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.