November 25, 1997

Veronica's POV

"Finally." Alyssa says, getting out of the car. We'd been on the road, heading home to Ohio, for hours. "I know. I'm so ready to just relax in my old room." I sigh. "Hey can I use your car? I'm going to go see my mom. It's been a while." Alyssa asks. She hasn't see her mom in about two years. I've been back a couple times, but she stayed behind, not wanting to see her family since they always make a big deal out of her being gay. "Yeah sure." I hug her and she leaves.

Last time I was here, JD and I were still not talking. I'd still come over to visit Jill and Katie. Heather lives with James a few minutes away. They got engaged right after college. I usually don't think high school relationships are able to last, but they're breakup years ago really made them better and more fit for one another. They still haven't gotten married but James insists it's happening soon. I haven't talked to Heather in a year. We've just been so busy. I'm definitely seeing her this week.

I walk inside and my dad gets up from the couch. "Hey!" He hugs me, "where's Alyssa?" I let go of the hug, "Alyssa just went to see her mom. She'll be back soon." She probably won't want to be there very long. "How are things with JD now that the band is back together?" He asks. "It's good. It's weird being friends with him again. Especially after not talking for 2 years." I say. "I bet." He goes towards the kitchen so I  follow him and take a seat.

He tells me about work and his social life, or lack thereof. "Dad, you really need to make friends. And coworkers don't count unless you spend time with them outside work." I tell him. "I talk to Hank and Jill." He says. "Do you spend time with them?" I ask. "Not really. But we talk when we see each other in public." He opens the fridge. "Dad that's not a friendship," I sigh, "I'm going to start calling Jill and asking her to invite you places." He turns around, "I don't need my daughter to force people to hang out with me." He frowns. "I'm not forcing them to hang out with you. Jill and Hank would love to spend time with you. Jill would spend time with Mom if Mom would allow it." She probably wouldn't but my point still stands. "I'll think about it." He turns back around. "Well we can ask at Thanksgiving. You're coming with me to Jill and Hank's for dinner. You, me, and Alyssa." I tell him. He groans and walks out of the kitchen.

Alyssa comes back an hour later. "Hey. How was your mom?" I ask. "Irritating as always." She lies next to me in bed. "I'm sorry." I say as she rests her head on my chest. "It's okay. How're things with your dad?" She changes the subject. "Good. I'm trying to get him to make some friends. And I told him he's coming to Thanksgiving with us. He just groaned and walked away." I tell her. "He'll have fun. Jill is so nice." Jill and Alyssa have gotten close since they first met. Katie loves her. Alyssa was talking about seeing Katie on the way down here. She was also saying how sad she was that we missed her fourth birthday. It was yesterday.

November 26, 1997

Alyssa and I pull into the driveway and go inside. The moment Katie hears the door open, she's running out of the kitchen. "Lyssa!" She yells and runs into Alyssa's arms. "Hey!" Alyssa laughs. I smile. They're so cute when they interact. "I am so so sorry I missed your birthday, button." Alyssa frowns. I love that her nickname for her is button. And she won't let anyone else call her that. Jill called her that once and she said "Mommy no! That's only for Alyssa!" Alyssa and Katie go into the living room so I follow, Jill behind me.

The two play with some legos while Jill and I catch up. We talk about me being in the band with JD again. We also talk a little about Sam being in Boston again. "Ronica! Look what I made!" Katie lifts up the small structure she's created. "Oh my goodness! That is so cool! Did Lyssa help you with that?" I smile. "No! All me!" She says. "Good job!" I gasp. "Thank you." She sets down her structure and continues "helping" Alyssa with hers. "How are Owen and Will?" Jill asks me. "They're really good. Even though Will hates his job but he refuses to quit." He always complains about work but every time you ask him why he doesn't quit, he just shrugs and changes to subject. "He's just stubborn." Alyssa chimes in. "Sounds like it." Jill laughs.

JD finally wakes up and comes downstairs. "Hey there, sleepy head!" I smirk. "Haha. So funny." He rolls his eyes. "Where are you off to, honey?" Jill asks. "My apartment. We're still working on moving." He says. JD left Boston early to drive the moving truck here. He found an apartment for him and Eva. Eva is driving his car to Boston and he's driving the moving truck. We all already agreed to help them move in. "Okay. Do you need help?" Jill starts to stand. "Heather and James are coming to help. Veronica and Alyssa said they'd come over later." JD tells her. "Okay. Well have fun." Jill waves. "Bye brother!" Katie also waves.

After a while of playing with Katie, we head over to the apartment. Heather and James are already gone. Apparently they had a thing with James' parents. "Veronica! Alyssa!" Eva smiles when she sees us. "Hey! Long time no see!" I hug her. "Yeah it's been too long." She pats me on the shoulder. Eva and I haven't talked in over two years. "Alright. Not to break up this happy reunion, but I've got tasks for you guys. If you wouldn't mind putting the dishes in a box, I will love you forever." JD comes out of the bedroom. "Heard that before." I mutter. "Hey! That was years ago!" JD points at me. "I'm just yanking your chain." I laugh. "Whatever." He rolls his eyes and goes back into the bedroom.

Alyssa and I start to put dishes into boxes and put the blankets JD gave us into them so they wouldn't break. "So about that joke you made..." Alyssa starts. "Listen, I was doing it to get on his nerves. I hope you're not mad." I say. "I'm not mad. I just hate when you do that. When you make jokes with him like that. Do you want another two years of no talking between you two?" She looks at me. "So you're not mad about me making a relationship joke with him?" I ask. "No, I don't care about that. I just don't want you to drive him off while the apology's still fresh." She says. "Oh." I put a stack of bowls into another box. "Just be careful." She puts her hand on mine. "Okay." I kiss her forehead.

"Hey lovebirds!" JD stands with a guitar at the entrance of the kitchen. "We're taking a music break. Come on." He leads us to the living room. He tells Eva and Alyssa to sit down. There's not a couch anymore so they sit on the floor. JD and I sit against the tv stand. "You wanna do Lavender Haze for them?" He asks. "Yes, impress me. Impress us both." Eva says. "Okay." We sing the song. The girls clap and cheer for us. "You guys are so good.

"Okay. If we want to get anything done, we need to get going again." JD stands. Alyssa and I finish packing the dishes and tell JD we're done. "Okay. Could you guys help bring the dining room chairs down to the truck?" He asks. "Sure." I nod. We do that and then bring the table down. We all go out for dinner. "So any new music you haven't played for us?" Eva asks. "Well, I don't know what JD's played for you but I play Alyssa everything we write. Like I just sang 'Don't Go' for her the other night." She loved it. We finished 'Lavender Haze' a while ago but we were waiting to play it for people because we were still workshopping it. "He played 'Don't Go' for me too." Eva says. "Nice." Alyssa nods. Alyssa and I go back to my dad's and decide to call it a night. We talk about plans for tomorrow before falling asleep.

November 27, 1997

Alyssa and I wake up and get breakfast. Heather and James are sitting down near the front door. "Hey!" Heather smiles when she sees me. "Hi! I'm sad I missed you guys yesterday. Little Katie just wouldn't let us leave. Alyssa had to keep playing with her." I hug her once she stands up. "You're all good. I understand." She squeezes me tight. "Hey James." I wave. "Hey Veronica." He waves back. We decide to sit down with them and catch up.

"So do you have a date for the wedding yet?" I ask, sipping on my coffee. "We're planning it still. We don't want to set a date until we're sure how we want to do this." Heather says. It doesn't sound like she believes what she's saying. She seems to be the one that's ready but James is still hesitant. "JD and Eva are gonna be married before you at this rate. And they just got engaged." Alyssa laughs. "Listen. We're trying." James says.

After breakfast, Alyssa and I walk back to our car. "It's so weird that James is the one who proposed yet he's not ready to marry her." I say suddenly. "What makes you say he isn't ready?" She asks. "Heather definitely wants to get married and whenever she would say that they weren't ready, it seemed like she was saying it without actually believing it." I tell her. I know Heather. She wants to marry James. I just wonder why James doesn't want to marry her. "Interesting. Well I hope they figure out what they really want and hopefully it's the same thing." Alyssa says.

We go to my dad's and start getting ready for the day. We said we would spend the whole day at Jill and Hank's. I make sure my dad is awake and getting ready. "I'm getting ready. Don't rush me!" He calls from the other side of the door. "Sorry, sorry. Just remember that we're leaving soon." I remind him. "He's getting ready. I'd give him a couple minutes." I tell Alyssa. Fifteen minutes later we're getting into the car.

When we get to Jill and Hank's, my dad ends up on the couch, watching sports with Hank. I'd usually be happy about this if it weren't for the fact that neither of them are talking. They're just sitting there silently. "Lyssa!" Katie calls from the top of the stairs. She's wearing brown overalls with a white shirt underneath. Jill picks her up and carries her downstairs. "Hey!" Alyssa holds her arms out and Jill hands her over. "If you want, you can take her outside. We just installed her new playground." Jill tells her. "Sure." Alyssa says, walking outside with Katie in her arms. Heather and James come over. It's shocking that they're here before JD and Eva. But those two soon show up. "Your dad sure is social today." JD says as he takes off his coat. "Yeah. I practically had to drag him here. At least he came with us." I lean against the wall. "That's one way to look at it." He shrugs.

Jill goes back into the kitchen. JD and I follow. "Mom, when did you wake up this morning?" He asks. "Six. I wanted everything to be ready so when Hank puts the turkey in the oven, there's nothing else that needs to go in." She says. "Smart. But Hank could have helped." JD crosses his arms. "He did help, Jason. As soon as he woke up around nine, he made the mashed potatoes and the stuffing. You know how I am. I like to do stuff my way. Plus you know I'm used to doing everything on Thanksgiving. This is the first year since we got married that Hank hasn't had to work at all." She says. "He's not your father, you know." She stirs the pumpkin for the pumpkin pie. "I know that! Why would you even insinuate that I thought he was!" JD uncrosses his arms and puts them on his hips. "You're the one treating him like he is. Since you moved back here you've been acting differently towards him and I don't think it's fair." Jill turns around. "I'm sorry I'm looking out for your well being!" JD raises his voice. "Hey! Don't raise your voice at me! I am your mother!" Jill matches his tone. "Okay I think we need to separate and talk about this later." I start pushing JD out. "No! I'm not done! Hank is-" JD tries to fight me. "No, no, no. We're not going to insult Hank. Just go outside and play with Katie. I push him out the back door. Hank gets off the couch. "What was the yelling about?" He asks me. "Nothing. Just mother son stuff." I tell him. "Okay." Hank goes into the kitchen. I peek in and see that he's consoling a crying Jill. Dammit JD. Why did you pick today to pick a fight?

I go outside a few minutes later and JD is playing peekaboo with Katie. "Alyssa, take Katie inside." I say. "Why?" She raises an eyebrow. "Just do it please." I raise my voice slightly so that my tone sounds serious. "Okay, okay." She does what I tell her and I turn to JD. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I hit him. "Hey! I'm sorry. I was mad." He backs up so I can't hit him. "Why? Hank has done nothing to you!" I throw my hands up. "It's nothing. Just go inside. I need to be alone." He tells me. "Fine. But if you ruin tonight for everyone, I will murder you in your sleep." I put my finger up to his face in a threatening way.

"Hey. What was that about?" Alyssa asks once I come inside. "Nothing. He's just being an asshole." I shake my head. "Okay." She turns back to Katie. Heather comes up to me, "Jill's in the kitchen, sobbing. What did JD do?" I roll my eyes, "JD was a dick to her." She scoffs, "I'll kill him." She looks angry. "I already threatened to." I laugh. "What's happening?" My dad finally leaves the couch. "Nothing you need to worry about, Dad." I assure him. "Okay." He sits back down. I can see JD outside, pacing. He looks like he's saying something to himself. He better be calming himself down. Eva has been in the bathroom the whole time this has been going on. "Hey, where's JD?" She looks around. "He's outside. Being a dick." I snarl. Eva goes outside with him. But she soon comes back in. "Yeah he's not in the mood for other people." She closes the door.

When it's time for dinner, we all sit down. I sit between my dad and Alyssa. JD is right across from me. "Alright. Why don't we all go around and say what we're thankful for." Jill suggests. "I'll start." I stand up. "Well I'm thankful for everyone at this table. Especially my amazing partner Alyssa and my dad for letting me drag him here. Alyssa, I know we can't get married, but if we could, there would be a ring on that finger, just like Eva and Heather." I kiss her hand. Everyone reacts differently. Most say "aww" or "so sweet," JD laughs. He might be a little tipsy. He came in and started drinking soon after Eva went out there. "I'll go next." JD stands. "Honey, let's not." Eva tries to pull him down into his seat. "No. I have something I'm thankful for." He swats at her so she'll stop. "I'm thankful for my mom. She's the kindest person I know. I was so happy she found someone to care for her." Okay this is fine. I don't know why Eva is worried. "Which is why it's very upsetting to find out that she really hasn't." Oh God. "It came to my attention recently that Hank," JD points at Hank, "has been cheating on my mom." Holy shit. "What?" Hank looks confused. "No he's not!" Jill says. "What is happening." Heather looks around.