“Pat, see if the boys are done washing their hands. Harold, Eric, put those Christmas decorations down. We’re ready to eat.”
Like soldiers at roll call, everyone followed Mama Winston’s orders and gathered for the Thanksgiving feast. Grandma Rita took her place at the head of the dining room table as Olivia, Maureen, and Mr. Brooks sat on one side. On the other side, Pat seated the twins in between her and Eric.
“Got room for more turkey?” Olivia whispered to Maureen as Mama Winston rushed back to the kitchen to get extra napkins for the twins.
“Plenty,” Maureen whispered back. “I skipped Aunt Lena’s dessert for this.”
Maureen had also skipped the potato salad at Aunt Lena’s where she had introduced Olivia to her dad. Olivia said she saw where Maureen got her good looks, and Mr. Jeffries beamed when he boasted to Olivia about both his daughters’ careers. He insisted that Olivia sit next to him at dinner because he wanted to get to know the woman who made his daughter smile in a way that he hadn’t seen in years. During dinner, Mr. Jeffries tried to talk Olivia and Maureen into a round of Sunday golf. Maureen nipped that offer in the bud when she reminded her dad of the last time she played with him. They never found the nine iron that he had tossed into the local course’s pond after a double-bogey.
Maureen’s attention was brought back to her second Thanksgiving dinner as Mama Winston returned to the table.
“Let’s take a moment, everybody, to send up a silent prayer,” Mama Winston said as she sat opposite Grandma Rita.
They held hands and bowed their heads. Maureen squeezed Olivia’s hand and kissed her on the ear. She caught one of the twins spying on her, and she winked at him. His giggles got an evil eye from Pat.
“Settle down, young man,” Mama Winston said. “Okay. Let’s dig in!”
Mama Winston stood and starting carving the turkey as Mr. Brooks took the first roll and passed the bowl to Maureen. Eric went for the collard greens while Pat filled the twins’ plates with gravy-topped stuffing. Grandma Rita couldn’t resist fixing Olivia’s plate for her. She piled on macaroni and cheese and a little bit of her homemade cranberry sauce--the only kind that Olivia would eat.
“Maureen, I hear you’re quite the cook,” Grandma Rita said with a smile. “We’ll have to trade recipes sometime.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ve got a good one for candied yams.” It was Grandma Rita’s secret recipe that Maureen had used to impress her family at Aunt Lena’s.
***
Mama Winston’s clock chimed at ten, and the twins were sound asleep on the living room couch. Maureen and Eric had cleared the table and were loading the dishwasher while Mr. Brooks joined Mama Winston and Grandma Rita on the front porch to untangle Christmas lights. Pat and Olivia were on the back porch swing eating their second slices of German chocolate cake.
“I eat like a maniac every Thanksgiving,” Olivia said.
“Me too,” Pat added as she licked her fork and lips. She sat her empty plate down on the porch between her and Olivia. “How was dinner with Maureen’s family?”
“Really nice. It was fun talking to her dad.” Olivia set her empty plate on top of Pat’s. “Are you and Eric taking the boys to see your parents for Christmas?” she asked.
“Not after that last bitter winter in Ohio. In fact, my parents dropped hints about moving back here. I think they miss being close to us.”
“Are they finally tired of harassing your poor brother?” Olivia asked.
“I know Milton hopes so. They made it their mission to find him a wife so he could give them more grandchildren. Mama even posted signs all over Central State campus that her professor son was single and available.”
“Have you and Eric thought about having more kids?”
“We don’t have the energy, Ollie. We both lie awake at night and talk about the day the boys leave for college,” Pat said. “Aren’t we horrible? We plan to throw ourselves a block party that whole week. What about you? You reconsidering since you met Maureen?”
“I’m okay with being the coolest godmother in the world for now. But … it could happen.” Olivia thought about the two Collins kids.
Pat curled up on the swing and pinched at Olivia’s sweater. “Feels good to be in love again, don’t it, Ollie?”
“It does. I guess good things happen if you let them.”
Pat checked her watch. “Speaking of good things, let me get my two musketeers home while they’re too tired to do anything but sleep. Give me a hug, you goofball.”
The best friends hugged.
Pat got up and opened the storm door just as Maureen was approaching.
“Coming back for more?” Maureen asked.
“No thanks. I’m stuffed to the gills and ready for bed.”
“Leaving already?”
“Yeah, it’s past the boys’ bedtime. It was good to see you again, Maureen.”
“You too, Pat.” Maureen stepped out onto the porch as Pat held the door open then went inside.
“Finished with kitchen duty?” Olivia asked as she motioned for Maureen to join her on the swing.
“It wasn’t that bad. The dishwasher’s doing all the work.”
Olivia pulled Maureen closer and put an arm around her shoulders. “This is still my favorite spot in the whole house.”
“It’s peaceful,” Maureen said and looked out into the night. “I see your grandma turned on her Christmas lights.” She pointed to the house in the distance.
“Yeah, but don’t be fooled by that woman’s holiday cheer. She’ll work us to death in that garden next spring.”
“Oh, it’ll be fun. We’ll sleep together on Friday nights, and go play in the dirt the next morning.”
“I guess there is an upside,” Olivia said and picked up the empty plates. “I’ll wash these before we say good night.”
“Should we offer to hang your mama’s Christmas lights?”
“Don’t bother. My mama intentionally tangles those same lights every year so she can spend all night gossiping on the front porch with those two.”
“You know, the more I learn about the women in your life the more I like them.”
“Let’s go back to my place, and I’ll teach you more about me.”