Alyssa always said everything in life happens for a reason. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been reminded of that over the course of the past year. Most recently, when I called my realtor and told her what Melanie put on her dream home wish list. It turned out that they had just listed a home the day before that covered nearly every item on the list and is in the same school zone, so Jacob didn’t have to move to a new school a couple months after starting kindergarten.
“No running, young man,” I scold Jacob as I hear him thundering down the staircase. He still has days when he misses Alyssa, but for the most part, he’s doing remarkably well. And Melanie, bless her heart, encourages him to talk about Alyssa so he can hold onto the memories he has of her for as long as possible.
“Is it almost time to eat?” Jacob asks before offering to help Melanie put dinner on the table.
“Just about. Tyler’s hanging out in the living room, so we’re just waiting on your uncle to get here.” I lead Jacob into the front room so he’s not under foot. I could just see him stepping in front of Melanie as she carries the turkey to the table, causing an epic meltdown. My normally level-headed girlfriend has been beyond high strung this week, wanting Thanksgiving to be perfect for Jacob. “Why don’t you sit and watch the parade with Ty?”
“Come on, little man,” Tyler says, patting the cushion next to him on the couch. “Let’s let them do all the hard work while we see which balloon is the coolest!”
I don’t snap when I see a petite woman bursting at the seams with attitude follow Braydon into the house. She looks as if she would rather be anywhere other than here and I had no clue she was coming. Xavier rushes up behind me, wrapping me in his arms before I can say something that will offend this woman.
“It’s okay, babe. It’s my fault, I forgot to tell you he said he might be bringing someone with him.” Xavier walks away from me so he can grab another chair out of the basement and set a place at the table for the unexpected guest.
“Mel, this is Erica. Erica, this is my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Melanie.” I reach out my hand to Erica and I’m surprised when she gives me a friendly hug.
“I wouldn’t go quite that far, Braydon,” I correct him. I swear, if Braydon had his way, Xavier and I would have been on a plane to Vegas before the end of summer, but Xavier and I are content with where things are now.
“Uncle Braydon!” Jacob yells as he runs through the house. I narrow my eyes, giving him what Xavier has started referring to as “the mom look” but don’t say anything. “Is this your girlfriend? She’s really pretty!”
Braydon coughs and I see Erica’s cheeks flush. “Uh, no buddy. She’s just a friend. Her name is Erica.”
I feel bad for her because it’s obvious that she isn’t comfortable in the friends-zone. It seems strange that Braydon would bring a female friend to a family holiday, but he’s not a conventional guy.
“It’s good to meet you,” she says, seeming to relax a bit. I’ll have to ask Braydon what the badass act was when she first walked in because if she’s this hot and cold on a regular basis, I’m going to kick him in the backside. He needs a good, stable woman in his life. “Thank you for inviting me over today. My family is all out east, so I was going to sit at home with a frozen dinner, but Braydon wasn’t having that.”
“Oh, and how did the two of you meet?” I ask, curious because this is the first I’ve heard of there being a woman in his life.
Xavier clears his throat behind me, calling everyone to the dinner table. After he takes his place at the head, I sit to his right and Jacob sits across from me, leaving our guests to fill in the other seats.
“Before we dig in, I was hoping we could take a moment to share something we’re thankful for this year,” Xavier announces as his brother reaches for the platter of turkey. Braydon places his hands in his lap, grumbling about feeling like he’s a little kid again, but he gives Xavier a wink to let him know he’s kidding.
“It’s been one hell of a year, to say the least,” Xavier begins. His Adam’s apple dips as he swallows hard. “It would be so easy for me to say I have nothing to be thankful for, but the truth is, I have everything to be thankful for this year. Although she’s no longer with us, I will be eternally grateful to Alyssa for giving me the best gift a man could ever ask for.” He cups the back of Jacob’s head, planting a kiss on the crown of his hair.
“And there are no words to express what I feel for you, Melanie. You were there in the darkest times of our lives. Most people in your position would have run the other direction, but you refused to let the past keep you from giving Alyssa the care she deserved. I love you and that will never change.” By the time he finishes speaking, tears are streaming down my face and I consider saying that I’m thankful for whoever invented waterproof mascara because today is bound to be an emotional roller coaster.