Page 17 of Thanksgiving Daddy's Girl
I pull her into a kiss and as I do, I feel a piece I never knew was missing fall into place inside of me. Never before have I ever feltso complete. She melts into me and I wrap my arms around her small frame, holding her tight.
“Don’t ever let me go,” she says.
“I don’t plan on it. Not ever, love,” I respond and mean it.
EPILOGUE
MAEVE
One Year Later
Thanksgiving once again and as we sit down to the dinner table after laying flowers on my mom’s grave, as I gaze at the spread and am reminded of everything I have to be truly grateful for. A smile creeps across my face as I look up at my dad.
“Did you really make all of this?” I ask.
“Of course I did,” he replies.
“Don’t let him lie to you. He ordered the turkey.”
“We had an unfortunate turkey mishap,” he says. “Don’t ask.”
“What happened?”
“I said, don’t ask.”
I laugh as Alyssa, my dad’s girlfriend these past couple of months sits down beside him at the table. I smile. I like Alyssa a lot. She’s kind, funny, intelligent, and she doesn’t take my dad’s bullshit. Just like my mom. He’s needed somebody like this inhis life and I’m just thankful they found each other. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my dad smile the way he is. It’s been even longer since I’ve seen his face have the kind of glow it has right now. Seeing him so happy again makes me want to cry with joy.
“I did make all the sides though,” he says proudly.
“Yes, you did, dear,” Alyssa says and gives him a kiss on the cheek.
“I hope you didn’t start without me,” Myles says as he steps into the dining room.
“Oh, we’re already done,” my dad replies. “Sorry you missed it.”
Myles puts on a faux frown. “Well, I guess we won’t be needing this bottle of wine then. It’s a shame, it’s from my special collection.”
“Oh, does that mean it doesn’t have a screw cap?” my dad teases.
“Bite your tongue, heathen,” Myles says with a laugh.
He sits down and uncorks the bottle then fills everybody’s glasses and we dig into our feast. Conversation and laughter flow like the wine and all the while, my heart swells until it feels too big for my chest. It’s been years since we’ve had this sort of joy around the Thanksgiving dinner table. As I sit back and watch Myles and my dad laughing and joking with each other, with Alyssa wading into the fray, I can’t stop smiling. I feel so grateful that my eyes fill with tears.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” my dad asks.
I nod. “I’m better than okay. Today has been… amazing. It feels like old times. I’m really happy. Like, really happy.”
My dad gives me a soft smile. “It does, doesn’t it? And I’m happy too.”
“That makes three of us,” Myles says.
“Four of us,” Alyssa adds, raising her glass.
I raise my own glass. “Here’s to all of us. Thank you guys for making this such a wonderful and special day.”
We clink glasses and take a drink. My dad and Alyssa share a look and a smile, some secret bit of information passing between them. Curious, I sit back as he sets his glass down. My dad turns to me with warmth and joy in his eyes.
“So, I have some news,” he says.
