Thanksgiving started early that day for everybody in the household. Erin and Jay were up around eight and around nine the girls came down. The girls sat on the couch flipping through channels and then decided they were hungry.
"Do you girls want some coffee?" Erin asks.
"No thanks mom. We will stick to the OJ." Emery says glancing at Tessa.
Erin put the turkey in the roaster and then sat down to eat something herself. Jay came in carrying bags of groceries that they hadn't gotten the other night from the store.
"Hey girls." He says.
"Hey." They both say in unison.
Erin was trying to act as normal as possible around them and so was Jay. She wanted Emery to be in a good mood since everyone was coming over so she didn't want to say anything about it. The girls finished eating and then went upstairs to get ready for the day. It took them about an hour and a half to shower, get dressed, and do their makeup. They came back down into the kitchen and waited for Erin to give them a job.
"What can we do?" Tessa asks.
"Can you guys peel those potatoes?" she asks the two girls.
They both sat at the table and peeled the potatoes over the garbage when they finished with that Erin had them throw together the green bean casserole. They got everything prepared and then put most of it in the fridge so they could cook it later. Everyone started showing up around two thirty. Hank came with Justin, Olive, and their son. Emery didn't even notice her Uncle walk in because she was too busy helping her mom.
"Hey monkey butt." he says to his niece.
"Uncle Justin you have really got to stop calling me that. I'm eighteen." she says hugging him
"I don't think so."
"Fine, Uncle Fish face. Aren't you going to introduce me to my baby cousin and his mother?" She asks.
"Right, Olive this is my niece Emery. Emery this is Olive and of course our son Daniel." He says.
"It's really nice to meet you Olive. I've heard a lot about you and this little guy."
"And whose your mother?" she asks.
"Erin, she is my mom." Emery says pointing.
"How?"
"It's a long story which I will tell you another time." Emery says with a giggle.
Olive nodded her head and they all talked for a while. The rest of the squad started arriving about a half hour later. Ruzek, Atwater, Dawson, and Olinsky all showed up around the same time. All the guys talked and Erin was just waiting for Burgess to get there so she didn't feel alone.
"Hey Em what do you say we play some football?" Dawson suggested.
"Only if I can be on Jay's and Uncle Justin's team." she says.
"You got a deal." He says.
"Guys be careful." Erin yells as they head out the back door.
Erin watches them all play and can't help but be concerned for her daughter. Tessa sits at the table and watches them all having a good time. She becomes a little upset. Her father was overseas and her mother was working, Emery and Erin were the closest thing she had to family.
"Tessa why don't you go play with them?"
"Because you know I can't play sports Mama Erin." She says with a giggle.
"It doesn't matter, it's just about having fun." She says patting Tessa on the back.
Erin walks into her room to put a new shirt on before dinner. Just as she slides into her shirt, her phone rings.
"Hey Erin. How's Tessa?" Laura says.
"She's good. A little upset I think she's missing her parents a little too much today. She seems a little down."
"I hate this whole having to work every other holiday thing. Especially when Tyler isn't home." she says upset.
"Yeah, I know how that goes. I don't know how it would be going with Em if Jay wasn't here to fill in." Erin says trying to comfort her friend.
"I'm going to text you my Skype password and username. He said he was going to go ahead and call her real quick. Can you set that up for her please?" Laura asks.
"Of course I can." Erin says to her friend.
Erin set up the computer in her bedroom and waited for him to call. Once the call came in she told him to wait a second. She opened her door and yelled for the girl.
"What's wrong?" she asks puzzled.
"Tess?" A voice said.
"Daddy." She said tears starting to form.
Erin left the room so the two could have some private time. When she returned to the kitchen she found everyone huddled around the sink.
"What is going on?"
"Oh hi mom." Emery says pinching her nose.
"How did this happen?"
"Uncle Justin threw the ball to Jay and it hit me in the face. He threw it way ahead of his target."
"She just got over a concussion guys." Erin says walking toward her daughter.
"It's a bloody nose Erin. Relax." Justin says and instantly regrets it.
Erin tells the boys to go get cleaned up for dinner while she helps Emery stop the bleeding. Tessa comes around the corner and is in a way better mood.
"Dad says hi Em."
"You got to talk to him. How is he?" Emery asks.
"He's good says he should be coming home within the next couple months. What happened to you?" Tessa asks.
"Uncle Justin happened." She says with a slight giggle.
"Ok, I think it stopped go get changed and down here for dinner." Erin says.
Both girls run up the stairs and chat while Emery changes. They come back down stairs to find everybody at the table they had rented and put in the living. Everyone was joking and eating. The food was actually for once edible.
"I know the whole go around and say what you're thankful for thing is kind of cliché but I'm going to say this one thing. I am so thankful for all of you. You all play big roles in my life. So thank you for being here." Erin said getting sentimental.
"Ok since mom did it I guess I will too. I am thankful for such a loving and supportive mother who I'd be lost without. I am thankful for all of you who I have grown to love in the last couple months. Also for my grandpa thanks for putting up with me lately and of course my best friend who I love dearly. Last but certainly not least I'm thankful for Jay for showing me how a father should treat his daughter." she says trying not to tear up.
Jay didn't say a word he just stood up and walked over to Emery and gave her a big hug. They all continued eating and talking. Everyone stayed and hung out for a while after dinner. Olive and Justin were the first to leave.
"Hey brat. How's the nose?" He asks.
"It's going to bruise so thank you for that." She says snippy.
"Well I love you and I'll see you soon." Justin says hugging her.
"I love you too. Bye Olive it was nice meeting you."
"It was nice meeting you too." She says heading out the door.
The boys sat out back drinking beers and talking while the girls started to clean up. Everybody left around eight and there were still dishes that needed to be done but they could wait. Erin knew that now was as good as a time as any to talk with the girls. She went to her room and grabbed the pregnancy test she had put in a sandwich bag.
"Girls can you come down here please?" She yells up the stairs.
The girls come down the stairs and sit on the couch. Jay is sitting on the coffee table alongside Erin.
"What did we do now?" Emery says with a giggle.
"Can one of you explain this?" Erin says as both the girl's faces go blank.
"It's a long..." Tessa starts to say but is cut off by her friend.
"It's mine." Emery says.
"Tessa can you go upstairs while I talk to Emery." Erin requests.
"But I." she says.
"Just go. I can handle it." Emery says.
Tessa takes off up the stairs as her friend waits for her lecture.
"Emery what the hell? You know what protection is, I don't understand how this happened."
"Protection doesn't always work mom."
"Is it Cody's?" Jay asked.
"Who else's would it be?" She says.
Jay gets up and starts looking for his keys. Once he finds them he heads for the door.
"Where are you going?" Emery asks
"Where do you think?" he says pissed off.
"Jay" she says following him.
"Jay, stop!" She yells.
"Dad!" She says as he stops in his tracks.
"Both of you come inside so we can talk." Erin says.
They all go back to the living room and sit down. It's silent for a long while and very uncomfortable.
"What do you plan on doing?" she asked her daughter.
"I don't know I haven't planned that far ahead. I just found out."
"When were you planning on telling us?" Jay asked hurt.
"I hadn't thought that far yet either." She says looking at the floor.
"It just one thing after the other with you lately. Your behavior can be changed but a baby is permanent. Did you even think about your future at all Emery?" Her mother says disappointed.
"Mom that's literally all I have been thinking about. School, work, and my family is all I ever think about." she yells.
"Then how could you do something so stupid." Erin says just as Tessa comes around the corner.
"I've heard enough. Emery isn't pregnant, she and Cody have never even had sex. It's me, I'm pregnant and yeah it's because I did something stupid." She says.
"Tess I got it covered."
"No Em it's time to tell them like you said maybe they can help."
Erin at this point didn't know how to feel. Tessa meant just as much to her as Emery. She knew that something was wrong with the whole situation though because of the fear in the young girl's voice.
"What is going on you two?"
"You remember that day you picked me up from Tessa's and I was hung over. Well we went to a party the night before. She disappeared so I walked home and I shouldn't have because she didn't just disappear. I found her in the bushes in the neighbor's yard. I picked her up and took her home. We weren't even drunk when we left the party. The drinking happened when we got to her house."
"What happened?"
"A guy happened. I was seeing him and he wouldn't take no for an answer. He raped me. Emery told me to get help but I didn't listen all I wanted to do was drink and forget." Tessa says crying.
"That was two months ago. Why didn't you girls tell me?" Erin asks.
"Tessa didn't want me too she didn't think you could help." Emery tries to reason with her upset mother.
"I would have put him behind bars." She says.
"It wouldn't have been that easy mom."
"Why not?"
"Because his family practically owns the town." Tessa states.
"Who is it?" The upset mother asks.
"Adam Baker." Tessa said growing more upset.
"Adam did this to you? You two grew up with him. He had slumber parties with you guys when you were little and was a complete geek in middle school." Erin says shocked.
"Once we hit high school he transformed into a good looking jock. He forgot we existed until junior year. He is not that sweet little kid anymore." Emery says comforting Tessa.
"Baby I'm not saying you guys are lying. I'm just shocked because I hate that we trusted him." Erin says to her daughter.
"Mama Erin there is nothing we can do now." Tessa says leaning on her friend.
"I am going to get Hank over here tomorrow. We aren't going to let him get away with this. We will figure it out. You girls head up to bed. I love you both." She says kissing their heads.
The girls head for the stairs as Jay and Erin sit there in shock. Jay had no idea how to handle this situation when it was so close to home. All they both could think is that they wanted to make the boy pay for what he did. They headed for their room and hardly talked. They couldn't fall asleep and about an hour after they layed down they heard a knock on the bedroom door.
"Mom, dad? Are you guys awake?" Emery asks.
"Yeah sweetie come in." Jay said.
"I just got Tess to sleep. I wanted to apologize for lying tonight but I did it to protect my friend. I love you guys." Emery says holding back the tears.
"I understand you promised her and you tried to help as best you could. I do wish you would have told me though." Erin says wrapping her daughter in a tight hug.
"What do I do? I don't know how to comfort her this is one topic I've never had to deal with." Emery says balling as both her parents comfort her.
"We are going to help her with whatever she decides and we are going to make sure Adam gets put behind bars. I don't care who he is, he will be punished." Jay says.
"Mom can you come sit upstairs with me until I go to sleep." She asks trying to calm herself.
"How about I go sleep on the couch tonight and you sleep in here. I'll keep an ear open for Tessa." He says to his daughter.
"Are you sure?" She asks.
"Yes, get some rest."
"Night dad. I love you."
"I love you too Em."
Emery didn't care what age she was when she was sick, scared, or just plain upset lying next to her mom always calmed her. She was thankful her dad understood that. She snuggled close to her mom and Erin rubbed her back until she finally fell asleep.