Page 45 of Thanksgiving With Dad's Best Friend

I hear footsteps on the stairs and know it’s Flynn right away. I’d recognize his footfall anywhere, it’s so familiar to me. When he enters the kitchen, his face lights up. Even after all this time, we’re still completely obsessed with one another. These years together haven’t changed how we feel about each other one bit. He’s still the sexiest man on the planet to me, and we have sex every single night, as though we needed any more confirmation of our love for one another.

He sweeps me into his arms as he comes toward me and I giggle, allowing him to kiss me hard. He still makes me feel like a giddy teenager, even though I’m all grown up now.

“Morning, baby,” he murmurs in my ear. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving, honey. Have you seen any of our little terrors this morning?”

“Chrissie is in the shower. She’s her usual grumpy self, of course. Daniel stopped mid hall to text his girlfriend…I don’t think he noticed me there.”

I laugh. Our terrible teenagers are at their most difficult right now, but we’re embracing it. We’re just glad that our youngest, Sarah and Millie, are both still pretty affectionate with us. Sure, they’ll move past that soon when they get to high school, but by then, our other babies will be out of puberty and will be nicer to us.

“Great. Well, I’ve got pastries for breakfast…they can come and get some when they’re ready. I think we should let them do today on their terms…we can just enjoy our time together if they’d rather be glued to their phones.”

“Aw, babe…you know they loved the holidays! I’m sure they’ll get into the spirit of it…they know how hard you’ve worked to get everything ready.”

It’s been a busy week, for sure. Now that I’ve got my singing career on track, I’m getting a lot of bookings for weddings and parties. This time of year is particularly busy for someone like me. Sure, I’m not a huge star, but I love what I do, and I’ve built up a reputation for myself that means I have regular gigs.

When the kids were younger, I spent my time at home with them because it’s where I wanted to be. Despite my degree, I found I was best suited to the task of motherhood. But being able to sing for people now…it feels good. It’s not about the money, it’s more like a hobby. And with Flynn still starring in movies left, right and center, there’s plenty to keep us afloat. We can both focus on doing what we love while also spending lots of time with the kids.

“It’s been hard fitting in the preparations around work…but you know how much I love to do it. I’ve got the Thankful tree all set up and ready to go, the food is all prepped…everything should go smoothly.”

Flynn kisses the top of my head. “You’ve done a great job, baby. And your father loved spending the day with the kids yesterday.”

I smile to myself. Not much has changed for us tradition wise over the years. My Dad still loves to take a hike the day before Thanksgiving. While Flynn and I were working yesterday, he took the kids out to get some quality time with them. I might be biased considering how much I love him, but I think he’s the best grandpa in the world. The kids certainly agree. In fact, sometimes I think they prefer him to me.

“I know. It’s such a shame he couldn’t make it today. But maybe it’s a good thing, I can’t remember the last time we had a full day with every single one of the kids, they’re all so busy with socializing and their activities.”

“Yeah, that’s true. It feels like we’re always doing something…but today will be perfect. I can sense it.”

I stand on my tiptoes to kiss my man. His hands bury into my hair and his tongue slips into my mouth. I moan softly against his lips. I love these little moments that we get to ourself. But when I hear the shuffle of feet at the kitchen door, I know it’s a short-lived moment of privacy.

“Gross,” Daniel says, though he’s staring at his phone. He’s had a girlfriend for a few weeks now and he’s obsessed with her. They’re always talking over the phone, and she’s been to the house more times than I can count. She seems sweet, at least, and it warms my heart to see my eldest son falling in love for the first time. Even if he disapproves of me and his father being affectionate.

“Happy Thanksgiving, darling,” I tell him, planting a kiss on his head. For once, he doesn’t recoil. He glances up from his phone and offers me a small smile.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Mom. You too, Dad…the turkey smells good. Thanks for cooking.”

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