Chapter 6 - Thanksgiving, I Love You

Ana's POV

Christian and I had been dating for almost 2 months now. And I knew what you were all thinking. How was the sex?

Well, truth be told, we haven't had sex yet. I know, I know, what the hell was I waiting for?! I didn't know exactly, but I knew that I wanted to wait a bit longer.

Trust me, there had been more than one occasion where both of us almost lost our control. I mean, with someone who looked like Christian, it was very hard to resist.

I think my reasoning for waiting to have sex stemmed from my mother's issues with men. She threw herself at countless men and look how that turned out for her. I didn't want to be anything like her. She was on husband number four, and it didn't look like she was slowing down anytime soon.

Christian had been so amazing about my decision to wait too. From what Kate told me and from what I heard from other girls at school, all teenage boys were sex crazy. If you weren't willing to give it to them, they'd lose interest. But not my Christian.

I knew he must have been going insane, but he had never once shown annoyance or anger at my wanting to wait to have sex. He was so understanding of my choice and had told me repeatedly that he wanted to wait until I was ready and 100% sure.

By now, I was certain that I loved him. Aside from my father, he was the guy I trusted the most in my life. I really couldn't wait to tell him that I was in love with him. Call me old-fashioned, but I wanted him to be the one to say it first. I mentally chastised myself over my traditionalist views, but what girl didn't want to hear her man say that first? Because I sure as hell did.

Anyways, it was almost time for Thanksgiving and the Grey's invited me over to their house for Thanksgiving dinner.

Ray was supposed to come home for Thanksgiving, but something in D.C. caught his attention – some national security crisis.

He was devastated that he couldn't make it to Seattle for Thanksgiving and apologized profusely for missing one of our favorite holidays.

While I was a little upset, I couldn't hold it against him. I knew what taking that job would entail. Sometimes there were emergencies that required his full attention, and he couldn't escape from work for hours, let alone days to come see me. My dad was doing a job that he loved, so I couldn't be upset at him for missing Thanksgiving. And he promised me that he would be home for Christmas, so I was looking forward to that.

Oh, I forgot to mention everything that happened at school!

By now, everyone knew that Christian and I were exclusive. Christian still hasn't made any guy friends, and I was pretty much the only one he willingly conversed with at school. While I reveled in his constant company, I knew it was quite odd that Christian was so closed off with everyone else.

If I didn't know him, I would've thought that he was socially awkward. But the thing is – he wasn't. He was so engaging with me, and I was genuinely baffled as to why he seemed to not want to make other friends.

I guess that meant more time with Christian for me. I was certainly not going to complain about that. I was just a little concerned. I thought he needed some male friends.

Moving on, I had noticed a few quirks and a few odd things about Christian and his demeanor, which I was assuming stemmed from some of his issues from the past.

I recalled the night Christian finally opened up to me about his life and his childhood.

It was just another normal Friday night. Typical of Seattle weather, it was pouring rain, and it was a dark, gloomy night. It was only a few weeks into our official relationship, and Christian and I were having a cozy night in, which fit with the mood of the weather. We were snuggled on the couch in my apartment watching movies, eating junk food, and drinking hot chocolate. We were so lighthearted and were enjoying each other's company. Little did we know, that night would become a pivotal moment in our relationship.

Flashback

Christian and I were watching a movie he picked out, much to my indignation. He argued it was only fair since I picked the movie last time, so being a good girlfriend, I let him have his way.

He was now making me sit through two hours of Top Gun. And while I admit a young Tom Cruise was quite dashing, it was not making my list of all-time favorite movies. But Christian seemed to be enjoying it, so that was all that mattered to me.

I felt myself start to get drowsy as I was uninterested in the film. I told myself I was going to close my eyes for a few minutes but fell into a deep sleep instead, wrapped like a vine around Christian.

When I woke up it was pitch dark. The TV had been shut off and Christian was sleeping soundly next to me. I was still wearing my clothes from tonight, and it was quite uncomfortable to sleep in.

I carefully untwined myself from Christian's tight grip and quietly ran upstairs to change into some pajamas.

I found a pair of silk white pajamas and put them on. I got distracted organizing clothes in my closet when I heard a loud scream coming from downstairs. Was that Christian? It couldn't be, right? I must have been hearing things, so I ignored it and continued fiddling around with my clothes and shoes.

A few minutes later I thought I heard some moans and groans and what sounded like a plea for help. I then heard another earth-shattering scream, and I was now certain I wasn't hearing things.

I immediately ran downstairs to check on Christian. I saw him thrashing about on the couch and screaming, "Mommy, please help me. It hurts."

I was so shocked at the scene before me that I froze in place. I was stunned, and I had no idea what to do. Was it a common occurrence for Christian to have nightmares like this or was this a one-off?

I knew I needed to do something to bring him out of his misery. I bolted over to the couch and tried to shake his shoulder to wake him up. That didn't work, and he continued to flail around on the couch and kept screaming for help.

I tried shaking him harder, but that still didn't bring him out of his dream. His body was still violently moving, so maybe if I subdued his movements that would help him wake up.

I got on the couch and climbed on top of him to restrict his body's movements. That was a terrible idea because he was so much bigger and stronger than me that my weight didn't help.

I then resorted to the only other thing I could think of. I grabbed the sides of his face to hold him still and kissed him.

I thought it was working as I could feel his body start to calm down.

"Christian," I stated tenderly, "It's me. You're safe."

He slowly opened his eyes and there was a mixture of fear, shock, and terror on his face. I immediately enveloped him into my arms and he crumbled into me. He looked defeated and terrified.

I pulled him up to a sitting position on the couch and he rested his head against my chest. I saw a single tear run down his cheek and I quickly wiped it away with my sleeve. I knew he must have been trying hard to not cry in front of me. I stroked his hair methodically, and when an ample amount of time had passed I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, just to let him know that I was there for him.

As much as I wanted to question him about what just happened, I knew that it was best to let him be the first one to talk.

I softly whispered, "You can tell me anything, you know. I won't judge you. I promise."

He looked into my eyes, debating whether or not he should explain. His eyes shifted away from mine, and he stared blankly in front of him. He nuzzled his head further into the crevice of my neck, and I continued to gently stroke his unruly hair.

It took what seemed like hours for Christian to finally get the courage to say something.

"I was adopted when I was 4," he said with a tremor in his voice.

I was shocked at his revelation. It never even crossed my mind that adoption could have been a possibility. Did that mean that his siblings were adopted too?

I hid the shock on my face and nodded at him, urging him to go on.

"I, I, I," he struggled to continue.

I couldn't even fathom what could've happened to this boy. I loved him so much, and seeing him in this much pain hurt me as well.

I grabbed his hand hoping it would help him tell his story.

With a shaky voice he continued, "My birth mom, she wasn't a good mom."

Another tear rolled down his cheek and I felt the tears in my eyes start to form as well. It was then I realized how fragile Christian was, emotionally. I wanted to keep him in my arms and hold him there forever so no one could hurt him.

"I was abused as a kid," he somberly stated.

I was dying to ask more questions like who and how but I knew that I shouldn't pry further. I should take everything he decided to tell me with immense gratitude that he was even sharing this with me.

"Th, Th, The" he stuttered, "The nightmares… they, they're always of those memories."

He looked ashamed, as somehow this was his fault when it wasn't.

The only thing I managed to mumble was, "I'm so sorry, Christian."

With a shaky voice, he continued, "I, I think I was sleeping just fine, but something changed. Did, did you leave me?" His eyes scanned mine, searching for an answer.

I nodded my head and replied, "I just went to change into some pajamas."

"Promise me you'll never leave me again," he cried and buried himself in my embrace.

"I promise, Christian," I replied, silently vowing to always stay by his side, no matter what life would throw our way.

End Flashback

I knew Christian still had so many demons buried deep in his soul that he hadn't told me about yet. And I'm okay with that. I knew he had trouble opening up to people and was so lucky that he trusted me enough to tell me some of these things. It truly meant the world to me, and I hoped he knew that.

Christian's POV

Today was Thanksgiving week, so that meant no school. Fuck yeah!

These past 2 months with Ana had been the absolute best. I couldn't remember a time when I smiled or laughed as much as I did now. Ana has completely changed me and my outlook on life for the better. She was an angel, and I owed her so much.

At times she's had to be strong enough for the both of us, like on that fateful night when I revealed some of my past to her.

After that night, I'd been reluctant to share any more details about my early childhood. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, I just wanted to protect and shield her from my fucked up stuff. She was too good to hear some of the horrible shit I'd gone through, and I didn't want to cause her any pain.

I still haven't told her about the haphephobia, the drug-loving mother, or the pimp and his cigarettes. I knew I'd probably end up telling her the dark shit someday, but for now, I didn't want to bother her with that crap. All I wanted was to see her laugh and smile every day, and so far, I've succeeded in my goal.

Anyways, that's enough about how I was fifty shades of fucked up. We already knew that.

My parents invited Ana over for Thanksgiving dinner, which frankly, I was surprised with. For Grace, Thanksgiving had only ever been for family. Thanksgiving at the Grey house had always been a grand affair. Mom always went all out with the food and decorations. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins were always invited to our house every Thanksgiving, so Ana would get a chance to meet some of my extended family.

Ana's dad was originally supposed to come back home for Thanksgiving. I knew Ana was disappointed when her dad broke the bad news, but she didn't show it. When Grace found out that Ana had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving, she jumped at the opportunity to invite her to spend it with us.

Now, my mother would not stop pestering me about what Ana's preferences were about literally everything. I appreciated how much my mother cares about my girlfriend, though. I knew she meant well and was just trying to make Ana feel comfortable and at home around my extended family.

Dating Ana for 2 months now had only solidified the fact that I was in love with her. I knew we were young, but somewhere deep down in my heart, I knew that I was going to marry her. Call me crazy. Call me stupid. I didn't care. I was in love with Anastasia Steele.

Ana's POV

Christian and were are perusing through the grocery store, looking for ingredients for apple pie. Even though Christian insisted I didn't need to bring anything, I didn't want to show up to the Grey's Thanksgiving extravaganza empty-handed.

Christian looked very out of his element at the grocery store, as he was obviously not a frequent visitor.

"What are we looking for, Ana?" he asked.

"What do you think we need for apple pie?" I teased.

"Yeah, but there are like 10 different kinds of apples here," he said with a worried tone. "How do you know which ones you need? Also, why are there so many different kinds of apples?"

I giggled at his concern for the many varieties of apples and placed my hand on his arm to get him to settle down.

"It's not funny, Ana," he whined, "That was a serious question."

I rolled my eyes at him and put 5 Granny Smith apples in a bag.

"You know my mom doesn't expect you to bring anything," he stated, "Mia and my mom have already started preparing the food."

"I know," I retorted, "But I'm a guest. And I want to do this."

"Okay, baby," he said, pulling me into his arms and giving me a kiss on the cheek, "Whatever you want."

With a glimmer in my eyes, I asked, "You're going to help me though, right?"

He gave me a crooked grin and laughed. If you think you were getting out of this one Grey, you were sorely mistaken!

Christian's POV

Today was the day before Thanksgiving, and my mother was frantically running all over the house preparing for the actual day.

I was supposed to hang out with Ana today, but my mother was making me help with the prep. I hated to sound like a spoiled kid, but why didn't she hire people to help her?

I knew the answer to that one, though. Grace wanted the holidays to be strictly a family affair, and she wanted all of us to pitch in and help.

So now instead of being with Ana, I was stuck picking up my aunt, uncle, and two very annoying cousins from the airport.

Ana said it was no problem that I would be busy today and told me about having a "Friendsgiving" with Kate and some other friends from school.

Anyways, my mother was making me pick up her brother and his family from the airport. They were from Los Angeles. There was Uncle Charlie, his very fake and plastic surgery loving wife – Aunt Jessica, and my cousins: Mackenzie and Addison. They were identical twins and were Mia's age, but way more annoying and were complete brats. I didn't know why my mother invited them every year. They only caused the whole family headaches.

Elliot couldn't make it this year. Something about a football commitment at Yale. Whatever.

Moving on, my dad's younger sister, Maria, and her husband Josh were also coming along with their three kids: Brandon, Emma, and Alexis who were 14, 11, and 9 respectively. My dad's older sister, Cecilia, and her husband Jake were coming too and didn't have any kids. Both of my dad's siblings live in the Seattle area, so they'll be driving to our house tomorrow.

My grandparents on my mom's side were also coming. Grandpa Theo and I always had a very close relationship, and ever since I started going out with Ana, I hadn't been talking to him much, which was something that needed to change. I mentally reminded myself to start calling him weekly.

Ana confided in me about being intimidated to meet my large family. She grew up as an only child and wasn't accustomed to these huge family holidays. I knew everyone was going to love her, though. How could they not?

Ana's POV

I was super nervous but also excited about going to Christian's tomorrow morning. He said a bunch of his cousins, aunts, and uncles were coming and I wanted to make a good impression. I also came from a very small family. The sheer size of Christian's family intimidated me. Being around that many personalities was going to be a big adjustment for me, but I was looking forward to meeting all of Christian's extended family.

Kate and I were hosting a "Friendsgiving" at my apartment tonight. It was a yearly girl's tradition that we did to share our appreciation and love for all our friends.

Kate and I were finishing up decorating the apartment. We laid out baby pumpkins of all different hues and placed bouquets of fall flowers around the dining room, kitchen, and living room. We also hung some wreaths and added cute little Thanksgiving-themed knick-knacks around the place.

Kate and I were currently setting the table with my special Thanksgiving china. There was a beautiful cornucopia centerpiece filled with some more mini pumpkins and decorative leaves sprinkled across the table.

The food was almost all done. The mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, candied yams, cranberry sauce, green beans, and biscuits were all ready to eat. The only thing we were waiting on was the enormous turkey in the oven, which needed about 30 more minutes to cook.

There was also an apple pie and pumpkin pie ready to go in the oven once the meal started, so it would be nice and hot when we got around to eating it.

Did I mention I loved Thanksgiving? Because I really did.

I always got so excited about the food and decorating. I lived for it. It made me dream about having a family one day to share this with.

I heard my phone ring on the granite countertop and saw that it was a text from Christian.

Christian: My family is crazy. Wish you were here xx

Ana: Miss you too baby. I'm sure your family isn't that bad.

Christian: They are Ana. Trust me on this one

Ana: I'll see you tomorrow. Try enjoying the time with your family.

Christian: laters baby xx

The ubiquitous smile I had whenever Christian texted me was present on my face.

"What's Christian up to?" Kate asked from across the room, knowing I was just talking to him based on my facial expression.

"He's with his family. I think his aunts and uncles are coming," I replied.

"Nervous to be thrown in the ringer tomorrow, Ana?" Kate inquired, referring to my invite to Christian's family Thanksgiving.

"I'd be lying if I said no," I bit the inside of my lip nervously.

"Don't be, Steele," she said assuredly, "You'll charm their pants off, just like you do to Christian."

I smacked her for her distasteful joke, and we both burst out into laughter seconds later. I had to admit that joke was stupidly funny.

Emily texted us saying that she just got here, so I had to call the doorman to let her up.

The elevator signaled her arrival a few minutes later, and she greeted us, "Hey girlies."

She spotted the food on the kitchen counter and immediately went over there to pick at the food. And it wasn't like I was going to stop her.

"Mmmm, Ana," she moaned while eating a spoonful of the mashed potatoes, "I'm going to eat this whole thing if you don't stop me."

Kate piped in, "Hey, I could've made that too. Why do you always assume it's Ana."

Emily and I looked at each other and grinned. We both knew that there was no way Kate could make something even remotely edible.

We broke out into giggles and Kate joined realizing how preposterous her statement was.

This was already shaping up to be a great Friendsgiving.

Christian's POV

I just got back from the airport with my uncle and his irritating family. They were staying at our house for the week, and I needed to get out of this place. Jessica was so fucking rude, walking around my god damn house like she owned the place. Also, her fucking daughters were so annoying. Think Mia on steroids. I couldn't take their incessant giggling and their valley girl accent. Learn how to fucking speak English like a normal person! Gah!

I wanted to leave and crash Ana's party, but my mother was not having it. Apparently, I had to "entertain" our guests, but what the fuck did that entail? I had no fucking idea!

I texted Ana, hoping she could save me from my family, but she said I needed to spend time with them! Ugh! I didn't want to spend time with them. I wanted to spend time with Ana, preferably on top of her, making her moan and gasp!

"Chrissy," Mia yelled from the kitchen. Not that name again! Especially in front of Mackenzie and Addison. They were going to start calling me that now! Gah!

"What Mia," I shouted back from the couch.

"Can you take me, Mackenzie, and Addison, to the mall?" she called even louder.

Seriously? "Isn't that what Black Friday is for, Mia?" I said, exasperated at this conversation.

Mia and my cousins walked into the living room and Mia started hitting me, trying to coax me off my position on the couch.

"It's never not a good time for shopping, Chrissy!" Mackenzie squealed.

Mia and Addison both nodded in agreement. "If you don't take us, I'm going to tell mom. And she's going to make you," Mia stated sassily, crossing her arms.

This was going to be a long day!

When we got to the mall, I was insistent that I would stay in the car and pick them up when they were done. But Mia, Addison, and Mackenzie are having none of that.

"You have to come with us, Chrissy," Mia whined.

"We need someone to carry our bags," Addison chirped.

"Yeah," Mackenzie agreed.

I was really being coerced by three teenage girls. Does life get any worse than this?

My phone dinged in my pocket and it was an adorable photo from Ana of her and a delicious-looking pie. Fuck me!

Christian: That's a very low cut dress ;)

She replied instantly.

Ana: naughty xx

Fuck, Grey! Don't get a hard-on in front of your sister and cousins! The things that girl did to me… Fuck I loved her.

Ana's POV

Friendsgiving was a success. We all ate to our heart's content and ate even more for dessert. The wine seemed bottomless, and I was definitely a bit tipsy right now.

All the girls left my apartment already, so I was all alone.

I didn't know if it was alcohol, but something possessed me to send another photo to Christian.

I put on a black silk slip with white lace on the bodice from La Perla. I stood in front of the mirror in a seductive yet innocent pose and sent it to Christian.

Haha. I hoped he would like it!

Christian's POV

I was sitting quietly having a family dinner when I got another text from Ana. I almost choked on my food at the image that appeared on my screen.

Fuck, the things that girl did to me! I wanted to bolt from this table, drive to her apartment, and fuck her into oblivion.

Grace gave me a side-eye for daring to go on my phone during a meal.

"Ooooooh," Mia teased, "Is Christian talking to his girlfriend?"

Uncle Charlie piped in, "A girlfriend Christian?" He raised his eyebrows in my direction, incredulous to the fact.

Why was my whole family surprised that I had a girlfriend? Was I that anti-social?

"Yeah," I replied nonchalantly, "She's coming over Thanksgiving tomorrow."

"What about her family?" Jessica asked rudely.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her and replied proudly, "Her dad works for the president. There was an emergency, and he couldn't make it back home."

"What's her name?" Uncle Charlie asked.

"Anastasia Steele," I replied, a smile forming on my lips from thinking about her.

Thanksgiving Day

Ana's POV

Christian told me to come to his house in the morning. He said his mom always made the best breakfast and insisted she was looking forward to me spending the day with them.

Surprisingly, I wasn't that nervous anymore. I knew Christian's parents well since I was at his house a lot, and Mia and I had become good friends. I was only meeting his extended family, and while I also wanted them to like me, it was nowhere near as intimidating as meeting his parents.

I decided to go with a Thanksgiving and fall-themed outfit. I put on a burnt orange and army green colored plaid dress. It was a very conservative and modest dress that fell mid-thigh, had a high neckline and had short capped sleeves. Since it was cold out, I put on a pair of black wool Wolford stockings and also grabbed a dark green wool coat. I put on a pair of black suede Christian Louboutin booties, picked up my black Chanel boy bag, and I was out the door.

Pulling into Christian's driveway, I noticed there were a lot more cars here than usual. Christian's aunts from his dad's side must also be here then too.

Christian must have been looking out the window for me because as soon as I got out of the car, he was already there.

"Can you help me with the pies in the back?" I asked him, smiling sweetly so he'd listen to me.

He lightly pushed me against my car and greeted me with a kiss. I would have let this go on longer if we weren't surrounded by his family.

"Christian," I chastised him while nudging him away from me, "Your whole family is here." My cheeks flared up red, and he flashed me a cheeky grin.

"I missed you, baby," he said while wrapping his arms around me.

"It's been a day," I joked. He gave me a wounded look, and I relented, "I missed you too. But right now the pies are more important."

Christian grabbed the pies from the trunk, and we walked inside the house together. I heard a lot of noise coming from the kitchen and a lot of laughter as well.

"You're going to have to remind me of everyone's names," I told Christian, looking up into his eyes before reaching the kitchen.

"Don't worry baby," he said tenderly, "I'll be by your side all day."

His words were comforting to me, and I snuggled against his arm.

"Ana's here," Christian announced, getting the room's attention.

I was met with a bunch of new faces. Christian told me about his Uncle Charlie and his Aunt Jessica, and I knew immediately who she was. Her face was full of botox and there was way too much Juvederm in her lips. Like worse than Kylie Jenner's. Way worse.

I also saw Christian's grandparents, who he always talked so highly of. I was the most excited to meet them. Christian always talked about how close he and his grandfather were and how he could always talk to him.

There was also a set of identical twins in the room who looked a year or two younger than me who took after their mother. They didn't need any more explanation than that. There were also three younger kids: a boy and two girls, who looked absolutely sweet and adorable.

Christian's two aunts from his dad's side were easy to pick out as all three siblings looked so much alike.

Grace was the first one to greet me. She gave me a big hug and said, "I'm so glad you could join us, Ana."

She pulled me away from Christian's side and sweetly spoke, "Come, I'll introduce you to everyone."

Christian flashed me a sympathetic glance and mouthed 'good luck.' I'm sure it wasn't going to be that bad.

Breakfast was already laid out on the counter, so everyone was dispersed around the kitchen and the dining room enjoying their meals. I could smell the french toast and cinnamon buns, and my mouth started to water.

But before I could reach the food, Grace pulled me over to introduce me to Christian's grandparents.

Christian's grandmother was the cutest lady I'd ever seen.

"Oh, sweetheart," Christian's grandmother cooed, "What are you doing with my grandson? You're much too pretty."

She enveloped me into a hug, and definitely one thing I'd noticed about Christian's family was that they were huggers and weren't afraid to invade your personal space.

I welcomed her hug, laughed at her boldness, and replied, "Thank you so much, Mrs. Trevelyan. It's so nice to finally meet you. As for what I'm doing with your grandson, I'm not sure."

She laughed at my joke and grabbed both of my hands, "Oh, please dear. Call me grandma. I can't believe our Christian found someone as gorgeous as you."

I blushed at her and Christian's grandfather piped in, "Adelaide, you're scaring the poor girl."

Christian's grandfather, Theodore Trevelyan, held out his hand for me to shake, and I took it.

"It's so nice to meet you as well," I stated, confidently.

"Likewise, Anastasia," he replied, "I'm sorry about my wife, she doesn't have a filter."

I flashed him a bright smile. I could see why Christian was so close to him. Judging from the few minutes I'd known him, he seemed like a very stern but compassionate person. He had a quality about him that instantly made me feel comfortable and at ease. And he and his wife seemed to still have an amazing relationship after being married for so long. I hoped to achieve that one day. Hopefully with Christian.

After talking to Christian's grandparents for a little while longer, Grace brought me a full plate of food fixed with a small portion of everything. Thank God! I was starving!

Grace then introduced me to the rest of the family. Christian's twin cousins were anything but pleasant. Both of them were complete airheads and so stuck up. Sorry to break it to them, but my daddy was probably ten times richer than them, so they should shut the heck up.

Christian's Uncle Charlie was a good-looking guy for his age. He was about 6'4" - the same height as Christian - and had a strong build. He was a very friendly guy and seemed genuinely excited to meet me. His wife, on the other hand, was a piece of work. She was a glorified housewife and didn't have a job or anything she was passionate about. She was the antithesis of Grace who was a working woman who loved both her job and her children.

Anyways, contrary to the twins, Christian's other three cousins were lovely. The youngest, Alexis, was so sweet and said she wanted a dress just like mine. My heart melted.

Both of Carrick's sisters as well as their husbands were lovely and welcoming.

After I was introduced to everyone, Christian was immediately at my side, whisking me away.

He led me to the foyer where there was an ornate wreath with small cards attached to it with ribbon.

"My mom made everyone write what they're thankful for to put on the wreath," he explained to me.

I smiled, "That's such a great idea."

There were some extra cards and some pens on the table. I wrote, 'I'm thankful for friends and family, new and old.'

"Did you do one yet?" I asked him.

He nodded and pointed to his card on the wreath. In beautiful, neat cursive one simple word: 'Ana.'

For the past hour, Grace and Christian's aunts, Maria and Cecilia, and I were going through photo albums of the Grey family while everyone else was watching (or pretending to watch) the Thanksgiving football game - it was the Seahawks against the 49ers this year.

Going through the hundreds of neatly arranged and organized photo albums, there were the cutest photos of the Greys and their extended family.

There were so many photos of Christian and Elliot from elementary school to high school. There were thousands of pictures of Elliot playing pee-wee football, and I was surprised to see many of Christian playing all different kinds of sports as a kid – baseball, soccer, and basketball.

Mia had many photo albums dedicated only to her, many of which included appearances from her cousins and friends from school. Because Mia was averse to sports and physical activity, I wasn't surprised to see photos of her looking miserable in a karate uniform.

I noticed that Elliot and Mia both had photos documenting their infant years, but Christian's memories only started when he was around 4.

For the most part, the photos from Christian's younger years showed him as a scared young boy in a brand new environment. You could almost feel the fear radiating from his small face. My heart hurt for the 4-year-old Christian but was filled with happiness and gratitude for the man it brought me today.

Grace flipped the page yet again and there were countless photos of Christian in embarrassing situations. In fact, the title of the page was 'Crazy Christian.'

My favorite picture was of Christian running around in his underwear, wearing Tupperware as a hat. He looked about 6 in that photo.

"You have to send me copies of these photos, Grace," I giggled, scanning through the plethora of embarrassing photos.

"Of course dear," Grace replied, smiling at the memories on the pages.

Christian's family had been fawning over me all day, so I barely got to spend any time with Christian. While I did miss him, spending time with Christian's extended family was wonderful. They made me feel welcomed and a part of their family.

It was about 5 pm now, and Grace just called everyone into the large dining room for dinner. Grace had worked tirelessly along with Mia and Christian's aunts to prepare this stunning meal. There was every Thanksgiving dish you could think of on the table, and it all smelled delicious.

I was seated in between Christian and Mia in the center of the table. Carrick was on one end and Grace was on the other end like the perfect hosts should be.

Christian's hand was firmly placed on my thigh, and I shot him a warning glare. For goodness, sake. We were surrounded by his family!

He flashed me a goofy grin and moved his hand further up my thigh.

Ugh, whatever! I'd just ignore him for now and punish him later.

Christian's POV

My family had monopolized all of Ana's time – I felt like I hadn't even seen her today. And she looked amazing in that dress of hers. The dress was covering up her gorgeous little body a lot more than usual, but I had a colorful imagination.

Ana was deep in conversation with Aunt Cecilia. They were chatting about their international travels. Since Cecilia and her husband Jake didn't have any kids, they traveled quite a bit. And apparently, Ana did too.

I was sitting here silently eating my food when I decided to play a little game with Ana.

My hand was already resting on her thigh that was exposed from sitting down. Discreetly, I snuck my hand underneath her dress and rubbed circles around her inner thigh.

I saw Ana's cheeks turn red, and I felt her body start to heat up. Looked like my baby was turned on.

She yet again shot me a warning glare, and I flashed her my signature smirk.

Ana just ignored me and continued her conversation, so I softly whispered against her ear, "I know you're turned on, baby. Don't deny it."

Ana shuddered, and Aunt Cecilia admonished, "Christian! Give the poor girl some space. She's trying to eat."

"Sorry, Aunt Cecilia," I apologized and backed away from Ana.

At the end of the meal, Grace went back to the kitchen to get dessert. There was pumpkin pie, pecan pie, vanilla ice cream, chocolate tarts, an assortment of other pastries, and of course, Ana's mouthwatering apple pie.

Before we all dug in, Grace made a speech, "I'm so happy you all could make it today. There's so much to be thankful for this year. Ana, we're so happy that you're here with us and so blessed that you're in our lives."

And with that, everyone devoured the dessert.

After dessert, Maria's kids were starting to get restless at the table, so they went off to chill in the living room. Mia and the twins went upstairs, and the adults were still at the table, drinking coffee and tea, chatting away.

"Mom," I asked, "May Ana and I be excused?"

"Of course, darling," she replied with a smile.

I got up from my seat and grabbed Ana's hand leading her outside.

"Where are we going, Christian?" she asked.

"A walk," I replied briskly. "Here," I said, wrapping one of my coats around her, "It's cold outside."

"You'll keep me warm," she murmured.

I opened the door leading us outside, and we walked hand-in-hand in comfortable silence on the cobblestone path around the property.

"I love your family, Christian," Ana mused, breaking the silence.

"I love you," I blurted out, then immediately froze. Fuck, did I just say that? Fuck Grey, you were going to scare her away!

I sunk my head down and tried to look anywhere but at her. There was a moment of silence before I heard her angelic voice reciprocate, "I love you too, Christian."

Excuse me, what did she just say?! I didn't think I'd ever been happier in my life. The girl I loved, loved me too, and that was the best feeling in the world.

I immediately turned my gaze back to her, and she was already looking at me for a response.

She put her hand around my waist, and I gently placed my hands on her face, grazing her lip with my thumb. I lifted her up in my arms so our heads were level with each other, and I kissed her with everything I had.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," I mumbled in between kisses and giggles.

We both had goofy grins on our faces after our declaration of love. I wasn't sure if it was the moonlight, but Ana was positively glowing, looking more beautiful than ever.

Best Thanksgiving ever.