29: Thankful
1B Points
29: Thankful
Easton
“You guys play hockey or football? I mean with those muscles it would be a waste otherwise.”
I seriously think about telling them we are chess players with some type of contagious disease. Even after they announce they are beginning the program, both are turned flirting with us.
“Is one of them yours? My daughter is the cutie with the dark curls. Second girl from the left.” Desperate number one says half turned in her seat.
“Didn’t think she’d have time to locate her.” Kingston mutters. Dad has glared at both ladies but honestly, it’s a lost cause. He should just be glad they aren’t flirting with him.
Desperate number two isn’t to be outdone. “My son is the far boy dressed as a hunter. So hard to find his costume. Shame his father is not in the picture.” She eyes Becker who rolls his eyes.
“I’d have run from her too. Not the kid.” He whispers.
“Is your kid up there? Which one…”
“SHHHH!!” Jackson finally hits his limit and loudly shushes them. The woman next to them gives us a big smile by way of thanks.
Like always though, it only seems to make them more determined. Instead of the usual first Thanksgiving story, this show is about Thanksgiving traditions. It’s a funny one too. I keep watching for Cole, but can’t find him. He wouldn’t tell me what he was even when I said he needed a costume and should probably be ordering one. When I mentioned, I would call Mrs. Hutchins he shut me down. Told me very soundly that Luci had it all
taken care of.
My eyes sweep the stage, again not finding him. The desperation sisters remain half turned toward us. A flash of a familiar scarf catches my eye during my Cole search. Wait, that brown hair is familiar. Then I see her face turn toward a familiar blonde head as she laughs.
I nudge Jackson. “Luci and Sydney are here.” That’s all I have to say before his sharp eyes follow my gaze and he has them in sight.
“Surprised?” He asks staring at them like he can will them to turn their heads our way.
“Yes. Cole’s been keeping secrets.” I face back to the stage as the hunters, including desperate two’s son, talk about finding a turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner.
The first hunter says. “I wonder what the turkey is thankful for this year.”
“Crazy, the turkey is on the menu for us to eat. He’s not thankful for anything.”
I hear Becker start snickering. “How fuc…fudging fitting.” He mumbles before he makes a funny grimace. I follow his eyes and that’s when I see Cole step out stealthily tiptoeing in behind the hunters from the wings. “He’s the turkey.” Dad cackles. His costume is elaborate, but my favorite part is the two giant yellow feathers sticking out of the top of his head. They flop around as he moves hiding from the hunters. I glance over at Luci who laughs at him. Where did she get that costume?
The hunters move away and Cole takes center stage stealthily, making me chuckle as he maneuvers giant
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1/4
29: Thankful
+8 Points
claws on top of his feet. That is a seriously elaborate costume. He dramatically whispers to the audience. “I’m thankful I can run fast.” His eyes find us as his little face lights up. We wave to him and he goes back to his wobbly running. A minute later, the hunters are returning home looking sad. “We’ll go back out and find that giant turkey. We don’t have Thanksgiving dinner yet.” Cole’s turkey hides on the other side of their house, grinning at the audience. On their doorstep is a white bag. “Who left this here?” They open it up and pull out a huge ham cutout. They stare at each other for a minute before shrugging dramatically. “Looks like dinner is done.” They walk into the house and Cole sneaks back onto center stage. “I’m also thankful for Instacart and two hour delivery.” I lose it as well as the rest of the audience. Luci is making some arm motion and mouthing at him. He grins big before flapping his arms. “Gobble, gobble. Happy Thanksgiving!”
The whole group returns to the stage and we give them a standing clapping ovation. Cole is in the middle, grinning. He waves to us and then turns to the girls to wave. The parents move around to mingle while we wait for the kids to take pictures on stage. Cole is in line as he waves like mad to me. Desperate one turns to me with a bright smile as I leave our row. “We’re going to lunch. Would any of you four like to join us? We could commiserate over the holiday season as a single parent.” I saw her checking our left hands earlier.
I push past them beyond my normal limit of irritation. Luci and Sydney are at the stage talking to Cole with him posing for them. I stop and take his picture too. He goes back to waiting for his turn to take one with his teacher. Jackson joins me and we move to talk to our extra guests. Syd nudges Luci with her elbow. “Are you responsible for that turkey?”
“Kind of. He wanted to surprise you guys.” She says with a glance toward Cole.
“He did. He was well cast.” Jackson agrees.
“Luci worked hard on that costume.” Syd says as Luci’s eyes widen and she subtly shakes her head.
“You made that?” I ask surprised now.
“Well, there wasn’t time to order one that elaborate and Mrs. Hutchins wanted over the top. The ones you order on prime look like starved turkeys and Cole wanted to be a plump one. It was….yes I made it.” Her ramble ends quickly and I smell why. The desperation sisters have arrived following Becker and Kingston. Luci turns back to the stage hearing Cole call her. He’s posing with Mrs. Hutchins and then the hunters. I ignore the woman tapping on my arm to watch her taking his pictures. I left her flowers on her doorstep this morning. Syd said she was riding with her today and gave me the time but failed to mention they were riding here. Like some kind of stalker, I hung around nearby so I could watch her reaction. She’d been confused and approached them like they might contain a bomb. I had to restrain myself when she had to work hard lifting that heavy vase. Might not have thought that through when I ordered three dozen flowers. At least she won’t forget them. Hung around until she left with Sydney. She was shaking her head and I’m sure she thinks those flowers are a mistake on the florist’s part. If anyone saw me they probably thought I was some crazy creep, grinning in the shadows because she’s wearing her scarf and gloves I bought her. She’s always shivering but never wears a scarf or gloves. I had a feeling either she forgets them or she forgets to buy them.
I’ve stalked her all week, making sure no one bothers her, meaning Maxton. She’s almost caught me a few times. Syd helped me once by turning her physically away. She’s too easy to stalk, which terrifies me. It’s not like I can go incognito anywhere I go with my size alone. We are going to have some safety lessons the second she agrees to be mine. I’ve learned she is a serious creature of routine, which I know is due to her focus issues, but damn she’s an easy mark. She goes to the coffee shop near the accident site where she met Cole every morning and gets a chai tea latte. Tuesday that was all she got. After seeing her with a muffin the last two mornings, I asked the girl working and she said they were out of blueberry muffins on Tuesday.
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214
29: Thankful
48 Points
My joke about her eating her pencil wasn’t wrong. Then her classes, home and to pick up Cole. I need to find out if Maxton’s been following her more. He recognized Cole on sight which is a huge red flag.
surreptitiously observe her talking to Mrs. Hutchins about Cole’s costume. Desperate number two moves in closer to me licking her lips. “You know I always hate coming to these things. Your, kid though, begs until you give in right? At least we could drown our sorrows in a martini or a glass of wine over lunch.”
I give her a go to hell look and tune in to hear Mrs. Hutchins asking Luci about making his Christmas program costume. “I should be able to if I have it early enough. I’ll still be watching him until then.”
Jackson elbows me as desperate one is asking for his phone number reiterating that she also doesn’t enjoy coming to this but today had been more than worthwhile with us here.
“You understand right?” She says with a sly smile and little shoulder raise.
Jackson and I respond simultaneously. “No.”
I glare coldly at the one in front of me. “Unlike you, I showed up willingly. Some of the people who came with me definitely weren’t coerced.”
Jackson mutters as they walk away huffing. “Skipped class for a little boy who isn’t theirs in any way…” Dad walks to the stage, listening to Luci and Mrs. Hutchins talk. Luci is typing notes into her phone. Cole runs to Dad and he lifts him off the stage. Dad’s actually a terrific grandparent when he’s home.
He steps over toward us and I lift him out of his hands. “You are the best turkey I’ve ever seen.” “Gobble, gobble. Luci sewed this together Daddy.” He tells me like it’s the most amazing thing in the world.
“She’s pretty awesome.”
She and Sydney leave the stage. “We have class Coco turkey.” He wiggles and I set him on his feet to run for hugs from both of them. “I took lots of pictures. I’ll share them with your daddy, ok?”
“Bye Luci. Bye Sydney. See you later.” He runs to Becker next.
“Bye guys.” Sydney says and Luci simply waves. As promised, five minutes later my phone goes off and I have lots of pictures including a few of him while she was making the costume. Along with a video of him practicing his lines.
Thankful for binstercard
Thankful for winstacart
Thankful for wait Luci was it finstacard?
Luci’s laugh filled with pure amusement as she gently corrects him until finally he gets it. “The crowd goes wild for Coco the smartphone and app savvy turkey who ordered a ham.” She jokes. He giggles before looking right at the camera. “Gobble wobble!” Her laugh cuts off as it ends.
“Cole, for tonight, Uncle Jackson will put you to bed. Daddy needs to take care of a surprise tonight. Do I need to take your costume home?” He nods happily and I help him remove it.
Time to see how the Luci hunt ends.
