Chapter 26
Thanksgiving 2022
We got to Adri's parents' house a little bit past noon.
"Adri, Talia! It's so good to see you again." Her mother hugged us and kissed our cheeks.
"Hi, Mom." Adri smiled.
"Hey, uh, Cassidey." I gave a wobbly smile.
"Talia, you've been dating my daughter since you were in grade school. That little break you two took is natural of couples who date so long. You can call me Mom." She told me.
Little break? That was 3 years! Not to mention the two years I was missing and when I broke up with her!
Adri touched my arm. I calmed down.
"Ok, Mom." I smiled.
"Go see your father and brother, dear. It feels like it's been forever since I've talked to Talia." She said.
Adri left reluctantly.
"I know this is a little late, but I'm sorry about the last 7 years. That must have very hard on you. Losing your memories and all." She frowned.
"It wasn't your fault. I've moved on." I said.
"Adri said you made up with your adopted family a few weeks ago. I'm proud of you, Talia. That took courage." The blond woman locked her dark blue eyes with mine.
"It wasn't how I'd thought it'd go. It was really hard." I took a breath.
"I know. If your parents were here, they'd be proud of you too." Mrs. Cason hugged me.
Would they?
She let me go. "Go see Jackson and Eddy. They missed you."
"Alright." I left the kitchen and went to go see Adri's father and brother.
They were talking to Adri. Jackson smiled when he saw me. "Talia!"
"Hi." I smiled.
"How you been, kiddo?" I let him put me in a headlock and he noogied my head.
"Dad!" Adri protested.
"I'm doing fine." I laughed and tossed his arm off.
"I see that hard head of yours is still intact." He smiled.
"Do you have to do that every time she comes over? You saw her at our Easter picnic." She asked.
That was Rachel and he hadn't noogied her. I hadn't been over in years. The living room looked the same as when I had last saw it 7 years ago. Gray carpet, brown couches, white walls. But it was different as well. The coffee table was now cream as they didn't have worry about Adri spilling paint on it while she made her art. It didn't smell like the microwave lunches that we snacked on after school.
"I'm glad you could make it, Tai. Hasn't been the same since." He told me.
"It's been awhile." I smiled.
"I remember when you and Adri would chase each other around the yard and try to get the other one. You'd kiss any boo-boos she got." Jackson chuckled, rubbing his brown beard, green eyes twinkling.
Was I too young to remember that or was it one of the ones lost forever? "Yup." I said simply.
"DAD!" Adri said loudly.
"Alright, Honey, I get it. No more teasing. Before lunch." He grinned.
I sat next to Adri and gave her a small kiss. She huffed and looked at me. I smiled back.
"How was the book tour?" Eddy pushed his glasses up his nose. He looked his father except blond and thinner.
"It went great except toward the end." I said.
They looked at me.
"My baby brother wanted his book signed and then they saw it was me, you know since I don't put my picture on the back. They couldn't find me after the signing was over and I got too drunk celebrating a tour almost done. I drunk dialed my dad and they found me in Central Park… Things could have gone better." I said flippantly.
"That's one hell of reentrance, Talia." Jackson whistled.
"Felt like a mistake at the time." I said and Adri jabbed me. "The drinking! The drinking was a mistake."
"How are they? Your family." Eddy asked.
"They're fine. Alex can't wait to see me. We're going over there this afternoon." I said.
"Around their dinnertime." Eddy said like a question.
"So, we can't eat too much or we'll die." Adri told them.
"You'll at least take home some leftovers, won't you?" Cassidey pouted.
"Gotta take something since Dav-Dad doesn't believe in 'em." I smirked.
"Good. Now, gather 'round the table." She told us.
We took out places at the table and said grace. Then we got what we wanted and ate and talked. Eddy had found a new business to be an accountant for and it was better than his last one. Jackson's wrestling team was doing good so far. Cassidey just started the Shakespeare unit, which was Macbeth. I smiled. The guys got seconds and we were allowed to eat dessert. I got chocolate silk pie. Adri ate the strawberry one. We traded bites. After we finished eating, Cassidey packed a bit of everything for us and we went back to our apartments.
I put my food away and I lounged around until Adri came around 3. I smiled at her and we left. Elisa smiled at us and we watched Goliath wake up. He hugged us and shook hands with Adri. Then I reintroduced her to the clan. She was a surprised to see how Brooklyn had grown so much. Kanata seemed ok with her.
Owen called us for dinner and we went to the dining room. The last Thanksgiving I was at was just the Xanatos family and the clan did their own thing. Now, everybody had a place at the table. I sat next to Adri and we waited.
"Thank you all for coming and enjoy your meals." David announced and they started eating.
We ate as well and everything was good. But we were still full from Adri's parents' Thanksgiving meal.
"Adri?" I asked.
"Yeah?" She groaned.
"We're not doing this again. One family per holiday." I took a breath.
"Agreed." She said. "Who're we going to for Christmas?"
"Adri, we don't gotta go everything together." I told her.
"That's not how it works. Either we both go or we both get our asses whooped. Casons don't ditch their partners." She shook her head.
"May our families nev-" I started.
"Talia, don't you dare finish that sentence." Owen said across the table from me.
"You don't know Adri's family!" I said.
"I would like to." He said.
"No, you don't. You'll never get Alex back if you do." I said and Alex looked at Owen. Owen had to reassure him that it just meant Adri's mom would cuddle him.
"Actually, I would like to meet them as well." David said.
"Elisa, we gotta get Adri's family in Witness Protection. How do we do that?" I turned to the police detective.
"Talia, that's illegal." She said firmly.
"I guess we're eloping now." I whispered to my girlfriend.
"You are not! You're going have a nice spring wedding and we're going to give you away and have first dance." Owen and Puck said heatedly, glaring at David with something I hadn't seen before but he had.
"I think you touched a nerve there." Adri said.
"No, I fucking punched that nerve." I retorted telepathically. "Dad."
His eyes flicked to mine. I asked him a simple question. He adjusted his tie. Adri looked at me.
"You're scary, you know that?" She said.
"When you run with these guys, you have to be." I smiled.
"Was it necessary to scare the frying pan?" She frowned at me.
"It was ruining my pancakes." I huffed.
"You vaporized a cast iron frying pan!" Adri pointed out.
Everyone's jaws dropped. Alex looked at me with awe. A smile changed Owen into Puck. "You're my smart girl! Yes, you are!"
"I just superheated the atoms around it! It's not my fault they took down the iron with them." I explained. "No, Dad, stop it! You smell like turkey." I squirmed as he kissed me.
"Is that not supposed to happen?" Adri asked.
"Iron is unaffected by their magic. Directly, but indirectly however…" David paused. "I know Oberon used a shockwave to defeat the Iron Clan, but to use atoms themselves, genius."
"That probably took a lot out of you, huh, kiddo?" Puck rested his chin on the top of my head, planting a soft kiss.
"It took a lot of control." I said.
"Don't do that unnecessarily. It'll be a big help one day." He told me.
"Ok." I looked up at him.
"My little trickster." He smiled and kissed my nose.
"Daddy." I kissed his cheek.
"I think everyone's ready for their dessert now." David suggested.
"You know, you say I'm family, but I don't really feel it. They all can walk." Puck floated back to his seat and let Owen land on his feet.
"If you insist, sir." Owen left.
"Who wants to go first?" David asked.
We looked at each other.
"Me!" Alex said.
"There's over 20 people in this room." I said softly. Adri softly jabbed my side.
"I'm thankful for Puck and Talia." He smiled.
"Aw." Adri smiled.
David said that he was grateful for his family and Owen. Fox said something similar. Goliath was thankful for the clan and Elisa. Elisa was happy she had the clan in her life and the Xanatos kids (us). Matt said Elisa for being the best partner he had. Angela said she was thankful for having such a good father. Broadway said Angela. Brooklyn said his mate as well. Lexington said he was thankful he met Staghart. I had no idea who that was. Hudson was grateful for the clan "even if ya act like hatchlings every 5 minutes." We laughed. Kanata was happy she met Brooklyn and had his son. Nash said that, but in reverse.
"You're a pain in the butt, Talia, but I wouldn't have it any other way." Adri smiled at me.
I stood up after Adri sat down. "I'm thankful for a lot of things, but what stands out from the rest is you guys, for never giving up on me, and… And even though it hurts, I'm thankful for Sarah. She didn't know who I was or what exactly happened, but she always urged me to go back to you. She made me a better person, a kinder, more patience person. And that is something I will always be grateful for."
I sat down and Adri looked at me. I leaned close and she wiped the stray tear away.
"One day, Tai, one day." She whispered.
I nodded.
Owen had returned and instead of doing what David thought he was going to do, he spoke. "I'm thankful for you, Talia. You helped me grow more in these last few years more than I have in millennia. You taught me how to love, how to be slower to anger, and… to have faith in those I love and what happens when I don't. I can't truly express how you've touched my heart. You changed me for the better and I hope you keep growing and pushing us along with you." His eyes held many emotions, but love was the strongest among them.
I smiled.
He passed out the dessert, ice cream, and after we finished eating, we all just kinda vegged out. Dad taught me more magic and then I read to Alex and kissed him goodnight. Adri did too and that made him happy. I fell asleep while Adri and Dad talked.
