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Our conversation was relaxed while we ate. Eventually, it wandered to Thanksgiving dinner. It was bound to happen. Jamie asked Meg if she was joining us. She hemmed and hawed. I watched in awe as Jamie talked to her. He gently coaxed until she gave in and said, “Maybe.” I might have doubted she meant it if it wasn’t for the smile in her eyes. Until that moment, I had expected her to say no.

Meg told us it had been forever since she’d had a real family holiday meal. I knew the last family meal she had was before her grandmother died.

“Did your mom not like to cook?” Jamie asked.

“Too drunk is more like.” Meg answered, her voice thick with pain. I saw panic cross her face when she realized she hadn’t censored herself.

“I’m sorry.” Jamie said, “Ma would love for you to join us.” He corrected himself so the full weight of the invitation was clear. “We all would. Ma always cooks enough to feed a small army.”

“Which is good, because we eat like a small army.” I laughed, “Especially when Jay is home.” Jay was tall like me, but thicker.

Jamie and I shared memories of the mass quantities of feed we could eat when we were all active in school sports. And how holiday meals hadn’t been the same since Madi, Jay, and I had joined the military. Video chatting was now a part of our holiday tradition.

“Speaking of Madi,” Jamie interrupted, “Did Jack tell you she’s coming home for Thanksgiving and is dying to meet you?”

“Really? Why?” Meg asked her plate. My heart reached out to her. It should be obvious why my sister wanted to meet her. God, I hated the people who hurt her. She deserved to be loved, spoiled, and happy.I’ll remind her every day if she gives me the chance.

Jamie did a double take. “Did she really ask me that?” To Meg, “Because she wants to meet the only girl Jack has ever invited to Thanksgiving.”

“Oh.” The color inched up her cheeks. “I don’t know. I mean, we’ve only been on a few dates. Won’t it be weird?”

“No. Besides, no one should be alone on the holidays.” Jamie said. I nodded in agreement.

“It’s not a big deal, I’m used to it.” Meg’s voice sound didn’t waver, but she wouldn’t make eye contact and her shoulders slumped.

“When was the last time you had a traditional stuff-your-face-until-you-hate-yourself Thanksgiving dinner?” Jamie asked.

“It’s been a while, not since…” She shrugged. I didn’t think she’d open up more to Jamie. Talking about her grandmother always made her sad and introspective, and she rarely included her parents. I couldn’t blame her. She hadn’t told me much about them, but they sounded like horrible people and worse parents.

“Since before they went to jail?”Fuck. I hadn’t meant to say that out loud.Fuck!

Meg went stone still. She clenched her teeth and slowly set down her fork as she stared at her plate. I could almost hear her mind going a mile a minute, trying to remember if she’d slipped up and mentioned her parents going to jail. I held my breath as I waited for her to say something. Jamie made eye contact. I shook my head. There was nothing we could say to make it better.

“How?” Meg’s voice was barely audible.

I didn’t answer immediately.

Meg’s teeth ground together and her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists.

She stood up, knocking her chair back. “How do you know that?” Her hard, bitter voice sliced through my heart like a hot knife through butter.

I looked at Jamie, panic-stricken. I fucked up. Big. I needed to answer her, but I didn’t know how. Jamie’s expression was loud and clear, “be honest”.

“Meg, please. I was worried. Some things seemed off. I thought you might be in danger, so I did a little research.”

“What the fuck Jack! A little?” If looks could kill, I’d be dead. “If you know about my parents going to jail, you did a hell of a lot more than a 'little', Jack.” She called me a liar with her air quotes.

Shock, fear, and anger fought for space as it sunk in. I knew about her past. She couldn’t know I was being kept in the dark about most of it. I knew was her real name, and about her parents’ arrests and the FBI helping her relocate, but not much else. I wanted to tell her, but she cut me off before I could.

Anger radiated off of her. “Did you tell Jamie?” She clipped her words.

I wanted to keep Jamie out of it. “I, please Meg, I wanted-”

“What the fuck Jack? What right do you have digging into my past?” She whipped her head around and leveled Jamie with a glare, annunciating every word. “Did He Tell You?”

Jamie met Meg’s blazing eyes. “I-”

She cut him off as she swung back to me. “Of course you did.”

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