…..
Thanksgiving
"Mm, it smells good," Lucas said, kissing her cheek as he stepped up behind her. "Thank you for cooking."
"Thank you for inviting me and Nora over and saving me from my parents."
Elizabeth stepped over to the oven, basted the turkey and then shut it again, wiping her hands on her apron.
"Mama! Choos, pease."
Elizabeth smiled at Nora and handed her a sippy cup.
"Tank you."
"You are welcome, doodle bug."
"Hi, Daddy."
"Hi there."
Nora ran back into the living room where Ace and Amie were watching a movie.
Elizabeth turned to look at Lucas. "Did Ace say what he wanted to do for his birthday?" It was in ten days and they wanted to do something before they headed out of town.
"He said he didn't know. He has one friend, a kid named Sam. Maybe we can see if he wants to come over for a sleepover?"
"Sure. We could have them build a fort or something in the family room and watch movies and make their own pizzas. Then Nora and Amie and I can have a sleepover of our own so the girls don't get in Ace's way."
"What about me?"
"Well, dear, you are a boy, so I say maybe you should tackle things down here."
"But I like girls. Particularly all the ones that are currently in this house. Maybe I can go back and forth."
"Whatever you think is best," she teased, kissing his cheek.
"Thank you. I got our plane tickets and I rented a house for the weekend in Montpelier. It has a hot tub and you should see the master bath. Wow."
"Sounds good," she said, blushing deep red.
"Also, going back to the topic of birthdays, I want to get Ace a puppy."
"Oh my goodness. He is going to love that."
"I was thinking I could take him to the shelter and you could maybe watch the girls?"
"Happy to. When is this going to happen?"
"Saturday."
"You can drop off Amie at my house on your way to the shelter."
With that settled, Lucas and Elizabeth went into the living room. On the way, the doorbell rang signaling Lee's arrival with his girlfriend.
That term 'girlfriend' wasn't something Lucas ever thought Lee would associate with a woman but he seemed to really like this one. After all, they had gone on more than two dates which was more than Lee usually had with one woman.
"Lee, good to see you," Lucas said, shaking his hand. "And you must be Rosemary?"
"That's me. You are Lucas?"
"I am. Come in out of the cold. We have a fire going in the family room."
"Uncle Lee!" Amie yelled, running up to him.
"Ames! How is the best niece in the world?"
"I'm good!" She looked at Rosemary. "Who are you?"
"Hi. I'm Rosemary."
"Are you Uncle Lee's girlfriend?"
"Well, I guess…I am?" she said in question, looking at Lee.
"Absolutely," he told her, kissing her cheek and putting Amie down. "Yes, everyone, this is my beautiful, talented, amazing girlfriend, Rosemary."
Elizabeth walked over and shook their hands. "Hi, Lee. Good to see you."
"You too, Beth."
"I'm Elizabeth. Lucas' girlfriend," she said, introducing herself to Rosemary.
After all the introductions, Rosemary followed Elizabeth into the kitchen.
Elizabeth poured her a glass of wine and they sat at the counter and chatted while Elizabeth cut up potatoes and added them to a pot.
"Tell me how you met Lucas," Rosemary said, sipping her wine.
"He hired me to decorate Amie and Ace's rooms."
"Oh, you are an interior designer?"
"I am and apparently a part time party planner too."
"Wow, you must be talented."
"I guess? I mean, I just love to do it and people hire me so I'd like to think I know what I'm doing. I have a degree in interior design so there's that. What do you do, Rosemary?"
"I'm in between jobs right now. I was laid off last year and it's a struggle to find work in my field here."
"What's your field, if you don't mind me asking."
"Well, business management. I want to open my own boutique, clothes, handbags. I haven't found any spaces in my price range and the longer I'm out of work, the less money I have to make that purchase."
"Oh, that must be so frustrating."
"It really is." Rosemary sighed and sipped her wine again. "Enough about me. Trust me, I'm boring. I would love to know about you. Nora is adorable."
Speaking of, she ran in right then. "Mama?"
"Hi, sweetie pie." Elizabeth picked her up and kissed her cheeks. "Are you getting tired?"
"Yeah, book, nap?"
"I'll take her to Amie's room," Lucas offered, reaching for her.
"Daddy? Book, nap?"
"Yep, lets go."
Rosie raised her eyebrows at Elizabeth as he took Nora upstairs.
"Daddy? I think I'm confused. Is he her Daddy?"
"No," Elizabeth chuckled. "She heard Amie call him that and I guess she thought that was his name."
"That's so…incredibly adorable."
"It was awkward at first but now…"
"Now, you see that it might actually fit in the near future?"
"Oh, I don't know how near but yeah."
"According to Lee, things are heating up between you two."
Her cheeks heated up but 'things' were going at a good pace.
Elizabeth got up, added water to the pot of potatoes and put it on the stove to boil. Then she placed the green bean casserole in the oven to bake and basted the turkey again.
Then she opened the can of cranberry sauce and poured the mixture into a saucepan to heat up.
"You seem comfortable in this kitchen."
"It has everything you could ever want in a kitchen. I guess I just feel…"
"I'm not judging, Elizabeth. I promise. I tend to blurt things. I'm a bit dramatic according to my mother and sister and apparently have no filter according to my dad."
"Well, that can make things interesting," she said with a laugh.
"I suppose. I just wish sometimes it didn't come across as too much. I've tried to change but haven't been successful."
"I don't want you to change," Lee said, walking up to her. "I adore the dramatic Rosie and the honest to a fault Rosie."
"You may not feel that way later on."
He kissed her temple and sighed. He wished he could make her see her own value and also that her family would support her. They had an issue with seemingly anything she did and that didn't seem fair to him at all.
"She's out," Lucas said, walking back in the kitchen. "How much longer til we eat?"
"About thirty?" He groaned and rubbed his stomach and she laughed.
"How old are you again?"
"Forty," he said proudly.
"His birthday is in February, in case you want to file that information away for future use," Lee said with a smile.
"Thanks, Lee." She winked at Lucas. "I'll have to plan a celebration for that."
"Just you and me?" he whispered for her ears only.
"First the kids and your friends, and then yes. Just you and me," she whispered back, kissing him quickly.
"Pretty sure my birthday is going to be my favorite thing."
Dinner went well. Everyone enjoyed the food and company and Elizabeth ignored the incessant phone calls that were likely from her parents.
Elizabeth started to put leftovers away but Lucas walked up behind her. "Babe, why don't you go relax with the kids? They are wanting a story. I can do the dishes."
"Are you sure?" she asked, turning.
"Absolutely."
"I'm helping," Lee said, walking in.
Elizabeth walked into the family room and smiled. Rosemary was on the floor with the kids, playing with giant legos.
"Mama! Sit, pease." Elizabeth joined them and Nora climbed onto her lap. "Hi."
"Hi, peanut."
"Mama! House." She pointed at the building they had constructed.
"I see."
"Isn't that nice of Miss Rosemary to help you?"
Nora got up and sat on Rosemary's lap. "Nice," Nora repeated and smiled up at Rosemary.
Elizabeth noticed Rosemary's eyes fill up with tears.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, of course."
"Are you sure? If the kids are too much…"
"No no. They are just perfect. I just wish I could have children of my own."
"Why can't you? I mean, you don't have to tell me but I am a good listener."
"I have fibroids and they have blocked my fallopian tubes. So I can't release the eggs."
"Oh. I don't know much about it, but is there a surgery or anything that can help?"
"I've had surgeries and with all the scar tissue and the fibroids that keep growing, its unlikely I will ever be able to have babies."
"Daddy adopted me and Ace!" Amie told her, obviously listening. "And Miss Elizabeth adopted Nora. You can adopt a baby that doesn't have a Mommy or a Daddy."
"Thank you, sweet girl," Rosemary said, smiling. "I can adopt, you're right."
Amie went back to building while Rosemary talked to Elizabeth again. "I always wanted to carry a baby and now that I'm with Lee…I just don't know what options he would be okay with, if he wants kids at all."
"That's definitely an important conversation to have."
"Yeah and everything is so new. I don't want to scare him off."
"Who's scaring who off?" Lee said, joining them.
"Look, Uncle Lee! We built a house!" Amie yelled.
"I see! Good job!"
"And Miss Rosemary helped us."
"She did huh? Maybe you can be an architect," he teased.
"Yeah, maybe."
"Do you want to adopt, Uncle Lee? A baby? Cause Miss Rosemary wants one. You are going to get married, right?"
"Oh wow, Amie, why don't we let them talk about that when they are ready?" Elizabeth asked, her cheeks turning pink. Little kids repeated everything.
Rosie turned pink and looked away from Lee who turned her chin back. "I'd like to have that conversation," he told her. "When you are ready."
"Okay."
Ace moved over next to Elizabeth and leaned against her shoulder. "Miss Elizabeth?"
"Yeah, bud."
"I'm glad you're here."
"Me too."
"Will you stay?"
"I hadn't planned on it so Nora and I don't have any clothes here."
"Oh. But can you stay forever? I mean, this house is big. You can live here. There's plenty of room."
She wrapped her arms around the dear boy and smiled, kissing his hair. "You kids are full of big questions tonight, aren't you?"
He shrugged and closed his eyes, enjoying her affection. "I guess."
"Well, maybe in the future that might be something Dad and I talk about. How's that?"
"I guess its fine."
"Well, Rosie and I are going to leave. Thank you for having us over," Lee said, standing and helping Rosemary up. Lucas walked over and gave them both hugs.
"Thank you for coming. Both of you."
Rosemary hugged Elizabeth and pulled out her phone. "Can we maybe have coffee sometime?"
"I'd like that, sure." They exchanged numbers and the couple left.
"Daddy? Can Nora and Miss Elizabeth stay over?" Amie asked.
"I don't have jammas for Nora or me," Elizabeth told her.
"Nora can wear my jammas."
"I'm sure I have something for you to wear," Lucas told her. The thought of her wearing his clothes drove him crazy, in a good way.
"I guess we can sleep here." The guest room was very comfy and spacious. "I have a pull up in the car for Nora."
"I'll grab her bag," he offered, walking out the door before she said anything.
"Yay! Sleepover! Can I sleep with you and Nora?" Amie asked.
"Sure, honey." The bed was a king so there was plenty of room.
Later after bedtime routines and stories and the kids were snuggled into their rooms, Elizabeth left the guest room and almost ran into Lucas who was waiting in the hall.
"Hi."
"Hey. I'm going to make some tea. Would you like some?"
"I would."
When they had their tea, they snuggled into the family room on the couch. "I like this," he admitted.
"Tea?"
"Tea and you and our kids, safe and warm in my house. It feels…" he stopped, searching for the term. "Right," he said at the same time she filled in the word for him.
"Yeah."
Her phone buzzed again next to her. "Your parents?" he wondered.
"Yeah."
"Maybe you should talk to them. It is a holiday and they probably miss you."
"Doubtful." She sighed and picked it up. Finally she pressed the answer button. "Hello?"
"Bethie? Its Dad."
"Yes. Hi, Dad."
"Hi. Where were you tonight? Vi won't tell us anything. Its the holidays. We always spend it as a family."
"I have my own family now, Dad. One that is important to me."
"So because you decided to adopt a child without a husband, you don't think you need to be with your family? Beth…"
"Dad, I am dating someone very special. I spent the holidays with him and his children."
"Your mom and Julie and I want to see you this weekend. You need to make time."
"Dad, I…You can come over to my house on Saturday so you can meet your granddaughter."
"I'd like your address please."
"I'll send it."
"Okay."
"Bye, Dad."
"Bye."
She tossed her phone on the other end of the couch and crossed her arms.
"Beth?"
"He doesn't understand why I adopted a child without having a husband first. He doesn't understand why I spent the holidays away from them. He doesn't get anything I do. Now he says I need to make time to meet up with them this weekend."
"I can take Amie with us to the shelter…"
"No, no. I will keep her with me. His insistence on meeting up doesn't take precedence. I already said yes to you."
"Alright. If you are sure."
"I am." She cuddled back into his arms and held on tight, listening to his heart beating against her ear. "I just wish I was enough."