As a tasty Thanksgiving treat, I decided to write a chapter of Dates. I hope this satisfies your hunger. :)
November 24th, 2016
"I hope they like my pie. I know not everyone is as attuned to and in love with vegan baked goods as us." Rachel fidgeted with the pie in her hands, wondering yet again if pecan was the best choice. "Should I have gone with pumpkin?"
Finn pulled Rachel close and kissed the top of her head. He wasn't going to tell her that she was the only one who actually loved vegan anything, but he could admit that he did love Rachel's baked goods, even when vegan. "I'm sure they'll love it. Your baked goods are the best." He turned her face toward him and kissed her full on the lips. "Our stop is next."
The train arrived at the station and the couple departed to head for the street to catch the bus. "It feels so weird not to be going back to Lima to spend Thanksgiving with our families. I still can't believe we're attending our first Thanksgiving in New York with Noah and Anjali at their house they share as newlyweds with their baby. Who would have thought I'd be saying that about Noah?"
"He's definitely grown up a lot since high school. I still can't believe he bought a house. Knocking a girl up then marrying her in Vegas I can believe though."
Prior to purchasing their home in Maspeth, which wasn't the easiest to get to without a vehicle, Puck and Anjali had been sharing Puck's one bedroom in a sketchy area of Astoria. Once Jasmine arrived however, they had to start getting real about their future. A one bedroom apartment wasn't going to work forever so Puck made the biggest financial commitment of his life – he bought a three bedroom home to raise his family in. It was the most grown up decision he'd ever made.
"I just hope there's a house left when we get there. You know Anj's mom hates Puck and chances are the in-laws will not get along. Neither of them are happy about their unexpected pregnancy and shot-gun wedding in Vegas," Finn continued.
"They've never even met. I'm sure they'll be civil."
As they reached the front door of the house after the short bus ride however, Rachel knew she was wrong. Shouting could be heard through the wooden door and Rachel grimaced up at Finn. He stared down at her with a similar expression. "Something tells me they're not getting along."
They both took deep breaths and Rachel rang the doorbell. The shouting ceased and footsteps pounded before the door flew open to reveal a flustered Anjali. She brushed her hair out of her face and forced a smile for their benefit.
"Rachel! Finn! So glad you're here…thank God you're here," she muttered still wearing the false smile.
The couple entered the house and Rachel saw Lynn Jeeri sitting on the couch fuming while Adele Puckerman sat in an armchair in the corner of the living room shaking her head side to side furiously. Shuffling could be heard coming from the kitchen and Rachel assumed it was Puck working on dinner.
"I brought pecan pie. It's vegan, but Finn's had it before and he says it's as good as a non-vegan pecan pie."
Anjali's eyes widened and she smiled genuinely. "I'm sure it's delicious. Your banana bread is divine. Mom, I'm sure you're excited for pecan pie. It's your favorite." Anjali turned toward the grumpy woman who sneered distastefully at the dessert.
"Vegan? That doesn't sound natural."
"Oh, it's all natural, Mrs. Jeeri, I assure you."
"I don't mean the ingredients. I mean the lifestyle. Animals and their byproducts are meant to be consumed. You think cavemen went around eating soy turkey?"
Rachel's smile faltered a modicum but she refused to show her growing ire with the woman. "To each his own I say. I don't try to press my diet on anyone else."
"But you do. You made a vegan pie that everyone is expected to eat and there's a Tofurky in the roaster. If I were making dinner-"
"Well you aren't, Mother," Anjali replied harshly. "I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year and I invited my best friend who is vegan so I'm going to provide food she can eat. There's real turkey in the oven so stop complaining."
Her mother glared at her but didn't respond. Anjali left the living room and Finn and Rachel followed behind into the kitchen. She put the pie on the counter and plopped down in a chair, lowering her head to rest on the table top. Rachel sat across from her, sympathy in her gaze.
"This day has been one disaster after the next," Anjali moaned.
"It's Thanksgiving. There's usually some family drama."
Anjali lifted her head and stared at her best friend with dead eyes. "Your dads love Finn, Finn's parents love you. When have you had family drama? My mother has hated Puck since she met him, she's hardly held her granddaughter since she's been here, she and Adele have been arguing all day about everything, and I'm at wit's end!"
A cork popping called their attention and they both turned to see Puck pouring a glass of red wine. He held it out for his wife who only waved it away. "I can't. I need to keep sober to deal with our mothers."
Puck placed the bottle and glass on the table and knelt next to Anjali, taking her hand in his. "If you ask me, the only way to deal with those two in the same room is not to be sober. Nothing you do or say is going to make them like each other so just enjoy yourself as much as you can. Have a drink."
Anjali's mouth twitched in contemplation and she stared at the glass before taking the bottle and drawing a long gulp straight from it. Puck chuckled and kissed her temple before turning back to check the turkey.
"So where's the kid?" Finn asked, grabbing a beer and cracking it open.
Puck pointed to the ceiling. "She's upstairs napping. I think Sarah's been watching her the whole time. She's obsessed."
"Is your brother here?" Rachel asked Anjali hoping for a favorable answer.
She nodded glumly. "He's in the man-cave downstairs, escaping the war up here. I envy him." She took another swig of wine and Rachel internally groaned. Rachel didn't particularly care for Anjali's little brother.
Just then the kitchen door swung open and Sarah walked in carrying a wide awake Jasmine. "She woke up and started getting fussy. I think she needs a diaper change."
"And you couldn't have done it?" Puck grumbled. He hated diaper duty.
"I thought Anjali might want the break from Mom."
She stood up and grabbed Jasmine, grinning at her and making the baby smile.
"Come on, Pumpkin, let's get you a clean diaper." Jasmine giggled and squirmed in her mother's arms. "Let's just hope we can get through the mine field first."
Rachel stood too to accompany her and the women left the kitchen to find Adele alone in the living room.
"Hi Ms. Puckerman," Rachel greeted, slowing to say hello finally.
"Hello, Rachel. How are you, dear?" she asked pleasantly. Ms. Puckerman had always liked her and was elated when she and Puck had their brief fling. She liked to make it out to be some tragic, lost romance between them and tended to guilt her and Puck for breaking up, but Rachel just let it roll off her back. She loved Finn and Puck was nothing but a distraction and a means to an end. Even when she cheated on Finn with him, she still imagined it was Finn kissing her and touching her. She never had feelings greater than physical attraction for Puck.
"I'm fine. How are you? Excited to visit the city finally?"
She shrugged indifferently. "Big cities have never been my cup of tea. I'm only here because I wanted to see the house Noah bought and my granddaughter. I've only seen her once."
"Well, I'm sure Noah is happy you're here."
"Yes, it's just a shame he failed to mention there would be other guests as well. Except of course for you and Finn, dear. You know I'm always happy to see you." She sighed and frowned. "It's such a shame you and Noah didn't work out. There would be no question that you would have gotten married in a synagogue instead of a cheap ceremony in Las Vegas and your children would obviously be raised in the Jewish faith."
Anjali rolled her eyes and continued walking to the stairs. Rachel however defended Puck and Anjali's relationship. "Noah and I would never have worked out. He adores Anjali though and I know she feels the same. They're actually a perfect couple."
Adele snorted. "No such thing. But there is near perfect. You two were near perfect."
Rachel raised an eyebrow at the woman and tried her best not to break out in raucous laughter. Adele was clearly in denial and couldn't accept that her son was in love with a woman who wasn't the perfect mold she wanted for him.
"I'm going to go help Anjali with Jasmine." She excused herself and when she arrived to the nursery she found Anjali angrily changing her daughter's diaper, mumbling incoherently to herself. "Don't listen to Adele. The only reason she liked Puck and I together so much was because I'm Jewish."
"And that's exactly the reason she hates me. It's like she blames me for not being born Jewish and not converting. She hasn't stopped whining about how she didn't get to see her 'precious baby boy' marry in the synagogue she was married in. She doesn't even like Puck's father!" She slammed the dirty diaper into the bin and rested her hands on either side of her four month old. "I just don't understand why they can't be happy that Puck and I are happy. That we love each other and made this beautiful baby girl together."
Jasmine chewed on her hand as she kicked her legs on the changing table, staring up at the stars painted on the ceiling. Rachel smiled at how cute she was. She had wild black hair that stuck up every which way and the same brown sugar skin as Anjali. When it came to her facial expressions she looked just like Puck and had his eyes and grin.
"You love Puck, right? And you love Jasmine? Then that's all you need. More often than not parents dislike the spouses their children choose. But you aren't married to Adele and Lynn isn't married to Noah. So don't let their issues with you both get in the way of your happiness."
Anjali turned to face Rachel with tears in her eyes. She sniffled and tried to smile. "Thank you."
Rachel hugged her tightly. "You're my best friend and I hate seeing you so upset. I'm here for you whenever you need me."
Anjali squeezed tighter but abruptly pulled away as Jasmine cried out. She made some gurgling noises so they would pay attention to her again and laughed when Anjali looked back down at her. "I'm sorry. Were we not noticing you enough?" She lifted Jasmine and tried to tamp down her messy hair without success.
A knock on the door alerted them to Finn's presence. "Dinner is ready." He noticed the tear streaks down Anjali's face. "Everything okay?"
Anjali nodded. "Fine. We'll be down in a minute. I just want to fix Jasmine's hair."
"Take all the time you need." Rachel squeezed her hand and joined Finn in the hall. He looked at her expectantly. "The stress of her mother and Adele's presence is getting to her."
Finn nodded in understanding. "I would probably cry too if my parents acted that way. Lynn went in to oversee Puck's cooking and wouldn't stop criticizing him. Adele came in to defend him until she started picking on the way he was mashing the potatoes, then they both took over the cooking yet continued to bicker."
"I'm surprised the turkey didn't go out the window."
Finn chuckled and took Rachel's hand as they walked down the stairs. When they arrived at the dining room Puck was setting the food on the table, his mother resetting his placements, Lynn adjusting Adele's settings, only for Adele to reset them again until Puck finally yelled at her to leave it alone. Sarah watched from the side trying not to laugh and Anjali's brother Tim was rolling his eyes as he stealthily drank a beer. When he noticed Rachel however, he perked up and sauntered over to her.
"Hey there, Rachel. You're looking good." He waggled his eyebrows at her and licked his lips salaciously as his eyes raked down her body. She suddenly felt exposed in her gold and black cocktail dress and it wasn't revealing in the least.
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest protectively. "Hello, Timothy. How are you?" she replied tersely.
"Better now that you're here." He stepped closer to her and smirked.
Finn raised an eyebrow and draped his arm over Rachel's shoulders possessively. He knew Tim was no competition and zero threat, but that didn't mean he wanted the little punk undressing Rachel with his eyes. It was bad enough he had already seen her naked once, he didn't want to watch him imagine seeing her naked again.
Tim noticed the territorial threat display and acknowledged Finn for the first time. "So…you're still around? I thought Rachel would have dropped you by now. You know how high school romances can be."
"Sorry man, I'm still here and I don't plan on going anywhere. You know how long-term relationships can be." He pressed a kiss to the top of Rachel's head.
Tim stared at Finn darkly. Ever since Rachel had spent a week in Texas with Anjali during the summer two years earlier, Tim had carried a torch for her and attempted in vain to win her affections. After he saw her in the buff while she was changing into her bikini to go swimming, he had increased his efforts tenfold. Regardless of how many times Rachel insisted she was not interested and was deeply in love with Finn, Tim persisted and didn't seem to take the hint.
"You realize my culture literally wrote the manual on hot sex, right?"
Rachel scrunched her brows in thought. "I didn't realize Texans wrote a book on sex." She bit her lip innocently while Finn stifled a laugh.
"I don't think you realize what you're missing out on. Wouldn't you rather have something a little spicier than vanilla?"
"I've never been a fan of spicy things and vanilla is my favorite flavor. I'm very satisfied with my current level of hot between my sheets and have no desire to sample your spice."
"You just love rubbing it in my face that Pasty over here is the only man you've ever been with, don't you?"
"I'm not rubbing anything in your face. You just refuse to accept facts."
"Until there's a ring on that finger nothing is set in stone. When you finally get tired of boring old vanilla over here, give me a call. I'll be waiting."
"And you'll continue waiting."
Anjali walked around the corner and slapped Tim in the back of the head. "Stop hitting on Rachel, you perv."
"Ow!" he whined in protest. "Don't tell me what to do."
"Both of you stop and sit down," Lynn interrupted, pointing at seats.
Anjali placed Jasmine in her swing next to her seat at the end of the table and Tim sat next to her on her right. Rachel walked around to the other side of the table to sit on Anjali's left but was cut off when Lynn sat there. She tried the seat by Puck but Adele already placed her glass there. Sarah sat between them and Finn was currently in the seat on Puck's left leaving only the seat between Finn and Tim open. She leaned on Finn's shoulder and whispered in his ear.
"Finn, can you please take the middle seat? I don't want to sit next to Tim."
Finn looked at the empty seat and frowned. "I would but there's no way I'd fit."
She pouted and her shoulders slumped. Dropping her head in defeat, Rachel sat down in the middle seat and tried to get as comfortable as she could under the circumstances. She scooted her chair closer to Finn but Tim just moved his over too.
"Well this is cozy," he leaned into her, breathing on her shoulder.
She sneered at him before making a show of taking Finn's hand in hers and kissing him. "Dear God, help me," she breathed into Finn's ear before pulling away.
Sensing the problem, Anjali stood up and dragged her brother's chair away from Rachel. "Keep your ass at least a foot away from Rachel or I will make you sit at the kids' table."
"There isn't a kids' table."
"I will make one just for you in the kitchen by your lonesome." She pointed threateningly at him and he shifted his chair another inch away from Rachel. Rachel smiled at her best friend and mouthed 'thank you' in appreciation. She just nodded once back at her.
Puck stood up and cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Uh, hey…everyone. Thanks for coming to our first Thanksgiving in our new house. I've never really cooked a turkey before so I hope it tastes alright. Mom, Sarah, thanks for making the trip from Ohio and giving me that recipe for the stuffing; Tim, Mrs. Jeeri, thanks for coming up from Texas and making your pumpkin pie. Finn, Rachel, thanks for choosing us even though we know you had better options." He paused briefly as if unsure whether to say more. Puck took a deep breath and looked at Lynn. "Mrs. Jeeri…Lynn…I know we have our differences and that I'm not your favorite person, but I love your daughter and I want you to know that. It means a lot that even though you don't like me, you put aside your feelings to come celebrate with us. Thank you." Lynn was stiff in her seat as she looked at Puck and attempted a smile. "So having said all that, let's eat!"
Food moved around the table as everyone dug in and soon the conversation started flowing. When it turned to Jasmine however, things grew tense in the room.
"Anjali, you never gave me an answer on Jasmine's baptism. When will you be having it?"
Anjali and Puck shared a glance. She cleared her throat and looked down at her plate as she spoke. "We aren't going to baptize her, at least not yet."
"Excuse me?!" Lynn replied aghast. "What do you mean you aren't baptizing her? She needs to be baptized."
"We're not baptizing her because we don't know if she'll want to be Christian or Jewish or even Hindu or nothing at all. We're going to expose her to both of our faiths and let her decide what she wants to be when she's old enough."
"That is…Anjali, you need to baptize her. If she wants to convert when she's old enough, then she can make that decision herself but you need to give her a strong religious background to build on."
"Now hold on. Why should she be baptized? What if they want to raise her in the Jewish faith and she decides she wants to convert?" Adele added.
Puck cleared his throat to speak. "That's why we're waiting and not pushing either religion on her before she's even old enough to know what religion is. We knew this issue would come up and we've talked about it a lot. She's our kid and we think this is the best way to raise her in a multi-faith family."
Adele scoffed and looked at Rachel and Finn. "Rachel, Finn, you two plan on getting married and having children someday, yes?"
They looked at each other, neither wanting to get in the middle of the squabble. Rachel chewed on her lip before hesitantly answering. "Yes, someday."
"And how do you plan on overcoming the issue of raising your children in a multi-faith household?"
Rachel looked over at Finn before answering. "We had a discussion a few years ago and Finn agreed that we could raise our children in the Jewish faith. But just because that's what we decided doesn't mean that Anjali and Noah are by any means wrong. It's actually a very diplomatic way of handling it since they both have strong ties to their individual faiths and don't want to push one over the other."
"This conversation is absolutely ridiculous. Religion runs through the mother's side. Anjali is Christian and therefore her children should be raised as such."
"Mom, I don't understand why you are pushing this issue so much. You married a Hindu."
"Yes, but he accepted that you and Tim would be raised as Christians."
"And when Jasmine is old enough to decide for herself what she wants, I will be more than happy to immerse her in Christianity if that's what she chooses. I don't see why it should matter whether she is baptized now then converts or baptized later into the faith she wishes to be a part of."
"But what if you have a boy?" Lynn cried, leaning forward.
Anjali tilted her head, confused by the question. "I'm not sure what you mean by that."
"Jewish boys get snipped, don't they? You know I don't like the idea of…that."
Puck cleared his throat loudly to break into the conversation. "Okay. We're at the dinner table. I don't think this is the appropriate time to be talking about man parts getting snipped."
Rachel snorted. "Really? This is the line?" Just last week he and Finn were literally talking shit while they ate out in public.
"My mother is present," he muttered.
"No, Noah. I think it is wrong to disfigure a little boy's body without his consent. It's painful and what does it really accomplish? My husband wasn't circumcised and he led a perfectly normal life. Tim isn't either and he's just fine."
"Mom!"
"What? We're all adults at this table."
Tim's eyes were wide as he bit back what he really wanted to say to her. "That doesn't mean I need everyone knowing about what's going on in my pants," he swiveled his head in Rachel's direction and turned on the flirtation, "But you're more than welcome to find out later."
"Since I'm Jewish, I prefer men who adhere to my faith." Honestly, she wouldn't really care either way, but she needed to insult his manliness in some capacity to get him to back off.
"I don't think it would be right to do a circumcision on your son in a Jewish ceremony. I don't like circumcision at all and you simply can't raise one child in one faith and one child in the other. You need to make a choice."
"What are you even talking about? We don't have a son! There's no guarantee we ever will. That's the reason you're pushing this issue so much? Because of some hypothetical son we may or may not have? We just had a baby – an unexpected baby – we are by no means ready to even think about another child yet." Anjali stood up and threw her napkin on the table. "You are so frustrating! Both of you!" She looked at Adele and her mother. "Jasmine is our daughter and we will decide how to raise her. If and when we have a son, we will decide whether or not to circumcise him and whether or not it will be done for religious purposes. You're both so concerned with getting your way and being angry that Noah and I aren't with someone you deem worthy, that you can't even see how happy we are!
"Mom, didn't it hurt Dad when his parents disowned him for marrying you? But he didn't care because he loved you more than anything and I know you and Grandma have fought on more than one occasion over your marriage. Didn't it break your heart that she couldn't accept that you loved Dad, that he was your choice? So how can you sit there and do the same thing to me? Noah may be crass and vulgar, but underneath his tough exterior he is the sweetest and most loving man I've ever met. He's my soulmate and all you two care about is getting your way. I love a Jewish man, Mom. Your son loves a Christian girl. Get over it!" Her yell startled Jasmine in her swing and she began to cry. "I don't understand why it bothers you so much." She looked at her mother, "You married a man whose faith isn't even monotheistic!" Then to Adele, "Your son impregnated a Christian cheerleader in high school, that he didn't even really like, and you let her live with you when her family kicked her out. So how is it when Noah and I genuinely love each other you two throw a fit over it? God, I am just sick of you both trying to tell us what to do with our lives."
Jasmine's crying grew in volume until she was screaming and Anjali finally turned her attention to her baby. She lifted her out of her swing and rested her against her chest to carry her out of the dining room and upstairs.
Everyone else sat in silence until Puck finally cleared his throat and rubbed his face. "I guess it wouldn't really be a Puckerman family holiday without someone storming out after a fit, huh Mom?" he tried to joke to break the tension. Adele however did not look amused.
"You had a child with a girl in high school?" Lynn asked slowly, shock registering on her face.
Puck's eyes grew a bit wider and he turned away to take a drink. That was one fact neither he nor Anjali ever wanted her mother to know. Now that it was out, he was going to explain himself however.
"Yes. I did. I was an ass back in high school and a shitty friend. Quinn was Finn's girlfriend and I convinced her to cheat on him with me. When she had the baby, Beth, she gave her up for adoption to Rachel's biological mother."
Lynn was tightlipped as she stared at Puck. "So you not only uprooted my daughter's whole world, you did it to some other poor girl too."
"I didn't uproot anyone's world. Have you been paying any attention at all? Anjali is happy! And the last I heard of Quinn she was doing just fine too. I get it, you hate me because I'm not the guy you wanted for Anjali and I knocked her up and married her in Vegas. Mom, I know you wanted me to get married to a Jewish girl, but that didn't happen. Whether you like it or not, Anjali and I are married and we're staying that way and we're raising Jasmine the way we see fit and if we have more kids, we'll decide how to raise them too. So how about you both get over yourselves and enjoy the damn turkey I spent the last eight hours cooking or else you're never invited to Thanksgiving again because I really don't want to have the same damn conversation every year."
Puck picked a leg up and took a huge bite out of it before dropping it back on his plate and getting to his feet to find Anjali.
Tim heeded Puck's words and started eating his turkey again; Rachel, Finn and Sarah following suit.
"Perhaps we are being a bit harsh on them. They're hardly destitute. Noah is a firefighter, Anjali is working on her second novel and working at the pet store, they have a house. And Anjali is a very sweet and lovely girl," Adele conceded.
Lynn didn't quite share her thoughts. "Noah is a dope. I don't trust him and I don't like his attitude. Anjali was bent on getting married at our parish back home to a good Christian man and raising her children in the Christian faith. But then she met him and changed overnight."
"You ever think that maybe she was always this way but you just never noticed because you were too busy thinking about what you wanted for Anj instead of allowing her to decide for herself?" Tim said in a low voice, surprising everyone, especially his mother.
"Excuse me?"
Tim's eyes flickered back and forth and he shrugged. "I don't know. Don't get me wrong, Mom, I love you, but you can be a bit of a smother. After Dad died, you were so concerned with making sure Anj and I were safe and cared for that you started taking over everything in our lives and you just didn't ever stop. Why do you think Anjali wanted to go away to college? You never let her have any freedom so of course once she was on her own she went for the exact opposite of what you told her you wanted over and over."
"I do not control everything in your lives."
"Before we came here you went through my suitcase and repacked it because you said I didn't do it right. And you picked out all my clothes for the weekend when you repacked it. I'm 19 years old. I think I can handle picking out my own clothes now, Mom."
Lynn sighed. "Is it so bad that I want what's best for my children?"
"Not at all," Adele cut in, "it's what every parent wants. But if you don't give your kids freedom to find themselves they'll resent you."
"Who are you to give me these pearls of wisdom? Your son had too much freedom. Getting girls pregnant and stealing your car and an ATM."
"Noah was a rebellious youth but he has matured to be a standup member of society. His job is saving lives every day. He's made mistakes but he's become a better man for having made them."
"Well my daughter was a straight A student and doesn't have a juvenile record and she turned out just fine without making the mistakes you seem to think makes someone a worthy human being."
Adele laughed at the audacity. "Anjali hasn't made mistakes? She had unprotected sex and got pregnant at 21 and hours after finding out she was with child got married in Vegas!"
"So even you think my daughter and your son together are a mistake."
Adele hissed. "I did not say that."
"But you're thinking it."
Finn raised his hand as if he was in a class until the women noticed him. "If I could just say something…you're both being ridiculous and you both obviously missed the point of Anjali's speech earlier. Rather than being happy that your children are happy, you're focusing on what you consider faults that to them honestly just aren't important. Puck is an idiot and Anjali can be super mean and scary sometimes, but despite that, they make each other happy and at the end of the day, that's what they care about most. I know because that's how I feel about Rachel. I'm dumb 90 percent of the time and Rachel is controlling, but I love her. So maybe, just for tonight, can you put aside your own feelings and think about theirs? It would mean a lot to both of them. You don't have to like Puck or the fact Anjali isn't Jewish, but you could at least pretend not to mind so much."
Adele and Lynn looked at each other momentarily, their expressions contemplative. The women turned Finn's words over in their heads as they sat in silence, continuing their now cold meal. No one spoke for what seemed an eternity.
"Your son is still a meathead but he does seem to really love Anjali. He provides for her and supports her career. And he's a pretty great father. He loves that baby so much," Lynn began, breaking the near ten minute silence.
"And Anjali is much nicer than most of the other women Noah has brought home. It's great that she's open to celebrating Judaism in addition to her own faith as well, even if she isn't converting."
"I guess…maybe…I owe Noah an apology."
"And I owe Anjali one."
The women left the table and ventured upstairs. Finn let out a breath he felt he'd been holding all night. "Why is it every Thanksgiving we end up watching other people fight?" First the Berrys when they were going through a minor rough patch while redecorating their bedroom, then Kurt and Carole over who could cook the better Thanksgiving dinner, followed the next year by Burt fighting on the phone with Kurt since he opted out of returning home that year, and the year prior Carole and Burt had a blowout due to his mother's menopause. Who knew a comment about stuffing being a little dry could lead to a plate full of food being flung at someone's head? Finn was cleaning food out of his clothes all night.
Rachel shrugged before a memory came to her. "The first year we celebrated together no one fought. It was rather enjoyable."
"Oh yeah, I forgot."
Sarah giggled. "That's probably because Thanksgiving is boring if no one fights. It's just dinner without someone insulting something."
"That's true. Last year it was just my mom and I and after we ate, I went up to my room and watched TV for an hour before passing out. Lame. If you and Anjali had come to visit us, I'm sure it would have been much more memorable." Tim draped his arm around Rachel's shoulders and eyed her chest.
"Ew." She lifted his arm off her gingerly and gripped Finn's thigh for support.
Finn leaned back to look at Tim behind Rachel's head. "If you really want this year to be memorable, Tim, touch my girlfriend or make a pass at her again and I'll make sure you never forget it."
Tim didn't seem fazed by his threat. "I'd like to see you try."
Rachel tightened her hold on Finn's thigh when she felt him tense. "He's just goading you. Relax, Finn." She leaned closer to him, moving her hand up to play with the hair at the nape of his neck as she whispered in his ear, "Unlike Tim, when you get home tonight, you'll get to help me out of this dress." She pressed her lips to his flushed cheek and crossed her legs, running her foot under Finn's pant leg along his calf.
Tim bit off a piece of turkey angrily as he watched Rachel and Finn cuddle and touch each other and share soft little kisses and whispers as if he and Sarah weren't sitting right next to them. It was disgusting. Thankfully, his sister and everyone else returned breaking them up.
Anjali looked tired and had clearly been crying but the atmosphere as everyone resumed their seats was much more serene and lighter.
"Everything okay?" Rachel inquired, looking at her best friend.
She nodded quietly. "We still have things to work on, but we'll get there." She turned her attention to Finn. "Finn?" He looked up. "Thank you." He smiled in reply and Anjali glanced around the table.
The evening progressed without further drama…for the most part. There was some argument over post-dinner activities but it appeared Lynn and Adele were really trying to get along and not rag on the other's children. Lynn even bit her tongue when Puck made a lewd comment about Anjali's breastfeeding Jasmine.
When Finn and Rachel made their departure, Puck and Anjali walked them to the end of the street to get a moment away from their mothers.
Puck blew out a breath. "Wow, that really sucked."
"I wish our first Thanksgiving as hosts could have been better. I am so sorry you had to witness all of that."
Rachel pulled Anjali into a hug. "It's fine, Anj. All families have drama." She released her and moved back into Finn's arms. "And it wasn't a total disaster. Your mothers actually seem to be getting along now. They may never be friends but I think you got it through to them that they need to be civil and let you live your lives together."
"I wish what I said had any impact. It was Finn." They all looked at him and Finn shook his head, trying to be humble.
"I really just said the same thing you said."
"But it wasn't until you said it that they finally got the message. I don't know why they listen to you but not to us. We're only their kids."
"I don't think it was me, but if what I said did help, I'm glad I could help."
"Let's hope the truce lasts."
Rachel chuckled lightly. "If it doesn't, we'll hold Thanksgiving next year and try to keep it drama free for you."
"You want to have Thanksgiving in your shoebox?"
"It could just be the five of us. A nice, quiet, intimate affair."
"I'd like to have an intimate affair right now," Puck mumbled, earning a backhanded smack to his chest.
Rachel huffed and crossed her arms over her body as a chill ran through her. "We really do need to go. The bus will be here soon. And clearly Noah has evening plans he wishes to get to." She grinned cheekily at her friends.
They bid Puck and Anjali adieu and continued on to the bus stop hand in hand.
"You don't think our parents will get that huffy about us, do you?"
Rachel shook her head. "My dads like you just as you are and your parents like me. I'm sure they'll support us no matter what we choose…but we are choosing Judaism because it's my faith and you aren't overly religious. Ever since Grilled Cheesus…"
Finn hung his head low as Rachel chuckled at him. "I should never have told you about that. I'll never live it down."
"I still can't believe you prayed to it to touch my boobs."
"It worked. I mean, you were still really prude then so it was only the sides, but it was further than we'd gone before."
"I resent being called a prude. I had never been touched there by a man before and it was a little scary."
"But you dove right in to your first blow job."
"I was inebriated and I had touched you there before." She pouted up at him. "Now stop making fun of me or you can forget me touching you there when we get home."
"I'm sorry, baby." They arrived at the stop and Finn tugged Rachel to him for a kiss. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Thank you," Finn breathed against her lips.
She glanced up at him softly. "For what?"
"For everything. My life is pretty awesome right now and a lot of it I owe to you. I don't know that I ever would have left Lima without you teaching me to dream bigger. And I definitely wouldn't have found the best girlfriend ever without you."
Rachel took his hands in hers and smiled up at him. "You're very welcome. I need to thank you too. You showed me what true love is and what's truly important. I love Broadway and New York, but I love you more, and whatever happens down the line, as long as I know you're with me, I know I'll be infinitely happy."
He held her face in his hands and kissed her again, mumbling into her lips. "I cannot wait to get home to show you just how thankful I am."
"Well, it is Thanksgiving…" She chuckled and pulled him toward the bus as it arrived.
Rachel couldn't wait to get home and give her thanks to Finn.
I have to say writing the end of this was a bit painful with the current state of canon Finchel, but it was right in the context of the universe it is set in.
Anyway, happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you enjoy your turkey and don't have familial drama like the Puckermans! lol