Alison sat alone at her dining room table, surrounded by piles of recipe cards and cookbooks. It was mid-November, and Thanksgiving was soon approaching. She had talked to Lucy and decided to have everyone over to her house for Thanksgiving dinner, to show her gratitude for all of the support her friends have given her over these past 8 months. Not to mention the fact that her house, which Lucy so generously offered to let her live in, was huge, and sometimes it just felt too empty for Alison. It would be nice to have a bunch of people over. All morning sickness and any depression she had had earlier in the pregnancy had finally passed, and Alison had been her happiest in her final trimester.
"Ok, so let's see...that's Lucy and Kevin, plus Christina and Serena, Scott can't make it, Jack and Livvie are coming, Chris is going out of town, Nana might make an 'appearance', and...Jamal. Why shouldn't I invite Jamal? He'll probably have no where else to go for Thanksgiving and we ARE friends...yes, and Jamal. So that makes...eight, plus me...nine."
Alison began to note the final number and then looked up with a smile.
"Haha...well, actually...I guess I count for two, so...ten! God! That's gonna be a lot of cooking and a lot of time on my feet...those two parts of my body that hold me up, and that I can't even see anymore! Well this should be a fun time."
Alison gathered up all of the little pieces of paper and recipes, along with her notes, and grabbed her things. She was off to the supermarket with Lucy to get the food and some items she would need for the meal in a few weeks.
Alison thought out loud, "It's always best to get these things early...turkeys you can freeze. If I don't get them now, there won't be any ones large enough by the time Thanksgiving rolls around."
She heard Lucy's car horn and made her way toward the door as she grabbed her shopping list and glanced at it one more time.
"This is gonna be some dinner! And a TON of work!" She looked down at her large stomach, "Where's your daddy's magic dust when I need it?" Alison smiled and headed out the door.
Rafe walked into Ed's office. He hadn't been by in a while. Ed had continued to allow Rafe to watch over Alison on a small heavenly monitor, and Rafe spent most of his days watching his beautiful Alison grow with their child inside of her.
"You called for me, boss?"
"Well...so nice of you to drop by. Honestly, kid, you've spent eternity in that little room watching blondie down there. Gettin pretty plump, isn't she?"
Rafe smiled, "Yeah, she's almost due. One more month. I just wish I could be with her, and that I wouldn't have to watch the birth of my child on a TV screen."
"Hey! We've got GREAT reception up here!"
"Ed....you know what I mean. But I can't ask for any more than you've given me already."
"Well, kiddo...that's why I called you in here. Seems time on your case is running out, and the council has decided that it's time for action."
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Rafe's face lit up with excitement.
"Whoa, my boy! Calm down. They still haven't decided anything, and you're not any closer to going back now than you were eight months ago."
Rafe's excitement faded into disappointment.
"But, listen...don't get all sulky on me now. I didn't say they WEREN'T going to send you back either. They've just decided that it's time to stop mulling it over and come up with a decision already."
"Well, do you know how they're gonna decide? What they're gonna do? Should I go talk to them? Tell them my side?"
"I told ya a million times, Rafe my boy, they don't want testimony from a lovesick angel. And as for how they're gonna make up their minds...After working with them for all of these months, I wouldn't be surprised if that wishy-washy group of them decided to flip a coin to make their decision. Going back and forth, back and forth...for EIGHT MONTHS! Send him back, don't send him back, over and over and OVER again! This little buckaroo wants OFF of the rocking horse!"
"So do you know when they're going to make their decision?"
"They said something about doing it before Christmas time. Don't want any scandals going on around here during the Big Guy's birthday. Besides, the council's used to having the planning of the big birthday bash be the only thing on their plate this time of year, but because of your situation they've got a halo-ful to deal with."
"Sorry to burden them," Rafe said sarcastically, "but I could make it easier for them..."
"Haha! Yeah, I'm sure you could, kid...but they need a better reason than a screwy angel from Conception being a sucker for two cute, blonde kids."
"How about the fact that we're more in love than any two people could be, and there's an innocent child on the way?"
"How about the fact that you're DEAD? Not to bring up the unpleasant, son, but ya weren't born an angel. You died. You were buried. Your physical body is now gone. Now, I'm not putting anything past the Man in Charge. If He can throw together a planet in a couple days, turn a few people to stone, part a sea, and turn water to wine, He can do anything. Not to mention the fact that it wouldn't be the first time He's done a little resurrecting. Bringing dead people back to life is one thing the Big Guy knows how to do. I'm just saying...it's not as easy as the fairy godmother going 'Bibbidi-Boppity-Boo!' It's a big decision."
"Don't you think I know all that? I've waited this long. And I've held out hope this long. So I guess I'll just have to wait some more. But I'm not losing hope, boss...never."
Rafe turned and left Ed's office.
"That kid's as stubborn as a-...I know, I know...we like mules up here. Mules are wonderful. Many a VIP around here spent some quality time with a mule in a desert. I'm sorry."