Chapter 18

Joanne surveyed the work going on in her kitchen. Though small and cramped, it was cozy and familiar. Throughout the day, relatives arrived, all of them bearing food.

Everyone who wasn't helping either got out of the way or soon found themselves with a task to complete. It was a finely choreographed dance that everyone seemed to know by heart. After all, they had been gathering like this for as long as anyone could remember.

The men were either in front of the television watching football or out in the garage shooting the shit and telling lies about the 8-point bucks they had just barely missed since gun season opened. The women watched the kids and prepared the food.

When they turned twelve, April and Bailey were initiated into the Thanksgiving task of helping make supper. They had jobs to do, especially since it was their family's turn to host the meal. Aunts and uncles and cousins and everyone else would be coming by for the large family gathering. In their family, the Thanksgiving meal was a bigger deal than Christmas since many people traveled in December.

Both girls were superb cooks, having learned at the hands of their mother, aunts and grandmothers. Joanne saw to it that Bailey was given some of the more important tasks, such as basting the turkey, both because she was the celebrity of the family and because Joanne had a hunch that there might not be too many more Thanksgivings with her around.

Since meeting Gabriel, Bailey seemed to step out of her sister's shadow. She moved and spoke with a new confidence that could only be attributed to her beau's affection. Gone was the shy, insecure young girl. In her stead was a vibrant, beautiful woman.

Where she had been happy lingering in the background before, now Bailey didn't mind being in the spotlight. Especially as the family asked about her famous boyfriend. News of the romance had spread like wildfire throughout Washington County. It wasn't so much a scandal as it was a fairy tale come to life.

Gabriel had come back for the entire week of Thanksgiving. Joanne knew he and Bailey were sleeping together. In fact, she encouraged it. She saw in her daughter the same feelings she had for Andy all those years ago. She knew it was right.

Once, Joanne's sister had asked if she had any reservations about Bailey seeing someone who was twice her age.

"I did at first," she admitted. "But I asked myself three questions. One: Is he a good person? Two: Does he treat Bailey well? And three: Does he make Bailey happy? The answer to all three is yes. Their situation is not one that I would have chosen for my daughter, but she has to live with it and when you see them together, you'll see that they're in love."

Her big worry was the distance between them. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but too much absence can spell disaster. The good news is that between cellular phones and the internet, they weren't as far away as they might have been fifteen years before, but that still didn't put them in the clear.

Bailey's visit to New York was a life-changer, though. When she returned, Joanne knew that her daughter was committing herself to Gabriel for the long-haul. It helped that she was living in his house and there were constant reminders of him around.

"So where's your guy, Bailey?" one of the cousins asked.

"He'll be here soon," the other girl replied. Bailey had spent every night with Gabriel since he had arrived. This morning, Bailey and April drove home in their Oldsmobile. They said he would be on his way a little later.

By late afternoon, all of the family had arrived. The crowd outdoors had grown and was playing horseshoes or on their guitars. Someone on TV was giving out six-legged turkeys to football players. There was a murmur of excitement when Gabriel's Lexus pulled on to the property and parked in the long row of cars in the front lawn.

He got out and was immediately mobbed by people rushing to introduce themselves.

"There will be a quiz later," Joanne winked as she went to help him bring in a couple bottles of wine.

"Just flunk me now," he laughed.

Joanne watched carefully as he walked over to Bailey and gave her a big hug and kiss for everyone to see. She appreciated that he was willing to show his affection publicly; it wasn't too much, but it also demonstrated that he wasn't ashamed of her, something the last boy who came calling couldn't say of himself.

Gabriel went outside to join the men; he was certainly no asset in the kitchen.

The other women fawned over Bailey for landing such a catch. And for the first time she could remember, Joanne saw a flash of jealousy in April's eyes at the attention her sister was getting.

A short while later, dinner was served. As the host, Andy said grace then Joanne invited everyone to dig in. There was more food than the family could possibly eat, but they tried their best anyway.

Gabriel and Bailey sat on the couch next to one another. Some of the cousins, especially the girls, were immediately smitten with Gabriel and he had a small audience eating out of his hand. He told stories and sang songs and was generally charming. Joanne joined them once she went through the line.

"So why did you take so long to get here?" one of the cousins asked.

"I had some business to take care of this afternoon," Gabriel shrugged.

"Where?" the inquisitive girl asked.

"At the Cold Nights Shelter," he said blankly.

"What were you doing there?" the girl continued. Bailey's eyes were wide. Joanne's, too.

"Helping get ready for Thanksgiving dinner," Gabe said patiently.

"But dinner is here." He clearly had the six year-old confused.

"Not for everyone," he said with a sad smile. "Some people don't have families on Thanksgiving. So to give them a place to go, the Cold Nights Shelter has a dinner where everyone is welcome."