Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love the food–but I especially like what it has come to mean to most people–a chance to reflect on the many blessings in our lives. Whether it’s family, friends, or found families, it gives us an opportunity to be together to share a meal and memories. My family arrived to the US in April of 1960, and my dad’s boss invited us to his home for our first Thanksgiving. I’ll treasure that memory always. And I continue to be grateful.
I thought I’d share an excerpt about Friendsgiving from my forthcoming book, Alone Together, the third novel in my Providence Office Series. Enjoy and have a happy holiday.
Friendsgiving
Excerpted from Alone Together
“Joanna wants to know what you want her to bring for Friendsgiving.”
When I tried to insist that I wanted to do it all, they shot me down. I mean fizzle and burn.
“There’s no way the women aren’t going to bring something to contribute. You may as well get used to it, Jamie. It’s the way of the world,” Tom counseled. Jerry, Gabe, and Freddie nodded solemnly.
“Really?”
“Let’s play poker.” With that, we moved into the dining room and started dealing cards. Tom brought us another round of beers. Seems my Friendsgiving has just morphed into a Friendsgiving Potluck.
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It was one week until Friendsgiving. I’ve spent a lot of time consulting cookbooks, watching cooking shows on YouTube, and reaching out to the ladies for their suggestions. I’ve created a shareable grocery list and calendar for Eleanor. She’s my sous-chef, assuring me that she is an ace at peeling and chopping vegetables. We have our menu set, I’ve done most of the grocery shopping, and in the evenings leading up to our dinner party, I’ve started prepping anything that can be prepared in advance.
Moira gave me her mother’s recipe for dressing. We’re planning on roasting a boneless turkey breast and baking a ham. Eleanor promised to peel and cube the potatoes, and anything else I needed chopped. She’ll work the seven to three shift on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, which should give her plenty of time to get home and help me with the last-minute preparations.
Three days before the dinner, I put the leaves in the table and set it, glad that Tom took me to that estate sale. I’ll be using all the dishes and cutlery I bought. We’ll have to wash the salad plates so we can reuse them for dessert. The fall motif dish towels that Eleanor gave me are hanging on the hooks. Olivia is bringing dessert and yeast rolls. Joanna is making a roasted vegetable casserole; Kate is on apps, and Carol is making a salad with apples, cranberries, blue cheese, nuts, and all kinds of other goodies. She’s also making a macaroni and cheese casserole—it’s the kids’ favorite.
I wasn’t worried when Eleanor didn’t make it home by four, or by five. But by six o’clock, I started feeling concerned. I kept walking over to peek out at the driveway, hoping to see her car. Finally, a few minutes after six, she knocked. She looked apologetic, but there was also a deep sorrow. Without a word, I pulled her into my arms.
“Did you lose a patient?”
She nodded wordlessly. We were still standing there with our arms around one another when Carol and Jerry arrived. They took one look at Eleanor’s face, and then Carol said, “Put me to work. What can I do?”
Jerry added. “I can peel potatoes. Just show me the way.”
I glanced down at Eleanor. “Why don’t you go take a quick shower, ok? We’ll work on dinner.”
When she would have protested, a placed my forefinger on her lips.
“Sweetheart, we’ve got this. Take a quick shower and put on some comfortable clothes. We’ll be here waiting for you. Can you do that for me?”
The tears welled in her eyes, but her expression lightened. She gave me a quick kiss and turned to go to her house. Carol looked at me solemnly.
“I forgot that she deals with life and death.”
Jerry agreed. “Yeah, she is always so positive, it’s easy not to think about the troublesome situations she must deal with. You want to go spend a few minutes with her, Jamie? We’ve got this. Olivia, and Tom, and the others will be here soon. We’ll all help.
I nodded. “Thanks. The turkey, the stuffing, and the ham are all in the oven. I’d appreciate it if you could finish peeling the potatoes. Table’s set. The others are bringing the apps, side dishes, and desserts. We’ll be back in a little while.”
I found Eleanor in the shower, leaning her head against the tiled wall. I rolled up my sleeves, reached for the sponge hanging on a rope, and squeezed some bath gel onto it.
“Come here, Eleanor. Let me wash you.”
She was not crying, but it was close. I ran the sponge up and down her arms and then turned her slightly so that I could reach her back and shoulders. I ran the sponge down her buttocks and legs and came back up in the front. I rinsed her and then I turned the shower off. She let me dry her with an oversized towel, leaning slightly into me. When she looked up at me, her eyes had cleared.
“Thank you, Jamie. I’ve got this now. Let me just pull on some clothes and I’ll be over in two minutes. I promise.”
I didn’t argue. “Okay, we’ll see you in a couple of minutes.”
She was already winding her hair into a messy bun on top of her head. Tendrils curled around her face, highlighting the delicate lines. I remembered Freddie’s advice. I don’t have to fight her battles. I just have to be there for her.
True to her word, she joined us in less than five minutes. By then, everyone else had arrived. Freddie made a Thanksgiving sangria with cranberry and orange juices, red wine, and apple cider. It was festive and delicious. The kids had a mocktail version. In one corner of my mind, I wondered if we were encouraging them to drink, even indirectly. What if one of them becomes an alcoholic? I quickly shut down that line of thought.
My brother and his family, our friends and their families—they all got busy with the food preparations. The older kids were going to sit around the island for their dinner, while Freddie and Gabe set up portable highchairs for their babies. I looked around and spotted Tommy in Tom’s arms. As soon as he saw me, he lifted his arms. I tried not to look too triumphant when I snatched him close.
Tom whispered, “It’s only because you need it bad; don’t get used to it.” He made me smile.
Our first Friendsgiving was an enormous success, even though it didn’t go the way I expected—it ended up being a group effort. The food was tastier than I hoped, and everyone dug in with a good appetite. We were too full to have dessert right away. The kids relaxed in the living room watching the first of the annual Christmas movies—it’s my favorite one with little Ralphie and the Red Ryder BB Gun.
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Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for tuning in.
With all best wishes,
Margaret
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