Laws of Motion – Book 3
Written by: Ms. Maggs/Edited by: KJT
Chapter 49
Thursday – November 24, 2005
Western Stables
4:45 pm
"Here you go, Ellie." Ren handed over a brush and patted the white mare's back. "Let's see what you remember."
"Prepare to be amazed." Ellie snatched the brush, eager for the task, but unwilling to admit it. "What's her name?"
"This is Sonnet. She's Carrie Blake's surprise birthday gift from Nick. He's givin' it to her for her birthday." Ren smoothed the horse's mane. "She's a real beauty, isn't she? I picked her special for Carrie based on getting to know her when she was up in Flag."
"She'll need better shoes if she's Carrie's horse. That priss doesn't wear anything without a designer label." Smiling she said, "Hey, can I etch 'Manolo Blahnik' on the horseshoes?"
"Check this out." Ren walked over to the supply area. "Nick already did that as a joke." He held up a shiny gold horseshoe. "It won't really go on her of course. It's what he's wrappin' up to give her a clue."
"Princess Carrie will eat that shit up." Ellie rolled her eyes. "I can hear her 'Nicky! You're sooooo funny! Nicky, you're the best! Awwwww, I'm so lucky to have a big strong cowboy to take care of me, especially after my terribly horrible childhood full of abuse. Yes, yes, it was truly horrific growing up with every material thing a child could want and living in a beautiful home in California whinnnnnnne country with two parents who didn't hate each other and screw other people instead of giving a rat's ass about their kid'."
"You really do remember the purpose of equine therapy as well as the process."
Ellie glanced over the horse, to where Ren was standing gape-mouthed. "Let me guess, you think I'm a bitch."
"I think you're usin' Carrie as a punchin' bag, but since she's not here listenin', I don't think you're a bitch. I don't agree with ya either, but that's the beauty of ventin', it's a one way street."
"You don't think Carrie whines?"
"I never said that," Ren laughed and grabbed a brush of his own. "She whined at the ranch…about insignificant stuff though, like gettin' her new boots muddy, never about her lot in life, like you do all the time."
"That sounded like a slam, Cowboy Ren."
"No, ma'am, just an observation. Wearin' expensive shoes doesn't make someone a whiny princess to me. From what I know, Carrie hasn't gone through life sayin' 'I was abused, give me somethin' for free'. Instead, she studied hard, got a law degree and has devoted her life to puttin' sex offenders behind bars so other kids don't have to go through what she did. That's not princess or whiner behavior to me. Now take a twenty two year old woman who still thinks the fact that her parents didn't get along means she had a good excuse for gettin' wasted and is owed somethin' in this world."
"There's the Ren I know and hate." Ellie brushed harder.
"The truth hurts, believe me, I know. There I was, seventeen, livin' with my parents who were puttin' a nice roof over my head and makin' sure I got an education and three meals a day, but was I satisfied? Nooooo, ma'am. I was bored and believed that entitled me to get high and raise hell."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. You've been clean for ten years and now you see the error of your ways." She continued her speech in the voice of a Charlie Brown adult.
Ren continued nonplussed, "Watchin' my girlfriend convulse to death really drove the point home, yeah. Right about then is when I stopped whinin' and started thankin' the Lord that I was still breathin'."
"Hallelujah! Can I get an Amen for Brother Ren who saw the light! May he lead us all away from temptation and down the path of righteousness!" Ellie stopped brushing the horse and snipped, "You're insufferable."
"Feelin's mutual," he replied in a huff. "C'mon, Ellie…look at the house you're livin' in now with your dad…the new car he bought you for makin' it through rehab, a program which cost him a healthy part of his savings, I'm sure. There you are at this nice Thanksgiving dinner at the Grissoms and you're secretly thinkin' life sucks for you? I mean…what the hell? You're standin' there jealous of a woman who was repeatedly raped when she was eight, because she had a Mommy and Daddy who stayed married and loved her? Are you serious? How about bein' happy you're not one of the homeless people linin' up for a free turkey dinner tonight or that you're not spendin' the holiday alone because no one gives a damn about you. Yeah, Princess Ellie from the Kingdom of Whinnnnne sounds about right to me. So what if your parents fought and screwed other people or forgot to show up for your dance recital. Do you know how many kids could claim the same who didn't see it as an excuse to get high make nothin' of their life? I guess…" Losing the anger in his voice, Ren softly said, "I guess I was hopin' that Thanksgiving might be the day you say goodbye to the past and start countin' your blessings."
The Vartanns
5:04 pm
"There you go, Sierra." Placing Reggie and Gina's miracle baby in the bassinet he had moved into their guest room, Tony quietly said, "Look at her, she must be exhausted from being shuffled around all day, not to mention being in Matt and Janey's noisy house with her rowdy cousins and all of Janey's mouthy family. Trust me, if you think we're loud…you should meet Janey's brothers, Guido and Sal…and their spawn."
"I think I'll pass."
"I think she'll be out for a while."
Seeing the final football scores pop up on the muted TV, Becca asked, "Are you excited Denver won?"
"I'm excited for the hundred bucks Stokes owes me, but I don't give a damn about Denver." Slipping into bed, Tony spooned his wife. "I've been a Giants fan since we lived in New York."
"How old were you when your family moved?"
"Eight."
"Why did you move?"
"Uh…"
"What?" She glanced over her shoulder. "You don't remember?"
"No, it's…it's just not really something we talk about." He rolled back onto his pillow, debating if he could trust her with the information in light of her tendency to blurt private things in the heat of the moment.
Turning to face him, Becca laughed, "You can't say 'it's not something we talk about' and then expect me not to talk about it."
"Okay, but you really have to try your best not to mention it, because even after all this time and it all working out okay, it still ticks off my father that we had to move."
"I promise." When she saw skepticism in his eyes, she propped up on her elbow and pleaded. "Even though you have reason not to trust me, and you probably shouldn't trust me, please trust me. Pleeeease."
"Okay, okay." Against his better judgment, he gave in. "My dad was a high ranking NYPD detective and well respected within the department, and the neighborhood. When I say 'neighborhood' I mean that in the Sopranos sense of the word. My mom, as you know, is Italian, but my father's not. My mother had some cousins who were connected to the mob and because of that, my father was tapped…not to do anything illegal, but to look the other way on certain commercial transactions."
"Your father was a dirty cop for the mob?!"
"See, these are terms we definitely don't want to say out loud. Seriously, Becca, I'll be really upset." He knew that would get her attention. "This is just between you and me."
"I won't repeat a thing, I swear."
"My mom was a Home Economics teacher and she was at school every day until late because she was also an At-Risk student counselor for extra cash. Matt and I loved sports, so we'd hang out in the park until my mom got home. It was a different time, kids ran the neighborhood without supervision, and my parents figured that nobody was gonna touch Lieutenant Vartann's kids because they knew the score."
"Did you walk by the bakery and the pork store and everyone would yell 'Anthony!'"
"Exactly," he chuckled at the vague memory. "I remember we'd get little hot dog samples from the pork store and sprinkle cookies from Margaret, the manager of the bakery."
"Tell me the bad part I know is coming."
"Okay, so my father was right, punks and thugs didn't dare touch his kids in the park, but who he underestimated was the local baseball coach. He took Matt and me under his wing and we'd go to his apartment to look at baseball cards and eat cookies and milk. The guy went to our church and coached sports for years, so my parents didn't have a problem with that. Then, one day while I was in the bathroom, the pervert shoved his hand down Matt's pants."
"Oh my god!"
"Yeah, Matt was only nine, but he knew that was seriously wrong, and by the time I ran out of the bathroom to see why he was screaming, he had taken a baseball bat to the guy's head, knocking him out cold. We ran to my Dad's precinct and told everyone what happened. The cops lost it and stormed his apartment. They found all this kiddie porn stuff and hauled the guy in, but the freak had a great lawyer, and the cops hadn't followed procedure, so he was out on bail in no time." Shaking his head, Tony sighed, "That night he was beaten to death and strung up by his balls."
"Holy shit." Becca bolted up. "Your father killed him?!"
"No, that's what everyone assumed at first, but my dad had an alibi. Then they thought it was cops doing it for him, then they got to the real answer…it was the mob guys taking care of their own, not that they could prove it. Internal Affairs swooped in, the Feds who were watching the mob guys were all over it. Then some human rights group joined the fray. It was a media circus and a huge mess. Behind closed doors it was agreed that it would be better for everyone if we got the hell out of there. My dad came home and told us to pack, we were leaving the next day." Shrugging he said, "That was it. The next morning a big U-Haul truck came, two dozen guys showed up to load our stuff while my mother stood on the sidewalk crying and saying goodbye to her family, and then we were on the road to Arizona. I'm relatively confident that our big new house in Scottsdale was funded by the mob."
"Whoa."
"My dad had to take a demotion, but he made Captain faster than he probably would have in New York. My mom got a job teaching at the High School, we got a house that was twice as nice as the one we left, the weather was great, and no one ever bothered us. Even though it all worked out in the end, my father was pissed that he had to walk away from everything because some pervert felt up his kid. You know, it wasn't fair. We didn't do anything wrong."
"Except for your dad helping the mob, which resulted in them killing the pedophile."
"Well, yeah…if you think of it that way."
"Since you've been a cop, have you ever…you know…done something you shouldn't have?"
"Not to help the mob, but yeah, when I was a rookie, I was pressured into looking the other way. Most guys aren't going to question a twenty year veteran who's in their face telling them that it's okay to kick the shit out of a wife beater who used his wife's face as a punching bag to the point of detaching her retina. But now, I'm in charge at the scene, so…no one looks the other way unless I tell them to."
"For the record…I'm all for kicking the crap out of guys who beat women." Becca sighed, "And I think I've figured out the source of the Vartann homophobia, especially your brother's."
Taking Becca's hand, he pulled her into spooning position again. "Yeah."
Curled up against her husband's warm body, Becca's curiosity piqued once more. "Did you ever tell Amy that story?"
"No." Now that she mentioned it, he thought it was odd that he never had. "I guess because she never bothered to ask why we moved from New York, or why we were homophobic. I suppose that's not a surprise since she was pretty self-absorbed." Smiling, he burrowed closer, certain that a defining moment in their relationship had just occurred. "Honey…"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for asking."
The Grissoms
5:17 pm
"Where's Sara?" Gil inquired when he saw Lina alone in the kitchen.
"Still walking Flash." When the happy homemaker glanced at the clock, she was surprised at the time. "She's been gone a while. I had no idea it was this late."
"She's hiding."
"She's taking it too hard about the burn, yes?"
"Well…I think she had a plan in her head for how the day would go and burning me robbed her of her confidence." Leaning against the counter he said, "She's a genius and a perfectionist, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
"Has she always been like that?"
"Ohhhh, yes." Gil searched for a good memory to share. "One time, Sara and Nick were equally splitting a batch of fiber analysis tests and he finished his first. Sara demanded I check his work to see if he made a mistake because he finished ahead of her. Understandably, Nick was floored that she challenged his accuracy. I checked it, and when I told Sara his work was perfect, she shut down." Smiling he continued, "Nick of course wouldn't shut up about it. He kept referring to her as 'Harvard', saying things like 'Maybe Harvard should handle that, Gris, 'cause I'm just a dumb boy from a ranch'. In all fairness, she brought it on herself, because she all but said 'I can't believe that stupid jock could do it better than me!' She wasn't being rude, she really just couldn't believe it. After she left for the day, Nick plastered her locker with Harvard stuff and when they met up on the next shift he spoke like a hick and asked her to tie his shoes because he was too stupid to remember how."
"He has a naughty streak that Nick…likes to get away with things, just like a little boy...just like your father. I can easily see what you're saying as a picture in my head." Lina chuckled while pouring herself a glass of wine. "How long did this feud last?"
"Silk, silk, silk, what do cows drink, Lina?"
"Water."
Gil smiled, while snatching a crouton from the salad sitting on the counter. "It lasted until Nick answered milk and then admitted he really thought cows drank milk. Just like that, order was restored to the universe for Sara."
"So you don't push her, you just let her simmer like a pot of beans and when she's done, she's done."
"Exactly." Gil winked. "Your husband and Jim are battling at chess, in case you were wondering. I'm going to step outside and see if Sara is on her way back with Flash."
The Sanders Home
5:24 pm
"Ah! That flash is blinding," Greg laughed as he posed for another picture, "Hurry! I'm gonna drop the turkey."
"One more!" Tawny steadied the camera, snapping a final photo of her domestic god carrying his first holiday bird toward the counter. "Sorry," she told her hungry guests. "It's our first Thanksgiving together and I'm totally excited. If I hadn't met Greg, I'd be grinding on a pole right now. The club was always packed on holidays because some husbands need an escape from spouse and family drama." Smoothing a hand over her belly, Tawny's eyes welled, "But here I am happily married, pregnant and surrounded by family and friends. I'm just…I'm so happy." Tears plunking down on her maternity sweater, she laughed, "Watch out, here come the hormones."
"I'm happy too," Celeste's eyes welled as she watched Tawny sink into Greg's arms. "Davey and I have worked through our problems and we're moving in together again this weekend."
"That's terrific!" Tawny threw her arms around her friend's neck. "I'm so happy for you guys."
"Way to go, Hodges."
"Thanks." David couldn't contain his goofy smile. "My new allergy medicine is working really well, so I should be able to co-exist with the ferrets without going into Anaphylactic shock this time…well…as long as they don't my lick my nostrils."
"Has that happened before?" Lily asked, while starting intently at the man's nose.
"Twice actually."
Drew's House
5:30 pm
"Third time's a charm," Lindsay whispered to herself when she saw Sean returning outside after his trip to the restroom.
"I'm back!" His vision still challenged from wearing a patch, Sean navigated the steps down to the pool like a wobbly toddler. "Gosh that turkey smells great! They said fifteen minutes until dinner. Sorry I had to interrupt you to use the restroom. What were you about to say?"
"Actually, um…" He looks so damn happy! Oh my god, I can't do this! "Uh…now I have to use the restroom. Can you wait here…uh." Breaking into a full sweat, she hurried off. "I'll be right back!"
"No problem!" Sean took a seat at the poolside table and began obsessing over what Lindsay was going to say upon return. Maybe there's another dance? Or a Christmas party at a friend's and she wants me to go. Maybe a... The familiar sound of Lindsay's ring tone caught his ear, and he saw her cell phone was sitting on the table lighting up. Not wanting her to miss the call, Sean answered, "Lindsay's phone."
"Hi, uh…can I talk to Linds?"
"Sure, she'll be back in a moment. To whom am I speaking?"
"This is her boyfriend, Colin. Who's this?"
Sean was certain the guy had the wrong number and the wrong Lindsay. "I think you have the…who are you looking for?"
"Lindsay Willows."
"And…um…how do you know her?" Sean's body began to tremble.
"We go to Trinity together. Oh shoot. Is this like her aunt or something?"
He thinks I'm a woman?! Sean's pride took another hit.
"Look, I'm really sorry if she's in trouble for getting a call during dinner or something. She told me she'd call later, but I wanted to wish her Happy Thanksgiving and I missed her, so…."
"I'll tell her you called." Sean snapped the phone shut.
"I'm back," Lindsay anxiously announced to Sean's back. "It's really close to dinner, so I think we should talk later."
"Your phone was ringing," he stated with a feigned calmness. "It said Colin on the display. Who's Colin?"
"Colin?" she gulped. "He's um…just this guy, my partner on a school project. He wants to get a jump start on it over the holiday weekend and was probably calling to set up a time to meet."
"I answered your phone so you wouldn't miss the call." Sean inhaled sharply and faced the girl he no longer could trust. "You're a liar. He's your boyfriend, which is funny, because I thought you liked me."
"I do like you Sean!" Seeing his heartbreak tightened the knots in her stomach. "I like you a lot!" Her voice trailed, "As a friend. A really, really good friend."
"Good friends don't lie to each other!" he yelled, feeling humiliated and stupid for ever thinking he would be her boyfriend one day.
"I've been trying to tell you all day," Lindsay cried, hot tears pooling in her eyes. "But I didn't want to hurt your feelings or ruin your Thanksgiving."
"How long has he been your boyfriend?"
Staring at the pool, she meekly answered, "Since the dance. I'm so sorry."
"Yo!" Ryan called from the top of the patio steps. "It's turkey time, turkeys! So stop sucking face and get your butts in here!"
Watching his brother dart back into the house, Sean said, "I'm not going to say anything about this here, because I don't want my mom to worry or my brother to get on your case."
"Thank you," Lindsay squeaked as her remorse grew. "I really hope we can still be friends."
"I don't need liars for friends." Sean hurried for the house, biting back his tears, and counting the minutes until he could lock himself in his bedroom. Until then, he planned to hold his chin up high and pretend nothing was wrong.
The Grissoms
5:37 pm
"Did you miss us?" Sara faked a cheery tone as she approached her front lawn with Flash in tow. "The weather was so nice, we kept walking and lost track of time. Are Ellie and Ren back yet?"
"They just got back."
"Sorry, I hope everyone doesn't think I'm being antisocial for being antisocial."
"Not at all." Gil reached out to take Flash's leash. "I love you, Sara. I've never met a woman who knows her way around a mass spectrometer better than you."
"What?" Laughing, she removed her sunglasses.
"I tried talking about collision-induced disassociation with Lina and she had no idea what it was. Can you believe that? What did my father ever see in her? I mean sure she cooks great potato casserole, but she's worthless."
"Point taken." Sara's smile fanned across her face. "I promise not to sulk anymore if you admit that burn hurts like hell."
"It's killing me."
"Thank you." Circling her arms around his neck, she leaned in for a kiss. "Happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving, Honey."
"Break it up, love birds!" Mike yelled from across the street before breaking into a laugh.
"Wanna invite the Widower Rodgers to dinner?" Gil whispered, before turning to see the enemy. "I don't believe it. Is that…"
"You remember Lissa Lexington, right?" Mike asked as he stood at the curb with his arm around her waist. "We met when Schultz helped her out during her divorce. She flew in from Paris to console me when she heard the news about Marlene."
"Howdy, Gil…Sara." Lissa waved while sweetly posing next to her revenge tutor. "Since I'm prohibited from seeing my own children on Thanksgiving, Michael is taking me to his brother's house for a traditional turkey dinner, isn't that sweet?"
Still stunned by the pairing, Gil replied, "Very."
Sara felt compelled to offer a little advice. "Just watch your drinks around him. Every now and then, Michael likes to drop a little GHB in one. Happy Thanksgiving!" She tugged Gil towards the house. "Nick's going to flip when he finds out Lissa is Mike's new bimbo."
"Yeah, let's not ruin his dinner. We'll call later."
Drew's House
5:42 pm
Still reeling from Colin's phone call, Sean searched the bustling dining room for a place card at the table bearing his name.
"You're next to Lindsay, Honey." Wendy pointed. "See."
"Thanks, Mom." The smell of food augmenting his nausea, he pulled out the assigned chair and dropped into his seat.
"Where are Carrie and Nick?" Ken asked. "I haven't seen them since the Cowboys lost."
Clutching her wine glass, Catherine plopped into her seat joking, "Your daughter is probably off in one of the castle bedrooms giving Nick a consolation…kiss."
As if on cue, Nick and Carrie whirled around the corner. "I heard the dinner bell!" Nick rushed the table. "Good, 'cause I've worked up quite an appetite."
"Sounds like you were right, Cath," Warrick muttered in a laugh while taking his seat. "They have been busy."
"Get your minds out of the gutter, people," Nick chided. "I was referring to the nice long walk Carr and I took around the neighborhood just now."
"But I just saw you walking out of the laundry room," McKenna said as she climbed into her chair. "How'd you get in there?"
"Spot remover," Carrie stated while feeling like the word 'sinner' was flashing above her head. "When we were out walking, I got something on the leg of my pants. We went to the laundry room to try and get it out with spot remover. I'm very happy to report that it worked."
"What kind was it?" Wendy inquired, always trying to find a better product.
"Ooh, I'd like to know too," Betsy Muller chimed in, finally starting to feel comfortable around the other guests. "As you can imagine, farm work takes its toll on clothing."
"It was…" Carrie looked to Nick. "I don't remember, do you?"
"Uh…" Nick looked to the ceiling, pretending to look for an answer. "I think the bottle was blue, but I'm not sure."
Warrick couldn't resist putting his friend on the spot, "Nice observation skills, CSI Stokes."
"Shut up, 'Rick."
"Nanny Marta says 'shut up' is a bad thing to say." Matt shook his finger. "Say it again and no dessert for you, Uncle Nicky."
"You're absolutely right, Buckaroo." Nick contritely nodded. "Please excuse my bad manners, y'all."
"Where's Lindsay?" Catherine asked when her daughter still wasn't' seated. "Sean, wasn't she with you?"
"Um…she mentioned going to the restroom."
"Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!" Marta jubilated as she carried an ornate silver platter full of turkey.
"Yummmmmmm!" Matt rubbed his hands together. "It's looks goooooood."
"I think so too, Matt," Drew affirmed. "So let's give Nanny Marta a hand for the fantastic job she did pullin' this meal together."
"Yay! Nanny Marta!" Cassie led the cheering. "She's gonna be the best mommy I ever had when she says 'yes' next time my daddy pops the question with brushed teeth!"
The comment brought the applause to a halt.
"Next time?" Nick looked to his brother. "You asked her already? But you told me you were taking her to…" A turkey leg stuffed in his mouth prevented him from finishing.
"You almost blew my big plan, Nicky!"
Removing the juicy leg, he said, "Sorry, Bro."
"I'm sorry too," Drew replied with a mischievous grin, "For saying that we don't have any spot remover in the laundry room, because I used the last of it yesterday."
"I suspected as much," Ken droned.
When Nick felt the heat of his future father-in-law's glare he smiled at Drew. "Oooh, you're lucky I really like and respect Marta, Bro. 'Cause I could so some damage here if I wanted to."
"Hey!" Catherine voluntarily played the part of the big sister. "Don't you two start up, because I'm still recovering from your last big fight at my father's casino that caused how many thousands of dollars in damage before one of you almost died?"
Betsy clutched her chest. "Marta Jean, you didn't tell me Drew had a bad temper. What else haven't you told us?"
"Are we ever gonna eat?" Ryan whined.
"Shh!" Wendy wanted the gossip more than the turkey.
"There you are, Linds!" Catherine raised a brow at her daughter. "Were you off talking on your cell somewhere?"
"No."
"You're next to Sean, Sweetie." Wendy pointed to the chair, happy her son had a girlfriend.
"Drew doesn't have a temper!" Marta eagerly assured her parents. "Not with me. Not with anyone but Nick, and not anymore. Drew never even raises his voice."
"That's right," Cassie backed up the statement. "He hasn't yelled since my mommy left, and he really had no choice then, 'cause she was always yelling and if he didn't yell back, she never woulda heard him. Nanny Marta never yells," she told Ed. "Except if one of us kids is about to fall or something then she yells 'careful' or 'stay there', but I don't think that counts 'cause it's good yelling, doncha think?"
While everyone was chuckling, Drew deftly changed the subject, "Since I don't want all of Marta's hard work to get cold, I'd like everyone to join hands for a prayer of Thanksgiving."
Unable to hold Lindsay's hand, Sean faked it the best he could, placing a flat hand on the top of the back of hers.
Lowering his head, Drew took the opportunity to impress Marta's Bible-thumping parents. "Heavenly Father, we thank you for your daily blessings, for the things we are most grateful for…"
Squeezing Carrie's hand, Nick looked out of the corner of his eye to see her smiling back. Although the year had been fraught with challenges, he couldn't complain.
"We thank you for our loved ones, our friends, our homes and the tables in them with food on them…"
Ryan eyed the juicy turkey and fought the urge to grab the remaining leg during the prayer since he was certain he'd end up in hell one day anyway.
"Lord, we also ask for forgiveness for the mistakes we've made this year, both large and small…"
While Ed prayed on behalf of his sinning daughter, hoping she'd be spared the Biblical punishment for fornication, McKenna asked God to pardon her for swiping chocolate chip cookies before breakfast that morning.
"We pray that we will continue to experience your love and blessings in the future…"
Carrie thought of the baby growing in Belinda's womb and imagined holding it in her arms during next year's Thanksgiving prayer.
"Please keep us safe…"
Mike's face popped into Wendy's mind and she felt no guilt in wishing he were dead before Christmas.
"Please keep us healthy…"
Warrick gripped Catherine's hand, grateful they weren't spending the holiday in a hospital while she endured chemotherapy treatments.
"Please keep us happy…"
Sean struggled to hold back his tears.
"In Jesus Christ's name we pray." Drew lifted his head and smiled at Marta. "Amen."
"Hallelujah!" Ryan lunged for a roll. "I never thought that prayer would end!" When he saw everyone staring at him, he clarified, "What I meant to say was…Amen."
"That was real nice, Bro." Nick winked, knowing Drew was quite rusty, but had faked it well. As the food started to pass, he said, "This is the first time Andy…Drew and I aren't at my parents' house for the holiday."
"Why didn't your parents come here?" Ed inquired, "Or haven't you broken the news to them yet, Drew?"
"My parents know about Marta and me, and they're behind us one hundred and ten percent." Drew smiled at his lover, who was poised at the opposite end of the colossal dining room table. "They definitely would have flown here to meet you, but they already had made a promise to spend Thanksgiving at my sister Katie's house because…"
When Drew stopped in mid-sentence, Nick finished, "Because Katie and her partner Jean just bought a new house and were excited to host a family gathering for the first time."
"That's great, Nick," Catherine passed the green beans to Warrick, "because you said initially your father was really upset when your sister came out of the closet."
Drew could see the Mullers exchanging uncomfortable expressions and inwardly cringed.
"Yeah, now my Mama is leading up a campaign for PFLAG and trying to get my dad to go from campaigning against gay marriage to lobbying for it." Nick passed the bread basket without taking anything. "Get this, Greg was at some church group meeting for gay Christians and said 'Don't hate me because I have brown eyes, don't hate my brother 'cause he's gay'. I happened to mention it to my mom, sayin' I thought it summed things up real nice. She loved it, and is using it as the basis of her campaign. She wants to do these posters and ads, photos of siblings standing together with the phrase. Drew and I are gonna do one with Katie, and Greg's gonna do one with Danny."
"That's great," Catherine replied.
"Is it gonna point out which one is gay?" Warrick questioned. "Because I can just see certain people in the lab having a field day with Greg's picture with Danny. They'll plaster the lab with it writing 'we knew it' at the top."
"I'm sorry," Ed interjected as some of his tablemates laughed. "Did you say gay Christian church group? Is that like one of those programs to help folks stop being gay?"
"You can't stop being gay," Lindsay stated while grabbing a roll and staring at the man. "You either are or you're not. That's the whole point of the ad's message. Nick was born with brown eyes, his sister was born gay."
Taken aback by the precocious teen, Ed cleared his throat. "Wow, I'm sorry, but I'm not used to children being allowed to mouth off to adults."
"I wasn't mouthing off," Lindsay snipped, "I was pointing out what you said was dense."
When Catherine choked on her wine, Warrick knew he had to intervene. "I don't think she was being rude…initially. She was stating her opinion."
Carrie bit her tongue not to say 'That's probably not something Ed is used to either'.
"Why don't we use the old rule about not talking politics or religion in mixed company?" Wendy jovially announced, trying to keep the peace. "It's a holiday, we should keep things light, don't you think?"
"I agree." Carrie raised her wine glass. "I get enough heavy debating in at the office. Has anyone seen any good movies lately?"
"I went with a few friends to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire yesterday!" Ryan enthusiastically replied.
Knowing her parents' church was against everything to do with magic and Harry Potter, Marta looked at her mother, pleading with her eyes for her not to bring it up.
"It was great! Uncle Nick you liked the other movies, so you'd love this one. It's the best of all of them. They have this wizard tournament that's really cool, Hermione looks totally hot when she goes to the ball and Lord Voldemort is back. I'll see it again if you want to and Aunt Carrie doesn't."
"Sean, maybe you and Lindsay could go see it this weekend while I take Kenna and Cassie to see…"
"I don't think so, Mom." Sean fixed his eyes on the salad on his dish. "Lindsay told me she's busy this weekend."
"Oh." Suddenly Wendy noticed her son's body was slumped and Lindsay was turned away from him.
"I'll take you, Sean," Nick volunteered, knowing what probably went down between him and Lindsay. "Would you go with me? I'm off this Sunday. How about we go right from church?"
Ed could no longer resist. Chuckling, he said, "You're going to go from church to see a movie about a sorcerer on the Lord 's Day? I just find that… I'm sorry, Nick, clearly Betsy and I have drastically different views than you and most everyone here. I'm trying to keep an open mind, really I am, but this is a lot for us to swallow in one afternoon...cohabitation out of wedlock, a lesbian in the family, gay church groups, wizard movies, gambling, addiction, excessive alcohol, these children calling you Uncle Nick before you've even married their aunt, as if the sacrament was an unnecessary technicality. It's quite a bit to handle all at once. I mean…I have no idea what kind of shock to expect next."
"I'm pregnant," Marta blurted while picking up a dish. "Does anyone need cranberries?"
You could hear a pin drop in the room.
"Uh…" Drew anxiously cleared his throat. "Honey…when did…I don't understand how…"
"Gotcha!" Marta passed the cranberries to her father. "I just thought if I said your worst fear, Daddy, everything else would pale in comparison and you'd be so relieved, you would stop worrying. Did it work?"
Ed took the bowl with a trembling hand. "I'll let you know when I'm done having a stroke"
"Grown ups are nuts," McKenna whispered to Cassie.
"Amen."
The Grissoms
6:03 pm
"In lieu of a prayer," Gil stood before Lina's perfectly cooked turkey. "I'd like to quote Ralph Waldo Emerson." Before beginning, Gil winked at Sara. "For each new morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything Thy goodness sends." Raising his glass he toasted, "Thank you for being a part of my life, my year and this day. Happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving," the group replied as the aroma of the feast before them tantalized their noses.
"And thank you, Lina," Sara stood. "For being the best pinch hitter a woman who was terrified to step foot in her own kitchen could ever have. Everything looks and smells amazing. By the way Flash is drooling, you know I'm not lying. Let's dig in."
Jim clinked his glass to Sara's. "Normally I'd say something witty, but I'm hungry and that stuffing looks to good to wait."
"You two must have worked up an appetite," Ron said, smiling at Ren and Ellie. "Brushing horses is hard work."
"Not as hard as listening to Ren blabber." Ellie grinned behind her cheddar biscuit. "His self-righteous lectures are exhausting."
"Only half as exhausting as listening to you whinnnnne." Ren gratefully accepted a generous helping of potato casserole, "Thank you, ma'am, everything looks delicious."
"You're very welcome." Lina continued to scoop potatoes from the dish that was too hot to pass. "This is the first family holiday I've had since my first husband passed, so I'm very thankful to be here too."
"Are we all going to get mushy?" Ellie asked, having experienced enough sap for the day. "Because I didn't prepare a speech. I could tell you about the latest nutcase at the Dominion though. This guy was a total psycho."
Ben Rodgers's Home
6:17 pm
Mike ushered his surprise guest into his brother's living room. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Lissa Lexington. Lissa, this is my brother Ben, my sister-in-law Terri, my nieces Lynn and Lucy, and my sister-in-law's parents, Carl and Barb."
"Nice to meet everyone, thank you for welcoming me into your home."
"You're pretty," Lucy, the eight year old, blurted.
"Thank you, I think you're real pretty too." Suddenly missing Cassie, Lissa anxiously asked, "I'm sorry, may I use your restroom, Terri?"
"Sure, straight down the hall first door on your right."
"Thank you." She hurried away, seeking refuge behind the closed doors and from the prescription bottle in her purse. Scooping water from the sink, she swallowed a pill and checked her reflection. The urge to storm her old house and cause havoc boiled within her again. That cow is taking my place at the head of the table in my home! Taking credit for my children! I want to slap that homewrecker and…
"Lissa…" Mike gently rapped on the door. "If this was a mistake, we don't have to stay. We could go out. Or I could take you back to your hotel."
"I'm fine." Sucking in a breath, she opened the door. "I just really want to kill that bitch for what she's done!"
"I hear you." He empathetically smiled, "I've had that feeling a couple of times in life myself." Taking her hand, he gave it a supportive squeeze. "But crime doesn't pay." Insurance policies do though, and I have one with your name it waiting for the day we say 'I do'. "Wanna get drunk and forget about everything?"
Lissa vehemently nodded, "Do I!"
Perfect, just remember to reverse those words at the drive-thru chapel later. "What are we waiting for then?" He guided the lonely, distraught woman who was ripe for the picking towards the dining room. "Are you hungry?"
The Vartanns
7:01 pm
"Look who wants dinner." Tony scooped Sierra out of the bassinet, feeling sorry for the infant whose life was in turmoil unbeknownst to her. "It's Uncle Tony, Sweetheart. You're okay, I've got you, shhh."
"I've never heard her scream like that, is she hurt?" Becca paced alongside Tony fretting there was about to be another serious complication to the day. "Is she sick?"
"No." He kissed the tuft of chestnut hair on the girl's head. "Wouldn't you be ticked off and screaming if you woke up starving and realized you were wearing a wet, stinky diaper?"
"I'll let you know when I'm ninety." Becca adored watching her husband in father mode. "You know, for a big guy, you have a very gentle touch, and you don't look at all worried that you'll break her."
"Now it looks that way, but you should have seen me the first time I was an uncle." He pointed to the dresser. "Can you grab that pink bag and pull out a diaper and wipes?" As she did he continued, "I handled my nephew like he was an egg. I wouldn't even walk if I was holding him. Now I can hold a baby in one arm while shaking a bottle and walking, all without being paranoid." Smiling at his wife, he teased, "You're still in the Humpty Dumpty stage, worried the baby will fall and no one will be able to put her back together."
"Yep, that sums up my darkest fear real nice."
"Spread that blue towel out on the bed, okay." When she did, he placed the screaming baby on it. "Aunt Becca's going to make you feel good as new."
"Yeesh, do you have to set the bar that high?" Becca pushed up her sleeves while staring at the red-faced baby's flailing feet and arms. "I'm going in."
"Good luck, Honey." Tony sat on the edge of the bed, ready to coach.
"First I undo the tabs…" Removing the diaper, she exclaimed, "Jeeeez, for someone so small, that's a lot of shi…oops, bad word."
"Poop is the kid-friendly term."
"Oh, yuck! She even has poop in her woo-woo!" Grabbing two more wipes, Becca explained, "Woo-woo is the Carrie-friendly term we use during girl-talk. Oh my god, seriously…this is gross."
The veteran uncle shared his worst war story, "You ain't seen nothing until you changed a one year old boy's pea-green diarrhea diaper. It coats every crevasse of their boy parts and crawls up their back and down their legs. I got that the first time I babysat my nephew alone. I was tempted to put him in the sink and use the sprayer." Laughing at the memory he rested against the headboard. "I threw away everything he was wearing plus the cover on the changing table and the stuffed animal that got tainted. When Matt and Janey came back from her sister's wedding, I gave them fifty bucks for new stuff and swore I'd never reproduce. My brother laughed and told me I'd get the itch one day." Watching Becca fasten a fresh diaper on Sierra, he quietly said, "He was right. I can't wait for our baby."
"Done!" After using the waterless soap twice, Becca lifted the wailing infant. "Dinner time."
Tony grabbed the bottle of formula he had warmed and placed on the nightstand. "Come here." He opened his arms. "You sit in front of me, holding her."
"How am I going to climb on the bed and hold her?" The thought sent a shiver up her spine. "I'll probably fall forward and send her flying out of my arms."
Tony took the baby while Becca positioned herself between his legs, and then placed Sierra in her arms. "Okay, cradle her and watch this." He stroked the baby's cheek and tapped her lips with the bottle's nipple. "See that?" After a split second of rooting, the hungry girl started gulping. "It's easy."
"Wow, she really is starving. No wonder she was bawling." Becca excitedly whispered, "Aww, she's looking up at me, with doe eyes. I think she's saying thanks for the fix, Auntie Becks." When Tony guided her hand to the bottle, she nervously accepted the challenge. "How do I look?"
"You look great, Honey." Running his palm over his wife's back, he whispered in her ear, "I told you, you're a natural. Now all you have to do is get used to talking or singing to her while you're doing the feeding. It's hard at first, it was for me anyway, because it's not a two-way conversation."
"Yeah, well, I'm used to talking and having people ignore me, so I'll be a natural at that part too." After a round of coos and comments, she confided in Tony, "Gina said our baby won't bond with me if I can't breastfeed, but I don't know, I don't think that's true. Sierra isn't even my baby, but she's looking at me like I'm a rock star, and I'm feeling the love."
"My mom didn't breastfeed me and look how much I love her even forty years later."
"Yeah, and my mother breastfed me and I hate her guts."
Enjoying the familial moment, he kissed the top of her head. "Please don't worry, our baby is going to love you as much as I do. What's not to love?"
"Uh, I'm sure my Ex could write a book."
"Hey, no self-defeating thoughts."
"God, you're such a therapy patient," she chuckled at the man who said he'd only go to therapy to help her, but ended up hogging their sessions. "The newbies are always so zealous compared to the lifers."
"If I wasn't already in therapy with you, I'd sure as hell be signing up after today."
"Uh oh…Sierra's unhappy. What did I do?"
"Nothing, it's time to burp."
The Sanders Home
7:48 pm
"Excuse me," Tawny covered her mouth. "Don't take it personally, your food was great. The babies are kicking my stomach and churning up the gas. That's why I didn't want to go to the movies with your dad and Lily, and why I was happy everyone else had something they needed to go and do."
"Or someone," Greg teased as he rinsed dishes at the sink.
"Let's leave everything and crawl in bed." When Tawny saw her husband's eyes light, she clarified, "And watch a movie. I'm so full right now, I'd explode if we made love. I just want to beach my whale-like body on the mattress."
Greg shut off the water and dried his hands. "What do you want to watch?"
"Not porn."
"How did you know I was going to say that?"
Rolling her eyes, she trudged toward the stairs. "Lucky guess."
Drew's House
9:21 pm
"Guess who!" Lissa drunkenly announced when the nanny opened the front door.
Marta gasped. She had assumed one of the Blakes had forgotten something and rang the bell. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here."
"And you're supposed to be tendin' to my children, not screwin' Drew behind my back."
"I…"
"Don't even try the stupid farmgirl routine, I'm on to you." Ringing the bell again, she said, "I want to see Cassie."
"But the terms of…"
"Cassie, Honey! It's Mommy!" When she saw her daughter at the top of the stairs, she shrieked, "Cassie, Sugar! Mommy's missed you so much! I came back to see you on Thanksgiving."
"Lissa!" Drew rounded the corner with Nick and Carrie on his heels. "It is you. You're not supposed to be here today."
Carrie gripped Nick's hand, feeling sorry for the kids, but not Lissa.
"I'm callin' my lawyer," Drew huffed as his son ran into Lissa's arms. "You're violatin' the terms of…"
"You better call your lawyer," Lissa slurred, "because you're going to be hearin' from mine real soon. Now that I know what's goin'on here with you and Marta, I'm challengin' the terms of the custody arrangement for that and other reasons that have come to my attention recently."
Cassie stood at the foot of the stairs, panicking that she'd have to go with her mother. "I want to stay here!" she cried.
"You're not goin' anywhere, Sweetie." Drew swept his daughter into his arms. "Go back to Paris, Lissa, you're wastin' your time."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm stayin' in Vegas for a very good reason." Glancing over her shoulder, Lissa called into the night, "Come here, Baby. Let me introduce you to everyone."
Nick and Carrie watched in horror as Mike Rodgers stepped out of the shadows wearing a maniacal grin.
Taking Mike's arm, Lissa smirked, "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my new husband, Michael Rodgers."
"Happy Thanksgiving, Nicky!" Mike opened his arms. "I'm your niece's new step daddy. Isn't that great?!"
Author's Notes:
Next Chapter Posting: Wednesday 1/31
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts on the chapter,
Maggs