40.2 Alexander

"The holidays are my favorite time of year because it brings us all together. It makes us stop our daily lives to spend the evening together over some good food, some good wine, and lots of good company. We are all so busy with our daily lives, our jobs, our friends, and loved ones that there are not that many occasions for us to get together as a family. But this is one of them, and it's my favorite one. It's one of those holidays we love to prepare as a team and chip in with our different recipes and add-ins that we each want to include to make the meal that extra little bit more special. So today, with us all gathered here, I hope that we can make it through the day without any major arguments." I looked over at Ella and John with knowing looks, making them roll their eyes while the others chuckled.

"Thanksgiving seems to bring out the best in us, whether it is because we have all come together and aren't used to each other's intense company or that we are all just simply hungry." Laughter erupted around the table at that, and I grinned. "Well, I'd like to think that the reason for misunderstandings on Thanksgiving is just because we are all so hungry, right? So on that note, as we are all very hungry—with all those great smells coming out of the kitchen and great dishes already laid out before us in this wonderful spread on the table—we need to shift our focus to enjoy the meaning of this holiday. So before we dig in, dear family of mine, thank you for this day. Thank you for each other. Thank you for making this day what it is, and thank you for all of you just being you. Happy Thanksgiving!" I held my glass up, and they followed behind before taking a sip of their drinks as I sat down.

"So, who's going to carve the turkey?" Hayden asked, and they all looked towards me. I blinked, holding my arms up, shaking my head.

"Dad? Why don't you do the honors?" I asked, and he blinked as he became the center of attention. I gave him a reassuring smile, nodding my head. He nodded, standing up and walking towards me.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, and I nodded, handing him the knife and fork so he could cut the turkey up. He took them from me and began to cut the turkey up, with Kat handing me a pan to put the pieces on. Dinner after that was spent with chatter all around, with Kat's parents telling stories—stories that, from the looks of their children, they've told countless times. But it didn't stop them from laughing at being reminded of those moments.

"Why don't you tell us some of your favorite memories?" Liam asked, looking at my parents. They exchanged looks before Mom nodded, giving them a warm smile.

"My favorite memory from when I was a teen on Thanksgiving would have to have been when I met Alessandro," she said, looking at my father, who smiled. "My parents had thrown a Thanksgiving dinner for the servicemen and women, and I wasn't really in the mood to spend the entire night sitting alone. So I had gone outside to get some fresh air when I bumped into him."

"Ah yes, that was the best night of my life," Dad said, nodding his head. "It was the night that I met the most beautiful girl in the entire room."

"I had been walking with my head down, not noticing that there was someone standing in the garden until it was too late, and we both tumbled to the ground," Mom chuckled, shaking her head. I smiled, hearing the story of how my parents first met. "I quickly got back on my feet, and he followed close behind. I was all flustered and red-faced with embarrassment. We just stared at each other in silence until he whispered ‘wow’ under his breath and said, ‘You make me an interior decorator because when you walked in, the room was suddenly beautiful and perfect.’ Mind you, we were outside." The table burst out in laughter as she recounted the story while Dad covered his face in embarrassment.

"Awe, that's so cute!" Nessa awed.

"He asked me for my name, and when I told him, he was shocked and quickly apologized for making a fool of himself and for saying such a stupid line. But I quickly told him that he didn't need to apologize. He was the first person who had treated me like a normal person and not like I was royalty or anything. He was relieved and actually asked if I would go on a date with him," Mom said, looking at my dad, who was already looking over at her.

"Despite me having used the worst and cheesiest pickup line that I could think of, Valentina ended up agreeing to go on a date with me. And ever since then, we've been together, even though we had a few bumps along the way," Dad said, picking her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles, making her smile. "She stole my breath and heart the second my eyes landed on her."

"Well, we're all happy that you were able to have your happily ever after after everything you two have been through," Addison said, and Liam nodded in agreement. Mom just smiled at that, and before we knew it, Kat and I were bidding everyone goodnight as dinner ended and after having watched a few movies.

"What are you thinking about?" Kat asked, breaking me out of my thoughts from dinner.

"About tonight at dinner. How everyone had gotten along and how at ease my parents felt. It was nice to see them enjoying themselves," I replied, looking down at her. She smiled, resting her chin on her folded arms that rested on my chest.

"It's good to see them enjoying themselves," she said before sighing, making me raise a brow. "I'm worried about Hayden."

"Why? Is something wrong?" I asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, making her close her eyes.

"He was quiet all throughout dinner, which he rarely is," she mumbled.

"He's probably just stressed out with having to work on college applications and thinking of what career he wants to follow," I said, and she sighed.

"I hope you're right," she whispered, and I leaned down and kissed her lips.

"If you're still worried, talk with him in the morning and see what has him all stressed. But right now, we need sleep because it's almost 2 in the morning," I murmured, and she huffed, making me grin.

"Fine, fine," she replied, getting comfortable. But I got on top of her, making her raise a brow. I only leaned down and trailed kisses along her neck, making her gasp and arch her back. Let's just say that we didn't sleep at all that night—not until the sun was just about to come out over the horizon.