A/N For my readers who are celebrating today, happy Thanksgiving!

After the Vows

Jim Beckett's Journal

Chapter 14

Dear Johanna,

It is Thanksgiving evening and I'm going to give you a play by play of the day. I started the morning making my corn casserole. I got a phone call from overseas just before I should have pulled it out of the oven, so it over-browned. I had to start over, but first I had to find a store open on Thanksgiving to get more ingredients. Unfortunately for the employees who work there, my local market was open until one P.M., so I was able to restock. If the phone had rung the second time, I think I would have let it, but it didn't, so I had my contribution to the meal ready to go.

I put the parade on so that I could catch Martha and Declan. I didn't get to see Declan. The cameras focused on the Bollywood dancers, not the instrumentalists. Alexis was standing on the parade route very close to the reviewing stand. She camped out last night to be able to do that. As a result she got see both Declan and Martha perform. She didn't get to see Martha's interview with Matt Lauer live, but Rick recorded it. I got to see Martha's performance and her interview. I thought she did quite well with both, although she looked pretty chilled during her talk with Matt. She might be a bit too vain to cover up properly.

Katie did get called out on a case early in the morning. Rick couldn't go with her because he was roasting the turkey, which he put in at six A.M.. Lanie wasn't the medical examiner on the case. Katie told me it was a man named Perlmutter who wasn't at all happy. Rick tells me that Perlmutter is never happy, and especially never happy with Rick. Perlmutter, however, did save the morning by declaring the death to be accidental. It was cold enough for ice to form on elevated concrete stairs early this morning, although it warmed up a little, later. The victim simply slipped on the ice, fell down the stairs, and broke his neck. That is certainly a tragedy for the victim's loved ones but it didn't require further attention from Katie. She was able to return to the Castle loft in time to work on the salad. From what I've seen in the past, that was probably a good thing for Rick, who has a tendency to slice his fingers along with slicing tomatoes.

I started out to pick up Morrison Collier's canapes and side dishes after the broadcast of the parade was over at noon. I assumed that traffic would be horrendous with everyone trying to get somewhere for dinner, so I took the subway. It was a pretty mixed atmosphere. There were some riders who seemed to be in a celebratory mood, with big smiles on their faces. There were others who looked like they were about to come out with a "bah, humbug!" I heard muttering about having to work. It used to be that the start of the Christmas shopping season was the day after Thanksgiving, now known as "Black Friday." For the past couple of years that has been pushed back and Friday has begun on Thursday. It is unfortunate, both for the families who will be interrupting their holidays and for the workers at the retail stores. I don't see the trend reversing, though.

It was a bit of a trick juggling all the things Collier had given me, while riding the subway, even though they were very professionally and securely packed. I rethought my decision not to take my car several times. I almost dropped something, but one of the other riders caught it for me. It was a nice gesture.

Katie and of course Rick, were at the loft when I got there, but Martha and Alexis hadn't made it yet. I helped set the table and chatted with the kids until everyone was there, which was about two thirty P.M.. Rick did an admirable job of timing the turkey and it was both cooked and rested for slicing by the time we were ready to sit down. Martha suggested that we all say what we were thankful for. It was a pretty long list. Martha was first and foremost grateful that Rick made it back, for her play, and that the kids finally managed to get married. She didn't mention Collier. Alexis was grateful to have her father back and to have found Declan. She put in something at the end about being grateful that Rick and Katie had found happiness together, but it sounded a little like an afterthought. I am very grateful that the kids have found happiness together and I said so. I also said that I am grateful for the class action suit that should allow me to help so many women, and that Rick kept J.J. from killing Katie. I got a loud "hear, hear," on that last one.

For Rick and Katie it was almost like a replay of the wedding. Rick was so grateful to have made it back to Katie. I'm not sure if he was taking about his disappearance, or the alternate universe he thinks he went to, but there were tears in his eyes as he told us how glad he was that she would take him as her husband after everything that happened.

Katie was emotional as well, thankful that after all they had been through together for so many years, she and Rick were finally married. They took each others' hands and kissed and we all applauded.

Dinner was almost anti-climactic. The food was excellent. Rick is a good cook and Alexis is a good baker. As skittish as I was about Collier's cuisine, it was outstanding. I think I would like to patronize his restaurant some time. From what I've heard, getting a reservation there is nearly impossible, but I have a feeling Martha might be able to help with that.

After dinner, Rick pulled out a puppet theater. He and Alexis told me that doing a little Thanksgiving play was something they'd done ever since Alexis was five and could remember the lines. They didn't do it last year because Alexis was living with Pi and she hadn't been around to practice. But she and Rick managed to find some time, I'm not sure how, this year. It was charming. I could see that the various puppets had been made over a span of years. Some of them were obviously made by a very young Alexis. Rick clearly treasures every clumsy stitch.

Eventually Rick did turn on a football game. I don't think he did it so much because he was interested in watching it as to give himself an excuse to cuddle with Katie on the couch in front of the screen. I know how to take a cue to leave. It was just as well. When I got home I had a great turkey-induced nap.

The Santas are already ringing their bells and the city is gearing up for Christmas. I still feel your loss, but I also feel your presence. This year I'm going to stay.

Forever love,

JB