Thanksgiving part 3

Thanksgiving dinner was always the same at the Brown family household. People starting pouring in around two o’clock, first Fedora’s mom arrived, earlier than the rest. She asked fedora about school and Fedora answered the basic stuff, school was school, a bit harder than high school but nothing she can’t handle.
Then Bentley and his dad came, later than Fedora’s mom because they didn’t have any interest in coming earlier than they had to. Fedora just glared at Bentley, but not at his dad because truth be told she was a bit afraid of him.
Bentley, as always, made a joke out of Fedora’s glaring and walked right up to her and gave her a hug. Fedora pushed him away and glared some more, not even offering a hello. He just laughed and turned to talk to Collin and give him a hug.
Then Bobby, Chelle and Fisher came. For once Fisher wasn’t late, because he was with Chelle and Bobby, well Bobby didn’t have anything to do with it either. But Chelle was never late to anything. Shortly after, Chris, their aunt, and her daughter Summer came. Sometimes Fedora forgot about them because they moved to Los Angeles and she only ever sees them on holidays.
Summer and Fisher were once close friends but after Fisher dropped out of school Summer got annoyed with how much he didn’t care and they slowly drifted apart, now they only talked at family get togethers.
Harriette loved having their extended family at their house, you could really feel how big their family was, and that’s one of the things Harriette liked about her family. She liked having seven brothers and sisters, even though she only lived with four of them. But at family parties you could see how big their family really was.
Chris and summer came with a big announcement.
“We’re staying for the holidays,” Chris said, “We’re renting a small house to stay in until the new year, I really wanted to stay in town for the holidays, L.A. is nice but it’s not home.”
“That’s wonderful,” Mrs. Brown said. “You guys can come over anytime.”
“Thank you,” Chris said.
“I have to go check on the turkey,” Mrs. Brown said, “It’s about time for it to be done.”
She left the room and everyone started mingling. Harriette sat with Fedora and Tamarai on the couch watched all of their family moving about the room, starting conversations.
“Who do you think’s gonna throw Thanksgiving when your mom dies?” Fedora asked.
“What?” Harriette asked, this was so Fedora, asking such morbid questions.
“Hey, I’m just curious,” Fedora said. “Do you think my mom will? Nah, she’ll probably die first.”
“Do you think Bentley and his dad will still come?” Harriette asked.
“Hopefully not,” Fedora said.
“I don’t know,” Harriette said, watching Collin and Bentley talk across the room, “Bentley looks like he enjoys it, and mom considers him a part of the family. I don’t know about his dad though.”
They both looked around to see if they could find him, finally finding him sitting with Fedora’s mom looking bored.
“I hate him.” Fedora said, “Look at him, sitting with my mom looking sleezy.”
Harriette laughed, “Sleezy?”
“Yeah, like a major sleazeball,” Fedora said. “But back to the main question. I don’t expect you mom to die until she’s at least one hundred. So really anyone could do it, even you.”
She laughed and nudged Harriette, “Imagine you throwing Thanksgiving. Ha, you’d burn the turkey.”
“There would be a fire,” Harriette said, “I’m not the best choice.
“But maybe you’ll become housewife extraordinaire like your mom,” Fedora said.
“I could,” Harriette laughed, “Maybe in another lifetime.”
Fedora laughed, “Maybe Collin could do it.”
“Collin?” Harriette asked, trying to imagine that. “Maybe.”
“Would he have a high class Thanksgiving or a homey one,” Fedora asked.
“I don’t know,” Harriette said, looking back over to Collin and Bentley. Bentley now had his arm over Collin’s shoulder and Collin was laughing about something.
“They sure do look cozy,” Fedora said. “Do you think something is going on between them.”
“Uhm, they’re technically cousins,” Harriette said.
“But not really,” Fedora said, “Bentley isn’t even really related to his dad, plus I don’t think he’s legally his guardian.”
“Hm?” Harriette asked.
“Yeah, Bentley’s mom just left him with this guy,” Fedora said, “Bentley told me all about it, about how she just up and disappeared one day. One day she was there and the next she was not. She had only been dating this guy for a month before she dumped her child with him.”
“Wow,” Harriette said, “That’s sad.”
“Eh, Bentley said he was only sad about it for about one week,” Fedora said, “he hardly remembers her now.”
“How old was he when this happened?” Harriette asked.
“About fourteen,” Fedora said.
“Wow,” Harriette said.
They both looked back over to Collin and Bentley.
“So it would be okay for something to be going on between them,” Harriette asked.
“I guess,” Fedora said. “Since they’re really not related. But then of course there is the point that Bentley doesn’t like guys.”
“Oh, yeah,” Harriette said, she could’ve have forgotten that by the way he was acting with Collin. But then she got a little angry, he was sure acting like he liked him and what if Collin thought he did? What if he was leading Collin on? That’s sort of rude.
“You okay?” Fedora asked, “You look a little... red.”
“You don’t think he’s leading him on, do you?” Harriette said.
“Oh, no, he probably is,” Fedora said, “What have I told you about Bentley this whole time, he’s a total jerk.”
“Oh,” Harriette said. “What should I do?”
“Nothing,” Fedora shrugged, “Collin’s a big boy, he can take care of himself.”
Just then Harriette’s mom came out from the kitchen and announced dinner done so everyone filtered into the dining room where the feast was already set on the table.
Everyone sat and down at and Harriette's mom led them through a prayer. Most of their family wasn't that religious but Harriette’s mom was and since she was hosting Thanksgiving they were gonna pray before eating.
Afterwards they passed the food around the table, everyone getting a little bit of everything, except grayson who passed anything that had animals products in it.
For a moment Harriette and Fedora had forgotten about what they were previously talking about. The seating went like this, Tamara next to Harriette, Harriette next to Fedora, Fedora next to Collin, Collin next to Bentley. And then everyone else.
Fedora ate like five plates of stuffing, among all her other food. Collin and Harriette warned her more than once that she should save room for dessert.
“I am,” Fedora said, getting herself some more cranberry sauce. “Or else I would have more stuffing.”
Harriette laughed.
Finally everyone was done and they sort of dispersed, some of them stayed at the table, but the teens moved to the living room. Harriette sat on the couch with the rest of them, already full from the food she ate though she tried to take small portions. Was it even possible to not get full on Thanksgiving?
“This is great,” Fedora said, not looking a bit full though she practically ate three servings of everything except the tofu turkey Grayson insisted on having. The only people who ate that was Grayson and Summer, Summer wasn’t necessarily a vegetarian but she enjoyed eating vegetarian stuff and considered it sometimes.
“I can’t wait for the pie,” Fedora said.
Collin and Harriette stared at her incredulous.
“You ate all that food and you still want more?” Collin laughed.
“You obviously haven’t seen how I eat dinner,” Fedora said. “I can eat a whole pizza by myself, my roommate always expects me to share when I order a pizza but she should know by now I eat it all by myself.”
“Wow,” Harriette said, wrinkling her nose, ”That can’t be good for you.”
“Well I hardly eat all day,” Fedora said, “I don’t have time for it because I have classes and studying and all that so I eat at night.”
Harriette didn’t say anything, though she wanted to point out that obviously she was eating a lot because she had obviously gained some weight. But Fedora might be offended by that so she kept quiet.
They talked a bit more, about random stuff until Harriette’s mom came out and announced that they were serving cake in the dining room.
Harriette’s mom always went above and beyond with the pies, she had one of every type and two pumpkin. There was peach pie, cherry pie, blueberry pie, pecan pie, apple pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, mixed berry pie and of course pumpkin pie.
Harriette got some peach pie, it was her favorite. Fedora got a slice of pumpkin, apple and cherry. And after some convincing from Bentley, Collin got strawberry rhubarb and Bentley got some pumpkin, they were gonna share.
They all went back to the living to eat their pie. Fedora finished hers first and got up to get some blueberry pie since she was still feeling up for more. Harriette ate hers slowly, savoring each bite, also because she was sort of full.
After they all finished their pie they just sort of talked about nothing, it was getting late by then and Harriette was tired. Fedora wasn’t she seemed to get more awake with every bite she ate. Which just didn't make since to Harriette.
People slowly started to leave, first Bobby, Chelle, and Fisher. Then Chris and summer. Fedora’s mom, and Bentley and his dad, didn’t leave till late. Fedora’s mom spent the time talking with Harriette’s mom. Times like this you could see that they were sister’s they grew up together, experienced life together. And they were actually pretty close.
They didn’t really know where Bentley’s dad went since he sort of disappeared after the pie and Bentley was hanging out with Collin, still.
Harriette was half asleep on the couch with Tamarai while Fedora was sort of sleepily dancing to the Christmas music that Harriette’s mom had put on. Grayson was also in the kitchen with his mom and Fedora’s mom, he was mostly just cleaning which is what he did whenever he came over. He basically took over his mom’s jobs.
Finally Fedora crashed, slumping on the couch with Harriette who was about almost asleep.
“I’m so tired,” she yawned.
“Me too,” Harriette said, “Can we go to sleep?”
“Well, duh,” Fedora said, getting back up, “I’m tired, you’re tired. Why wouldn’t we sleep?”
Harriette glanced over to Collin, who was now practically cuddling with Bentley.
Fedora rolled her eyes,”Leave them to their slightly incest love fest.”
Harriette was really too tired to care so she got up, nudged Tamarai who was completely asleep told her they were going to sleep and then followed Fedora up to her bedroom where they both sort of just crashed.
Shortly after grayson also went to sleep and Fedora’s mom and bentley and his dad all went home and Collin went to sleep. Leaving Lauren Brown downstairs on her way to her bedroom feeling very accomplished in throwing yet another great Thanksgiving.