Chapter 8
The next few weeks flew by in a flurry of activity for Chandler. He had received Monica's note and had wanted to write her but hadn't because he knew she would be disappointed he wouldn't be a guest in her home for Thanksgiving.
Ross broached the subject as the two of them sat in Central Perk late one afternoon a week prior to Thanksgiving.
"Have you told my sister about the change in your plans?"
"No," Chandler answered and sighed. "I feel really bad I'm canceling on her."
"Well, if you want to bring your mom, I'm sure my parents won't mind."
"Thanks, man, but my mom has this whole day planned for just the two of us."
"Then you need to tell Monica."
"I know." He looked at his watch. "It's 4:30. Do you think she's home? I'll go to the dorm and call her."
"She should be, unless she's with Rachel."
"Okay. I'll catch up with you later."
*~*
Sitting on the window seat in her bedroom, Monica leafed through pages and pages of cookbooks and magazines with enticing recipes, trying to decide on just the right menu for Chandler's dinner. She wanted him to enjoy her cooking, and she also wanted to help make his most difficult day easier to get through.
She jumped when the phone rang but made no move to answer it. When her mother yelled from the bottom of the staircase that the phone call was for her, Monica assumed it was Rachel, who had missed two days of school due to the flu. Monica figured she was feeling better and wanted to get caught up.
Surprise coursed through her when she heard Chandler's friendly voice in her ear.
"Hey!" she said, trying to maintain her composure. "I thought I would get a note from you."
"I'm sorry I haven't written," he replied, his tone sincere. "Things have been hectic. Thanks for your note. How have you been?"
"Fine. I'm sorry you're so busy. I hope things will calm down for you."
"Me, too."
"It's weird you chose this particular time to call because I've been looking at recipes trying to plan the perfect menu for you."
Chandler cursed his rotten luck. He so didn't want to disappoint Monica, but he knew he had no choice.
"Monica," he began and stopped.
She heard the abrupt change in his voice and knew she didn't want to hear whatever he was about to tell her.
"What?" she asked, her voice tiny.
"I...I got a call from my mom. I should've told you sooner, but I've been dreading this. Sweetheart, my mother is coming to Manhattan to spend Thanksgiving with me. I'm not going to be able to be there with you and your family. I'm so, so sorry."
Later, when Monica would sit at her desk and write about the day's events in her beloved journal, she would recall the endearment he had used and how gentle his voice had sounded when he'd said it, but at that moment, all she heard was that he wouldn't be spending Thanksgiving with her. She would not be seeing him. Her heart plummeted. She wanted to cry, but she held herself together.
"Your mom? Wow, that...that's nice, Chandler. Of course, you should spend the holiday with her. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. My concern was that you would be alone."
"I'd rather be spending it with you, Monica. I...I miss you."
"I miss you, too."
"So, tell me about you. Are things any better between you and your mom?"
"About the same. I'm just looking forward to graduating. That's where my focus is."
"I understand."
Monica's eyes fell to one of the cookbooks laying open on her bed.
"Chandler, even though you can't be here for Thanksgiving, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"If you could spend the day with us, what food would you want to eat?"
"I'm not sure."
"Think about it," Monica urged, an idea taking shape in her mind. "If you could eat anything you wanted, what would it be?"
"Promise you won't laugh?" Chandler asked, after a thoughtful pause.
"I promise," Monica assured him.
"Okay. Well, whenever I was upset or just, you know...needed a comfort food, I always asked for macaroni and cheese. Eating macaroni and cheese would be the best. It would make it seem like it wasn't Thanksgiving. I know that sounds weird, but..."
Having extensive knowledge in the "comfort" food area, Monica could definitely relate.
"I know what you're saying. That doesn't sound weird to me at all."
"Somehow, I knew you would understand."
"Yeah," Monica said, her voice soft. "I do."
"But instead, I'm going to be eating some fancy food I probably won't even be able to pronounce in an overpriced restaurant that will probably make me sick."
Monica couldn't help but chuckle. "It'll be okay. You're going to spend some quality time with your mom. Isn't that worth a little indigestion?"
Chandler sighed. "I suppose. I just wish she had picked any other time. Any other time."
"But she didn't, and you have to accept that."
"I know. You're right. Thank you. For a lot of things," he said, hoping she knew that he meant what he was saying. "But especially for being so understanding about this. I am sorry I won't be with you on Thanksgiving."
"Me, too. But who knows," she said, a bit mischievously, "maybe someday, when you least expect it, you will get your macaroni and cheese meal."
*~*
At the dinner table that night, as Monica devoured her skinless chicken breast, green salad and vegetables, she gathered the courage to talk to her parents about Chandler.
"That phone call I got?" she began.
Her parents looked at her and nodded.
"That was Chandler, Ross' roommate. When I visited Ross, Chandler and I met, and we...we spent some time together."
Both parents' eyes widened.
"I know," she said. "But he's a really nice guy."
"He sounded polite on the phone," Judy acknowledged.
"He's very polite," Monica assured them. "I...I invited him to spend Thanksgiving with us, and he was going to, but he just told me that his mom is coming into town to see him."
"He can bring her here," Jack offered.
"Her time is limited, and she has something special planned just for them. I'm trying to be mature here, okay, like we talked about, because I have a favor to ask you."
"What is it?" Judy inquired.
"Could I maybe drive the car next Wednesday to NYU to see Chandler? Then, Ross can drive us back Wednesday night. Please? I want to bring the meal Chandler would've eaten with us on Thanksgiving to him on Wednesday."
Jack and Judy exchanged interested glances.
"You care enough about this boy to prepare and bring him a meal?" Judy asked.
Monica nodded eagerly. "Without going into a lot of detail because it is his personal life, Thanksgiving is not one of his favorite holidays. I just wanted to make it easier for him, but since I won't see him, I at least want to bring him some food."
"That's very nice," Judy admitted.
"So," Monica asked, looking from her mother to her father, "could I go to NYU? Ross will be there, and whenever he's ready to leave, we will. I just...I'd like to see Chandler."
Jack glanced at his wife, who nodded.
"Okay," he said. "You may drive the car to NYU next Wednesday. But you let Ross know what you're doing, and when he says it's time to leave, you leave. I don't want to hear you two had any arguments or fights. Understood?"
"Yes!" Monica said, her heart pumping wildly in her chest at the prospect of seeing and surprising Chandler. "Thank you! This means so much to me!"
The next few weeks flew by in a flurry of activity for Chandler. He had received Monica's note and had wanted to write her but hadn't because he knew she would be disappointed he wouldn't be a guest in her home for Thanksgiving.
Ross broached the subject as the two of them sat in Central Perk late one afternoon a week prior to Thanksgiving.
"Have you told my sister about the change in your plans?"
"No," Chandler answered and sighed. "I feel really bad I'm canceling on her."
"Well, if you want to bring your mom, I'm sure my parents won't mind."
"Thanks, man, but my mom has this whole day planned for just the two of us."
"Then you need to tell Monica."
"I know." He looked at his watch. "It's 4:30. Do you think she's home? I'll go to the dorm and call her."
"She should be, unless she's with Rachel."
"Okay. I'll catch up with you later."
*~*
Sitting on the window seat in her bedroom, Monica leafed through pages and pages of cookbooks and magazines with enticing recipes, trying to decide on just the right menu for Chandler's dinner. She wanted him to enjoy her cooking, and she also wanted to help make his most difficult day easier to get through.
She jumped when the phone rang but made no move to answer it. When her mother yelled from the bottom of the staircase that the phone call was for her, Monica assumed it was Rachel, who had missed two days of school due to the flu. Monica figured she was feeling better and wanted to get caught up.
Surprise coursed through her when she heard Chandler's friendly voice in her ear.
"Hey!" she said, trying to maintain her composure. "I thought I would get a note from you."
"I'm sorry I haven't written," he replied, his tone sincere. "Things have been hectic. Thanks for your note. How have you been?"
"Fine. I'm sorry you're so busy. I hope things will calm down for you."
"Me, too."
"It's weird you chose this particular time to call because I've been looking at recipes trying to plan the perfect menu for you."
Chandler cursed his rotten luck. He so didn't want to disappoint Monica, but he knew he had no choice.
"Monica," he began and stopped.
She heard the abrupt change in his voice and knew she didn't want to hear whatever he was about to tell her.
"What?" she asked, her voice tiny.
"I...I got a call from my mom. I should've told you sooner, but I've been dreading this. Sweetheart, my mother is coming to Manhattan to spend Thanksgiving with me. I'm not going to be able to be there with you and your family. I'm so, so sorry."
Later, when Monica would sit at her desk and write about the day's events in her beloved journal, she would recall the endearment he had used and how gentle his voice had sounded when he'd said it, but at that moment, all she heard was that he wouldn't be spending Thanksgiving with her. She would not be seeing him. Her heart plummeted. She wanted to cry, but she held herself together.
"Your mom? Wow, that...that's nice, Chandler. Of course, you should spend the holiday with her. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. My concern was that you would be alone."
"I'd rather be spending it with you, Monica. I...I miss you."
"I miss you, too."
"So, tell me about you. Are things any better between you and your mom?"
"About the same. I'm just looking forward to graduating. That's where my focus is."
"I understand."
Monica's eyes fell to one of the cookbooks laying open on her bed.
"Chandler, even though you can't be here for Thanksgiving, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"If you could spend the day with us, what food would you want to eat?"
"I'm not sure."
"Think about it," Monica urged, an idea taking shape in her mind. "If you could eat anything you wanted, what would it be?"
"Promise you won't laugh?" Chandler asked, after a thoughtful pause.
"I promise," Monica assured him.
"Okay. Well, whenever I was upset or just, you know...needed a comfort food, I always asked for macaroni and cheese. Eating macaroni and cheese would be the best. It would make it seem like it wasn't Thanksgiving. I know that sounds weird, but..."
Having extensive knowledge in the "comfort" food area, Monica could definitely relate.
"I know what you're saying. That doesn't sound weird to me at all."
"Somehow, I knew you would understand."
"Yeah," Monica said, her voice soft. "I do."
"But instead, I'm going to be eating some fancy food I probably won't even be able to pronounce in an overpriced restaurant that will probably make me sick."
Monica couldn't help but chuckle. "It'll be okay. You're going to spend some quality time with your mom. Isn't that worth a little indigestion?"
Chandler sighed. "I suppose. I just wish she had picked any other time. Any other time."
"But she didn't, and you have to accept that."
"I know. You're right. Thank you. For a lot of things," he said, hoping she knew that he meant what he was saying. "But especially for being so understanding about this. I am sorry I won't be with you on Thanksgiving."
"Me, too. But who knows," she said, a bit mischievously, "maybe someday, when you least expect it, you will get your macaroni and cheese meal."
*~*
At the dinner table that night, as Monica devoured her skinless chicken breast, green salad and vegetables, she gathered the courage to talk to her parents about Chandler.
"That phone call I got?" she began.
Her parents looked at her and nodded.
"That was Chandler, Ross' roommate. When I visited Ross, Chandler and I met, and we...we spent some time together."
Both parents' eyes widened.
"I know," she said. "But he's a really nice guy."
"He sounded polite on the phone," Judy acknowledged.
"He's very polite," Monica assured them. "I...I invited him to spend Thanksgiving with us, and he was going to, but he just told me that his mom is coming into town to see him."
"He can bring her here," Jack offered.
"Her time is limited, and she has something special planned just for them. I'm trying to be mature here, okay, like we talked about, because I have a favor to ask you."
"What is it?" Judy inquired.
"Could I maybe drive the car next Wednesday to NYU to see Chandler? Then, Ross can drive us back Wednesday night. Please? I want to bring the meal Chandler would've eaten with us on Thanksgiving to him on Wednesday."
Jack and Judy exchanged interested glances.
"You care enough about this boy to prepare and bring him a meal?" Judy asked.
Monica nodded eagerly. "Without going into a lot of detail because it is his personal life, Thanksgiving is not one of his favorite holidays. I just wanted to make it easier for him, but since I won't see him, I at least want to bring him some food."
"That's very nice," Judy admitted.
"So," Monica asked, looking from her mother to her father, "could I go to NYU? Ross will be there, and whenever he's ready to leave, we will. I just...I'd like to see Chandler."
Jack glanced at his wife, who nodded.
"Okay," he said. "You may drive the car to NYU next Wednesday. But you let Ross know what you're doing, and when he says it's time to leave, you leave. I don't want to hear you two had any arguments or fights. Understood?"
"Yes!" Monica said, her heart pumping wildly in her chest at the prospect of seeing and surprising Chandler. "Thank you! This means so much to me!"