Three months passed and the budding relationship flourished; pretty
soon the two were spending every waking moment together. So when
Thanksgiving came around, it was natural they should spend it together.
"Hey, mom. It's Luke. How've you been?" He fingered the chord awkwardly. "That's great. Yeah, I'm fine. Great actually. Yes, I'm eating enough. No, not too skinny. I'm not working too hard, I'm taking care of myself" He listened attentively to his mother worry on the other side. "Actually, I'm calling to ask you something. I was wondering if I could bring, um, bring someone to Thanksgiving this year." On the other end Helen shook her hands excitedly. "Yeah," he smiled. "I have a girlfriend. No, I'm not telling you who it is. Why not?" The doorknob turned as the key was inserted into the lock, and Grace stepped in. Luke placed a hand over the phone and put a finger to his lips. She shook her head smiling and shut the door behind her. "Because, it's a surprise. That's right a surprise, but it's okay right? Okay, then I'll see you in a week then. Bye Mom, I love you. Bye." He hung up and turning to Grace, he kissed her lightly, "We're on. We are so on. I'm going to go pack." Smiling giddily, he pranced into his bedroom and Grace watched his boyish excitement smiling contentedly; "My God" she thought, "I love him." She smiled, blushing slightly and sat down on the couch with her book, leafing through it absently.
"I think that's him." Helen rushed to the window. "It's him, its him. Places everyone." "Mom," Kevin whined, "Its not a surprise party. Luke's just bringing a girlfriend over for Thanksgiving."
"It's important. He's never brought a girl home to meet the family before. And besides I'm excited to see who it is. He wouldn't say a word on the phone."
"Just try not to embarrass him" he warned. Just then Luke rang the doorbell and turned the doorknob.
"Hey you guys." Almost immediately he was enfolded in a warm hug.
"Hi, honey."
"Hey mom." He pulled back to see tears swimming in her eyes and he hugged her again.
"Okay, okay," she said pulling away, "Now whose this mystery date, you couldn't tell me about on the phone?"
"Yeah," chimed in his father, coming to greet his youngest son.
Another knock came from the door, and without waiting for anyone to answer it, Grace walked in weighted down with luggage. "Hey, Girardi, you know it's a commonly accepted practice to open the door for your girlfriend," she let the luggage fall to the floor with a thump, "and carry the luggage for the matter."
"Sorry honey," he turned to his parents, "Mom, Dad, Kevin, Stephanie, you remember Grace." He smiled as his mother's shocked expression turned to delight, the whole room buzzed with laughter and excitement. Grace and Helen hugged, then Grace and Will. The whole family resounded with laughter.
A voice came from the doorway, as it shot open, "Hey, what did I miss? Is Luke here?" She caught sight of her brother, "Dork, I missed you!"
"I missed you too freak." He stood back and let Joan wipe a tear from her eye. Just then Adam walked in and he and Luke shook hands.
"Hey, man."
"Hey Adam."
"Joan, Adam, Bet you can't guess who Luke brought home for thanksgiving." The small crowd in the living room parted and Graced stepped into the center. She barely had time to say," Miss me, Girardi?" before her two best friends rushed to embrace her and the room filled with laughter once more.
"Hey, mom. It's Luke. How've you been?" He fingered the chord awkwardly. "That's great. Yeah, I'm fine. Great actually. Yes, I'm eating enough. No, not too skinny. I'm not working too hard, I'm taking care of myself" He listened attentively to his mother worry on the other side. "Actually, I'm calling to ask you something. I was wondering if I could bring, um, bring someone to Thanksgiving this year." On the other end Helen shook her hands excitedly. "Yeah," he smiled. "I have a girlfriend. No, I'm not telling you who it is. Why not?" The doorknob turned as the key was inserted into the lock, and Grace stepped in. Luke placed a hand over the phone and put a finger to his lips. She shook her head smiling and shut the door behind her. "Because, it's a surprise. That's right a surprise, but it's okay right? Okay, then I'll see you in a week then. Bye Mom, I love you. Bye." He hung up and turning to Grace, he kissed her lightly, "We're on. We are so on. I'm going to go pack." Smiling giddily, he pranced into his bedroom and Grace watched his boyish excitement smiling contentedly; "My God" she thought, "I love him." She smiled, blushing slightly and sat down on the couch with her book, leafing through it absently.
"I think that's him." Helen rushed to the window. "It's him, its him. Places everyone." "Mom," Kevin whined, "Its not a surprise party. Luke's just bringing a girlfriend over for Thanksgiving."
"It's important. He's never brought a girl home to meet the family before. And besides I'm excited to see who it is. He wouldn't say a word on the phone."
"Just try not to embarrass him" he warned. Just then Luke rang the doorbell and turned the doorknob.
"Hey you guys." Almost immediately he was enfolded in a warm hug.
"Hi, honey."
"Hey mom." He pulled back to see tears swimming in her eyes and he hugged her again.
"Okay, okay," she said pulling away, "Now whose this mystery date, you couldn't tell me about on the phone?"
"Yeah," chimed in his father, coming to greet his youngest son.
Another knock came from the door, and without waiting for anyone to answer it, Grace walked in weighted down with luggage. "Hey, Girardi, you know it's a commonly accepted practice to open the door for your girlfriend," she let the luggage fall to the floor with a thump, "and carry the luggage for the matter."
"Sorry honey," he turned to his parents, "Mom, Dad, Kevin, Stephanie, you remember Grace." He smiled as his mother's shocked expression turned to delight, the whole room buzzed with laughter and excitement. Grace and Helen hugged, then Grace and Will. The whole family resounded with laughter.
A voice came from the doorway, as it shot open, "Hey, what did I miss? Is Luke here?" She caught sight of her brother, "Dork, I missed you!"
"I missed you too freak." He stood back and let Joan wipe a tear from her eye. Just then Adam walked in and he and Luke shook hands.
"Hey, man."
"Hey Adam."
"Joan, Adam, Bet you can't guess who Luke brought home for thanksgiving." The small crowd in the living room parted and Graced stepped into the center. She barely had time to say," Miss me, Girardi?" before her two best friends rushed to embrace her and the room filled with laughter once more.