All the lights are comin' on now

 

"Friends' Christmas?" Gabe scowled. "Didn't we just have Friendsgiving?"

Gabe didn't mean to be Krumpus or any of those Christmas villains, but it was hardly December.

"It's better to just get it done," Sammie said she had Christmas parites at the University to attend.

"Well, you don't sound like you're in the Christmas mood either," Gabe looked at her as she had dragged out all their Christmas stuff, which was a little lame artificial tree and some homemade ornaments which she'd made for various family reasons. 

Gabe yawned, but he helped her with the tree. She then went to pop popcorn on the stove. Before he knew it she had him helping her with making strings of popcorn. At least she was eco friendly and on the cheap. As usual, he didn't know how this Friends' Christmas would pan out.

"We have a set limit of twenty bucks on gifts," she told him.

"Twenty bucks?" Gabe scowled even more. "What can that get you? & how many gifts are we talking about?"

"We're doing it all online," she looked at him as if he hadn't been paying attention at all. The names would be drawn and they only had to buy one gift (well, actually two since they were both in the drawing) Sure, he saw Rico and Mona on Thanksgiving. Somehow, they were all at Rico's dad at once in the late afternoon, but they didn't talk about Christmas. Then there was Vada and Kevin who came in the evening to watch a movie with them on Netflix. "Who did you invite?"

"Not that many people," Sammie looked around. "People we know."

"Really?" Didn't she know these people didn't even like seeing each other? They'd somehow managed to see each others enemies without any confrontation. They'd even managed to have pizza with Justin and Carmen on Black Friday. Of course, Cassie and Randy tagged along.

"It won't break the bank," she said it was a potluck.

"Oh, well, you know, how that is, you always make more than anyone else."

Gabe tilted his head and looked at Sammie as if she were just too good to be true. He knew how much she did for everyone in her family, and that so-called sister of hers never said a word to her, but her husband Deano always charmed them.

"What about Deano? Is he coming with the kids?"

"Well, she hasn't had the second one yet."

"Oh."

"I think they will stay home." Sammie shrugged as her nimble fingers went to work. 

Before long the tree looked very festive. He bet she would do more than this little party. She always did. She had plans to make everyone's favorites. (Rico's Dad) Cam and his roommate (or was that his partner? Gabe was never sure) had already put in an order for her fudge. And they wanted her to make those rolls that she'd brought for Thanksgiving.

Gabe yawned. He wished he could sleep through December. After all, winter was here and he wasn't all that excited about working it in, either.

She loves the lovely things

 Carmen was coming to terms with Cassie's mother Kie. It was hard for Carmen to believe that Kie was almost forty. She was a mother who had always been there for Cassie.

"Oh, her father just can't be around," Kie admitted. "He sends support, for the most part."

She spoke of a time when she was young and unstoppable, even with Cassie. "Maybe, I was just too stupid to know any better."

Carmen felt calm after their conversation. It did make Carmen smile to know that Kie thought they (Carmen and Justin) were already a couple. She guessed that's what gave her the courage to talk to Justin on Thanksgiving night. 

But not a lot had changed. He was the Justin she knew who was that roommate who always made sure the trash was out and got Randy to run the vacuum. Everything was as tidy as usual.

"I don't know what I did wrong," she turned to Dale about the matter.

"Are you sure he knows?" She texted back.

"I think so."

Carmen's forehead wrinkled in thought as she was in the middle of laundry when she was on the phone.

Dale texted how happy she was to see them. She said she knew Randy was a ball of energy. "How do you two do it?" She said she thought he was at his best around Cassie.

"I think Justin would be on his case if he wasn't."

Carmen texted back.

"I think Randy takes Justin's cue."

Carmen smiled at the text. She wondered then who Justin was taking his cue from.

Thanksgiving lull

 

It was like old times, Justin thought about Thanksgiving. It was crowded. Even Eric and Derrick came over with pies. Dale made Rocky Road fudge at the last minute, just in case there were chocolate lovers.

Naturally, Randy made a beeline to the fudge, and it was like refereeing a third grader to calm down. He wondered if real dads went through this? After all, Randy wasn't a real kid but he was so hyper they went off for a run  by the late afternoon in the chilling temps, but he didn't think Randy noticed.

He had to leave Carmen behind to clean up. Justin didn't know what else to do, but she looked at him and said they were both doing what they were supposed to be doing on the holiday—or wasn't this what they did every day?

Of course, Eric mentioned he could probably get Randy into some modeling shoots.

"You do not know what you are asking," Justin shook his head, no. 

"Bro, you look so run down," Derrick noticed. "What happened?"

"Well," he did have a cold that would not go away, but he didn't feel all that bad. "I try to write every day and you know, I have classes, and still part-time at the group home."

"Randy could come to the gym. We could take him," Eric offered.

It was nice that they wanted to help them out, but Randy hardly knew them. Justin insisted that Randy had a schedule already. He told then that everything was fine.

Of course, after everyone was gone and Randy was finally to bed, Carmen told him, "Everything is not fine." She gave him a scowl. He should have expected as much. He didn't know what he'd done now. He guessed he should have done more during the dinner. They'd left her with the potatoes to peel and mash them too. He could have done the stuffing, but that would have been Stove Top.

He felt he was already sleepwalking.

"I know what you're gonna say, I should just stop trying to help Randy." 

Justin felt he'd never get it right. He wanted to do better, make a difference, but it came with so much uncertainty. He felt he would never do enough.

"No, that's not it," Carmen said it was too late for him to say such rot. "You are family now. I want to help you."

Justin nodded, "You are." He told her she'd made a lot of difference in his life. 

"But it's just the beginning," she said. "I want us to be a family. I want us to have the best life we can." But she said that didn't mean money. It meant continuing their education and of course telling each other everything.

"Oh." He didn't remember much else she said because they were sitting on the couch and he fell asleep on her shoulder.

All perfect light and promises

 

Liv was glad Jade had off the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was great to catch up.

"Are you sure you have time to talk with your cousin there?"

Jade sent her photos of Thanksgiving and Liv got to see Jade's cousin. Her sister came for the dinner.

"I'm so glad they were there for you," Liv smiled. She knew family was important to Jade even if she wouldn't say it. "So why aren't you out shopping on Black Friday?"

"Are you?" Jade laughed as she was on facetime with her, vegging in the kitchen. Both Rudy and Ari were still sleeping in. 

"Oh, you know, it's not what it used to be." Liv smiled thinking of standing in long lines with her mother just to run to get a TV (that was now in a landfill) for twenty-five dollars at Walmart. Oh, the fun they'd have picking up DVD sets and music. Oh, and the clothes. Such a great time to be out at the stroke of midnight after Thanksgiving. 

"True, those days aren't coming back, you just have to make your haul online now," Jade shrugged as if she knew. "I was so little then, but we couldn't wait for Friday so we could have pizza." She said they would have turkey for practically a week after Thanksgiving.

"So do you have any leftovers?" Liv wanted to know.

"No, we packed some plates, and we have already eaten the leftovers," she sighed. "So what did you guys do?"

"Oh, we did Thanksgiving with Nic at his place, well.. their place." She spoke of Nic's fiancee. "I think they'll get married before the new year. It sounds that way. And Sunny and Louie came over later. They had dinner with their roommate and the neighbor."

"Must be a new tradition, all because of you," Jade smiled.

"I wouldn't go that far," she hugged her baby bump and Jade said she was impressed. They both laughed.

"I don't guess you heard from Tristan?" Jade asked. 

"Tristan?" Liv looked at her blankly on the screen. "Why would he call me?"

"I dunno, isn't that what family does on Thanksgiving?" Jade shrugged.

Liv's smile was even. Catching up with her mom and dad was enough for the holiday. Of course, she'd Facetimed them on Thanksgiving, but her mother didn't have a thing to say about him and he wasn't there.

I, I was standing You were there Two worlds collided

 

It was hard to explain to his mother, but it was done. Maybe. 

Tristan listened intently to her Thanksgiving plans at the zoo. Of course, she'd ran through the conversation about these plans all week long, he couldn't think of anything that would change.

His ear was getting hot next to his Android. How much longer could this go on? Would she ever shut up? He yawned but paced the kitchen and checked to see if there was any dust on the counter with his finger. Really, he didn't use the place. He felt it was all so temporary. After all, it was still his parents' home even if they said it was his now.

Tristan was certain she'd get mad about something and want the place back. 

"That's nice that you want to have Thanksgiving with Carmen," she said, but he knew it was more of a question.

"Well, you know, she's..she's like a sister and all."

He didn't know what had made him say that, and he didn't know what else to say. His mother was making him restless. 

"Look, I think she's serious about Justin, you know." 

Tristan clenched his teeth. Damn, if he wasn't a natural-born liar. Maybe it was a disease. Was his whole life a lie? Was he as wayward as he'd always been? He just needed to get off the phone with his mother, but he couldn't hang up.

"Serious about Justin? No that can't be!" 

He'd certainly found the wrong switch. He knew she was bitter. Always had been. Always would be.

"MOM! Is that the worst thing that could happen? Why do you care so much!" His voice was a thunder. At this rate maybe they wouldn't speak to each other til Christmas.

There was a silence. And it wasn't until after he hung up that he knew "You have to let it go."

The tears were there, but they were tight. He wouldn't cry. There was nothing there. Liv had a life. As much as his mother had tried to control it, she couldn't. But he knew he was just like her. But he was letting go, and he had, yet there were moments he was right back where he started.

Just then, Dale was home with dinner. It was sandwiches from their favorite sandwich shop, but it was dinner.

"What happened?" 

She would stare at him until he told her. 

"Oh, you know, just Thanksgiving," He cracked a smile. He hugged her as if she was everything to him. 

"You know, we'll have to eat early, I'm on the evening and night news on Thanksgiving."

Tristan nodded and told her it wasn't a problem. Life was going forward and maybe if he caught the tail of it, he'd suffice somehow.

Don't ask me what you know is true

 

"What is this?" Carmen was completely shocked when she found Tristan in the kitchen with his hands full. He put the turkey in the fridge to thaw. Honestly, she thought it was strange that he still had a key to the apartment. Was he running from something that crossed Carmen's mind and she stared at him, even lipped.

"I'm going to make you Thanksgiving dinner," Tristan smiled as if he might be up to something else, but Carmen didn't know what.

"Weren't you going to your parents?" She winced. Carmen had a certain order in the kitchen now. It was just the three of them after Tristan and Dale moved out.

He stirred around through the cabinets as if he still lived there. Carmen watched as if this could not be a good thing.

"Oh, they have a zoo thing, you know. Some kind of potluck," he sighed.

"Can't you go there?"

"I don't love the zoo that much," he quickly told her. His serious face told her not to question him much. She crossed her arms.

"What can I do?"

"Not anything," he shrugged.

"Oh, just clean up your mess, that's the reason you won't make it at home," Carmen protested.

He scrunched a frown as if she wasn't supposed to say that.

"It feels like home here, OK."

He shot her a look that she didn't know how it really was for him. He raked his fingers through his hair in thought and rested his hand on his neck. He looked at her as if he needed to talk, but he nursed his bottom lip.

Carmen went to make coffee. She put on the electric kettle and went on to make them a pour-over. It was quiet and Tristan looked a little out of it, but they both sat at the kitchen table. She watched Tristan look around the clean kitchen as if this was where all his favorite memories were.

"Look, it'll be just me and Dale, you know. What's the point of making a big meal like that." He stared at his creamed coffee. 

"OK, I get it."

Carmen nodded. She told him they were having Cassie and her mother over for Thanksgiving.

"Cassie?" He looked at her as if she might be a new roommate.

"Randy has a girlfriend."

"Randy?" He looked at her as if he didn't even know who that was.

"You know?" She looked at him as if he was too forgetful about Justin being his guardian.

"Oh," his smile was open and laughter filled his throat. "Well, good for him."

"She's good for him," Carmen nodded. She held on to her mug of coffee as if she was still troubled about Justin and Cassie's mother.

"Is everything good for you?" Tristan looked at her as if he knew it wasn't.

"What do you mean?" Carmen was straight-lipped.

"I don't know, you tell me."

Tristan took a sip of coffee.

"Justin and I are..." she started and then said, "Just roommates."

"Just roommates?" He gave a look that time was of the essence. "You better fix that before it's too late."

Just like a brother

 When Jade got the call from her cousin Rudy that he was in town, she was so happy. She hadn't seen him since middle school. It was such a whirlwind. She thought he'd be on the West coast for good, but it seemed he was trying to find work here. 

"Like what kind of work?" Ari wanted to know right away.

"I didn't ask?" She was just happy to hear from him. All she could think about was having her family here for Thanksgiving. It was always about Ari and Mona. 

"What?"

She knew he was just thinking about dinner since he said he would make the turkey so his sister wouldn't have to.

Before they could talk about it Rudy showed up with his suitcase. Again, Ari was not so happy, but he was cordial.

Although, the two did have a spat in the bathroom about the situation. After all, Jade reminded him how many weeks they put up with Justin who wasn't even Ari's real brother. This was Jade's cousin.

"Is everything OK in there?" Rudy had asked outside the bathroom door.

Jade rushed in for a hug and smiled at her dear cousin, "Of course, it is."

Ari wasn't exactly smiling, but he wasn't seething either, he hurried to the guestroom that had a load of summer clothes on it that they hadn't found the time to put away as of yet. While he worked on the guestroom, Jade poured her cousin a cup of coffee.

"So..so how you been?" She kept smiling.

"Well, it hasn't been easy."

It seemed the tall young man, hadn't found stable work. He'd been a janitor, even if he had a degree in creating computer games. "Those kind of jobs just aren't out there."

He'd done a little maintenance work, but California was expensive and he didn't really like Las Vegas.

"Well, it gets cold here in the winter and it's humid in the summer," she warned.

"Got it," he chuckled.

"Well, you can stay here through the holidays, hopefully, something will come up, and you'll be on your own,"

He nodded as if it was he hoped for the best, "Are you sure it's no trouble?" He said he'd appreciate it and pay her back.

"Maybe Ari can help," Jade told him he worked in a hospital.

"A hospital?" Rudy chuckled again. "You married a doctor?"

"Not exactly," Jade was even lipped then. "But still, maybe he can help you."