It's the twins' first Thanksgiving after leaving for college, and Anne has been cooking for days."Do you think they won't come home again if you don't feed them enough?" Jamie teases her.
"Oh hush," she tells her daughter. "You'll appreciate it when you go off to college. Now don't distract me, I have to get the turkey in the oven before they get here."
James meets John and Alex as soon as they pull into the driveway. The family dog George is also happy to see them.
John brings a friend home for Thanksgiving, Abby Stein, another freshman in John and Alex's dorm.
"Thanks for having me," she says. "I'm from Rhode Island, so a trip home was too far for the weekend."
"Of course," James says. "We're happy to have you here."
All of her hard work was worth it; everyone agrees it is the best Thanksgiving dinner Anne has ever cooked."So Abby," Anne says, "John told us you're a math major."
Abby nods. "I want to be an architect." She turns to James. "John's told me a little about your firm. I'd love to see some of your designs."
James smiles. "I'd love to show them to you. None of my kids are very interested in architecture."
Tom groans. "Don't get him started on building designs and structural stability."
"Don't worry, I'll wait until after dinner," James promises.
Anne insists they leave the dishes for later. While James and Abby are engrossed in architectural plans in the study, Alex and John head upstairs for a chess match. Alex has been practicing, and he almost beats his older brother for the first time.
Anne corners Tom in the kitchen. "So is she his girlfriend?" she demands. "He didn't tell me anything, he just said she was a friend."
Tom shrugs. "I guess, I don't know. They hang out a lot."
"What does that mean? Is this like when you told me Madison wasn't your girlfriend, that you two here just 'hanging out?'"
Tom pauses, then answers, "No, Madison and I are just hanging out. John and Abby are... more than just hanging out." He grins. "Do you interrogate John like this about me?"
She playfully bats his arm. "Yes, except he gives me straight answers."
Once the kids head back to college, the house seems even emptier. Jamie and Alex are busy with high school and friends. After 18 years of parenting, it seems strange not to have a child tugging on her sleeve for a snack or a hug or help with homework.
If that weren't enough, their dog Max dies that winter. He was a stray who loved wandering into their yard and eating George's food, and when they adopted him he wasn't a young dog. Still, his death comes as a shock. It really feels like the end of something.This storytelling thing is starting to feel more natural!
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