You don't need to worry about it."
"Of course I'm worried about it," Leonard said. "You know I always concern myself with these types of matters."
"Yes, I know that," she said, trying not to sound sarcastic, but realizing she'd mostly failed.
"Valerie," Leonard said, a warning tone. "I'm simply concerned. Your capstone course is going to be the hardest one yet. You don't want to go into it unprepared."
"I know that," she said, not bothering to hold back in her tone at all this time. "Are you going to spend this whole break just bugging me about stuff or should I just go back to school?"
"I hope you don't think you're serious about that," Leonard said. "I'm simply trying to learn where you are in your schooling, this isn't the third degree."
"Oh, really?" Valerie said. "You sure didn't hold back from giving me the third degree last year when I came home, why would you hold back this year?"
"Valerie," Leonard said.
"No!" she said. "Stop it. I'll tell you what I tell you. You know, I don't get why you do this. Why you don't bother to call or visit while I'm at school and then grill me when I get home."
"I've been busy, Valerie," he said. "When I—"
"You're always too busy," she said. "Like when I was writing that AI. You said it would be a project we'd do together, but I did it 90% on my own."
"You finished that," Leonard replied.
"I know! But it took virtual meetings, you never got out of your office to help me when I got stuck before that." She shook her head. "Just…stop asking me questions."
"I'm not going to do that."
Valerie scoffed in exasperation. "Then I'm going back!"
"Stay here," Grandpa said, his first contribution to the conversation. "Your father's just trying to feel he's involved."
"I know," Valerie said, shooting him an icy glare. "That's the point. He doesn't bother to contact me while I'm away and then when I get here it's like he has to prove he could win father of the year. Well, it doesn't work that way. Does it, Grandpa?"
Grandpa shook his head. "Valerie, you need to—"
"I'm not going to!" she burst out, slamming her fork against her plate.
"How does it work, then, Valerie?" Leonard said. "I just want to know things are all right."
"Then call me and ask me when I get back to school," she said. "Don't ask me while I'm here. Show me you would ever bother to get out of your bubble when it's not convenient."
"Bubble?" Leonard said.
"Yeah," she said. "That bubble you're always in. The bubble where you have to work all the time and all you think about is Mom being dead."
"Valerie, don't you dare," Leonard said lowly.
"Yeah, I went there," she said. "Mom died over a decade ago. You act like it was yesterday sometimes."
"No, I don't," Leonard replied sharply. "I wouldn't have my business or my PhD if I was still in that state."
"That's not what I mean," she said with a frown, though her father had a good point there. He was more than devastated when the death had first occurred. He had become so consumed with grief that he'd almost become a mannequin. She'd become the parent for a time there, fixing his meals and telling him to eat and sleep.
"Then your point is invalid," he said.
"The point is that you need to show you care when it's not easy to," she said. "That's my point."
He frowned. "Fine then," he said. "I won't ask any more questions."
She raised her eyebrows. He didn't say he'd ask when she went back. Only that he'd stop asking questions now. "Sure, whatever," she said.
"I won't," he said. "I hope that satisfies you."
"Not really," she said. "But like I said, whatever."
"I don't know what you want, then," he said.
She rolled her eyes. Leonard continued to frown at her.
"So!" Grandpa said after a long silence. "Leonard, you should tell us about your administrator, so that we know what we're getting into tomorrow."
"Hmph," Leonard said. "Her name is Jaclyn, or Jackie. She has two children, one teenaged and one grown. She's very thoughtful, so make sure to thank her, and do your best to have fun."
"I won't have to try to have fun if she's that thoughtful," Valerie said.
"That's certainly the hope," Leonard said.
"How did you meet her?" Grandpa asked.
"She just applied for the job when it was available," Leonard said. "Right in off the street, so to speak."
"That's great," Grandpa said. "Sometimes hiring that way is really difficult."
"Every time I got someone from a reference, they were a bad fit," Leonard said with a slight shake of his head, and then Grandpa and Leonard were off talking about hiring. Valerie settled into eating, listening but not contributing. She frowned to herself, unsure whether their argument meant her father was going to start putting in an effort or not. She almost hoped he wouldn't. It was easier to let things continue to be awkward and strained between them, because repairing things would certainly take a lot of work.
When they were done eating, Valerie arose and cleared the dishes, setting them in the sink, and Grandpa came up behind her.
"I'll load the dishwasher," he offered.
"Thanks," she said, moving aside to allow him space to work. She didn't move off, though, looking into the cabinet to search for something for dessert.
"Don't mention it," Grandpa replied. "You want some banana bread? There's some in the freezer."
"That sounds great," she said, closing the cabinet. She went over to the freezer and opened it.
"Valerie," Grandpa said, "I want to apologize for your father."
Valerie rolled her eyes, closing the freezer even though she hadn't found the banana bread yet. She gave a quick glance around; she didn't know where her father had gone, but he obviously was no longer in the room.
"I haven't been keeping him as up-to-date as I was last year," Grandpa continued.
Valerie scoffed, turning towards him and crossing her arms. "That doesn't mean anything. He's pulled the same thing every year when I come home. Besides, how is that your job?"
Grandpa shook his head a little. "It shouldn't have to be, I know, but—"
"But nothing," Valerie said. "Stop updating him, okay? I don't want you to."
Grandpa's brows drew together and he set down the plate he'd been rinsing to turn in her direction. "Are you sure? It seems to make things easier on both of you when I go between you."
"As if that's what you do," she said. "We were sitting there at dinner and we got into a fight and you didn't do anything."
"I didn't feel it was my place to—"
"If that wasn't your place, then neither is this." She uncrossed her arms. "Look, Grandpa, him being a screw-up for a father isn't your fault. You don't have to cushion things for him because all that does is make me frustrated."
"Don't say things like that, Valerie," Grandpa said.
"Why not? It's true and you know it. Or you wouldn't do things like that."
"Your father deserves your respect."
"How?" Valerie rolled her eyes with a shake of her head. "Respect is not something you get just for existing."
"I suppose you think I deserve that," her father drawled. Grandpa and Valerie both looked at him in surprise as he made his way back down the stairs. "I'd like to think I've done a better job than that."
"You probably would," Valerie said.
"Valerie, don't be sarcastic." Leonard stood on the other side of the kitchen counter from her in the dining room.
She frowned at him, turning in his direction now, and acquiescing. "I do. I think you deserve it."
"And do you want to explain why?" he said.
"Not really," she said.
"Valerie!" he scolded.
"Look," she said. "It's all tied up in the conversation we had earlier. If you can't figure it out from that, I don't know what to tell you."
Leonard looked at her, then rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You are being very stubborn and contrary today," he said. "But yes, I understand. Or I am trying to."
Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes," he said.
Everyone stood in silence for a few moments, looking at one another.
"Do you two want some banana bread?" Grandpa asked.
"No," Valerie said. "I'm tired." She was lying through her teeth but the last thing she wanted right now was to sit and talk with them about this whole thing. "I'm going upstairs."
"Fine," Grandpa said, frowning.
Valerie walked out of the kitchen area, past her father, and to the stairs. She climbed them and headed into her room. As soon as she had closed the door behind her, she flopped onto the bed, letting out a long sigh. She wasn't going to leave early like she'd threatened to do, but she was certainly tempted to.