Today is a very bittersweet day; I'm grateful to be celebrating Thanksgiving with a family I've been welcomed into with open arms, but today is also a reminder of my biological family whom I won't be sharing the day with.

Unfortunately, my sister, Amelia won't be joining us; I hadn't realised how badly I was looking forward to seeing her again until I received a message a few days after we spoke on the phone about her flights saying she couldn't make it. She wouldn't have been able to get to New York from London in time for today because of the timing of her last exam yesterday afternoon. I had made a plan of what we would do in the city while she was here and how I would finally tell her she's going to be an aunt, but now I can't, not yet anyway.

I plan to tell her soon about the babies, but I would have preferred to do so face-to-face. The news of not seeing her has taken me by surprise, meaning I've been rather down and depressed about it. I'm not going to make my feelings ruin today though, I've spent plenty of my life burying how I feel, so what's another day?

The house is full of the Fields family, Nathan's sister, Laura is sitting in the living area watching the parade with the kids, and his brothers are in the garden throwing a football around. There's genuine happiness flowing between everyone today; conversation bounces between Charlotte, Renee and me in the kitchen where the food that's cooking smells incredible, which is positively impacting my mood massively.

"Do you think he'll hate us if we start eating before him?" I ask, staring at the biscuits in the oven in awe and my mouth waters with every second I do. Don't blame me, they look amazing, and the babies want them.

Charlotte laughs, "He'll be back soon, he's only gone to buy more apple juice. Why don't you sit down, you've been helping in the kitchen all day?"

In all honesty, I haven't been, not at all. I've been eating and observing while Nathan slaved away with all the food, but if that counts as helping, then sure, I have. I was willing to, but he refused and I can't help but think it's because I'm a bad cook and it would benefit everyone that I didn't touch a thing.

"I will once I've set the table," I grin wildly to show that I'm not sitting any time soon, and she sighs, shaking her head, "I'm fine, Charlotte, I promise, worry more about Renee, she's the one who's about to pop."

She snorts, pointing at the brunette sitting at the island, watching in amusement, "Why do you think she's not cooking and I am?"

"She's banned me from the kitchen," Renee smiles happily at me, putting her hand on her bump, "And Iris, I'm not about to pop, I'm thirty-two weeks."

"In my eyes, that's about to pop," I say, but I think it's more so because there's a possibility I'll be delivering my babies as early as then, which is terrifying.

"Hopefully you stay in me another two months, baby girl," she strokes over her bump, speaking to her daughter and I smile at the gesture. She looks up at me watching, "You're seriously not finding out the gender of the twins?"

"We're not; we had the choice last week, but as much as I'd love to know now and I am envious that you can call your baby your daughter already, I know the wait will be worth it."

She smiles, "I'm envious of your dedication and the strength you have not to ring up and simply ask."

I laugh, grabbing the cutlery from the island when I say, "Oh, it's tempting, it really is."

There have been more than a few moments in the last week alone when I've wanted to know, but it's always purely my own curiosity and not something I'm ever going to act on. I'd love to know now, of course I would, who wouldn't? I meant what I said though; the wait until I give birth and am told what sex my babies are when they're in the world will be more than worth it.

I'm keeping myself busy in the hope that time will go quicker so Nathan will be home and we'll finally be able to eat Thanksgiving dinner. Sitting around won't help that, so I head into the dining room to lay out cutlery for everyone, which I know isn't needed but it's something to pass the time.

My cheeks heat up crimson as I'm reminded of the events of what happened in here less than a month ago and how Nathan fucked me at the bottom of this very table. He knew then that we would be hosting Thanksgiving dinner, but he hadn't told me yet; if I had known we certainly wouldn't have done it on a table where his entire family will be eating today. I feel ashamed and slightly embarrassed even though no one but Nathan and I know, nor will they ever find out, but the images in my head of us are taunting. If only I could sanitise and thoroughly scrub them like Nathan and I had done with the table.

I'm no stranger to a table that seats up to twelve people, my family had one quite like this, but what I'm not used to is setting the table for that many people because we only ever used four of the seats which were spread out to avoid conversation.

Nathan's mother will be sitting at the very top of the table with Alex and Sam on either side of her, and Nathan will be sitting opposite with his girls on his left, Nova closest to him and I on his right. Laura will be sitting between Addie and Alex, and Renee and Max together beside Sam, making up eleven, leaving one seat spare for what would have been Amelia's next to me.

I skip that seat, putting the final set of cutlery down in front of mine, and I smile at the finished table; it looks really nice and I pat myself on the back. The girls and I made some paper leaves the other night, which we painted fall colours, so earlier I sprinkled them in the centre of the table next to the pinecones we picked up on a walk last week.

I straighten the tablecloth one last time and push my chair in before I leave, shutting the door behind me when I do. As I walk over to the kitchen, my phone beeps from the counter and instantly I smile when I read the message.

Nathan:

'I'm so sorry for the delay, baby, the traffic is insane today, but I've got the apple juice and I'll be home in a few minutes, so if you want to start dishing up, you can, just don't start eating without me, okay?'

Me:

'best news i've heard all week, i'll see you soon!'

"Nathan's a few minutes away, he said we can start dishing up, so let's get all of this food out of the ovens and onto the island for everyone to pick at what they want," I tell Charlotte, grabbing a pair of over gloves for myself to help.

"Oh, perfect timing, the biscuits are just about ready," Charlotte opens the door of the second oven that's not in use and just keeps things warm.

With the help from Renee, we get all of the food out and onto the island in a buffet-style order, with ten plates waiting as well as Nova's pink plastic one which is already plated with food to cool.

"Addie and Elise, come here please!" I shout the two girls into the kitchen, and they come skipping in together, leaving Nova with Laura on the sofa.

Once the kids' plates are done, I take them into the dining room, so they have food waiting at the table when they're back from washing their hands. Laura shouts the guys in from the garden and one by one, everyone washes their hands and picks up a plate, dishing up the feast that Nathan's spent all day making.

Charlotte insists I get my food before her, but I shake my head, "It's okay, I'd rather go last so I don't have to sit and stare at my food longer as I starve."

"You're smart," she laughs, picking up the spoon for the mashed potato.

"No, I'm just so hungry and can't handle nausea today," I say with a chuckle and then gasp when I hear the garage door open, "Finally, he's here."

"Get some food, Iris, you have nothing to wait for now," she hands me the mashed potato spoon and I happily take it.

Footsteps pad across the hard wooden floor and I smile, scooping the mashed potato on my plate, "Nathan, hurry up and get some food, we're all starving!"

"You left any for me, big sis?" a very unexpected voice says and I instantly drop the spoon into the bowl, looking up to find my baby sister standing next to Nathan in the archway.

"You're not real," I whisper, bringing my hand to my mouth in shock as I shake my head.

Amelia smiles wildly, her smile the same as the last time I saw it, but everything else about her is so different; her hair is cut short into a bob and she looks so mature now. She's grown up so much since the last time I saw her and my eyes brim with tears as I take her in.

"Surprise!" she lifts her hands.

I look at Nathan who is standing there smiling, holding up a carton, "I brought apple juice."

"You are a sneaky man, Fields, but I can't say I hate you for it," I leave my plate, walking over to them. I wrap my arms around my sister, bringing her into a hug, tucking my neck on her shoulder and she hugs me back tightly, "I've missed you so much, jellytot."

"I'm sorry we lied, but it was so worth it," she mumbles against my hair.

I sniffle, wiping my tears when I pull back, "I'm so happy you're here, but before we eat, I have something to tell you and I didn't want to tell you this now, but you're going to find out soon enough."

"Oh God, Iris, what have you done?" she stresses, looking around for any clues, but never does she look down where the most obvious one is, but then she continues, "I mean, the hot hockey player is a score, well done for that by the way, but what else have you got hidden up your sleeve?"

Nathan snorts, putting the juice down on the counter, "Your sister is hilarious."

"Thank you," Amelia smiles over at him before she looks at me seriously, "So, should I be worried?"

"You shouldn't, unless you've magically started hating babies since I last saw you," I say with a smile, stroking my hand over my bump which my woollen dress was hiding.

"You're pregnant?" she gasps, putting her hand next to mine, "Oh my god, Iris, you're having a baby."

"We're having twins," I purse my lips as I wait for her reaction. Her eyes grow wide, but they begin to water as she adds another hand to my bump.

"How far along are you?" she asks, blinking away her tears.

"Twenty-one weeks almost, I wanted to tell you in a better way than this, but surprise!" I laugh, throwing my hands up just like she had.

"It's the best surprise ever, I can't wait to be an aunt," she hugs me again.

Nathan speaks up now, getting another plate from the cupboard for Amelia, "You may need to prepare quickly Amelia because you already kind of are one; there are three girls of mine waiting on us in there and I'm sure they'll love to meet you."

"Really?" she asks, and he nods with a smile, "I thought the two car seats in the car were suspicious."

"You never asked," he points out.

"You could have told me," she retorts.

"As much as I love this bond that's blossoming right now," I point between them, "We should get food; I'm starving and I bet you both are too."

Once we've plated up our food, we head into the dining room and everyone is waiting patiently, but when they see Amelia, they all look rather shocked apart from Charlotte who only smiles when she does.

"This is Amelia, Iris' sister, so welcome her nicely; I flew her out as a surprise to Iris, so I'm sorry about the delay, but I think it's worth it," Nathan excuses as he takes his seat.

Everyone greets Amelia as we sit down at the table, and Sam is the last person to speak, "If you ever need someone to show around the city, I'm your guy."

"No, you're not," Nathan points at him, "Don't go there or think about doing so."

"You're such a buzz kill," Sam shakes his head at his big brother and I laugh, taking a sip of my water.

"Who's he?" Amelia whispers in my ear.

I whisper back, "He is Sam, but don't you think about that either. I am showing you around the city."

Nova holds up a piece of her biscuit which she's happily munching on, "Daddy, it yummy."

"I'm glad, baby," Nathan chuckles and then turns his attention to everyone, "I'll keep this quick, we'll do a round of thanks and we can all eat finally, so I first of all want to thank you all for waiting, I know I took a while. I want to say thank you for the constant support with the girls and my career, I wouldn't be here without any of you, especially you, mom. I also want to say a quick thank you to Iris, you've brought back a happier version of me this year and I'm so thankful for that. I couldn't be more grateful for you all at this table and the life we've all been blessed with." 

I squeeze his knee under the table, smiling over at him before I say my thanks, "I have many reasons to be thankful this year, but if I told you every reason I'd be here all night and I want to eat, so I'll try to be quick. I actually spent Thanksgiving last year in my apartment eating ramen on my sofa alone and I never imagined that a year later I'd be surrounded by this much love, never mind building my own family with Nathan, the girls and our twins. I'm so thankful for how my life has worked out and how I've been able to reunite with my sister again. This year goes in the books with one of the best and I seriously couldn't be more thankful for you all."

Everyone takes their turn around the table saying thanks and once Elise is finished saying hers, we dig into our meal and shockingly it isn't yet cold when we do, so we simply enjoy the company of one another.

For the first time in my life, I enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner with a family that I adore; I can't imagine a Thanksgiving getting better than today, but I know it will since next year will top this one because the twins will be with us and I'll have two more things to be thankful for.

✯✯✯

"So, you're telling me he just let you move in that easily?" Amelia asks, sipping on her hot chocolate as I fill her in on the story of Nathan and me.

I laugh, nodding, "It was either that or I moved back to Montana with mom and dad with his child in my belly, which he didn't want to happen, so this was a compromise until I found a place of my own."

"And that's changed now I'm assuming?" she asks, but I hesitate in answering because truly, Nathan and I haven't spoken about it, "You're not still planning on moving, are you?"

"No, I'm not, I have no plans at all right now; I don't know if I'm staying here permanently with Nathan or not. We have only just started dating, and we're not even officially together, so I can't completely rule out moving, but I'm also in no rush to do so either. I love it here, this is comfortable, don't you think?" I am going to start spiralling if we don't change this conversation soon.

"You have it comfortable, that's for sure," she chuckles, pulling my duvet up further over us, "How is it living with his daughters anyway? What's the story there; is there no mother in the picture?"

"Their mother passed away two years ago; I don't know the full story, nor is it my place to say, but he's been a single father ever since and he's an incredible one at that. I honestly love living here with the girls, I couldn't imagine my life without them in it," I admit, sipping on my hot chocolate once I've finished speaking.

"So, will you be taking on the role of mommy now you're carrying their siblings?" she questions.

"No, of course not," I shake my head.

"Oh..."

"It's not because I wouldn't want to, it's much more complicated," I sigh, putting my cup down before I explain, "I don't want to push anything that isn't natural for the girls and I never will do that. However, I will always treat them equally to the twins; they are part of my life in a way I never expected them to be. They may never see me as a mother, which I'm more than fine with, but I know I'll always have a place in my heart for them as my own children, even now, so early on." 

"I thought so; you look at them like they're your world, and I'm sorry if I was over the line by asking that, I probably shouldn't have," she apologises.

"No, it's more than fine, it's nice to finally speak about my feelings out loud, I haven't been able to."

"We have years of catching up to do, we may be here speaking until the babies are ready to be born," she grins over at me and I let out a small laugh, nodding.

I take another sip of my hot chocolate, but when I do, Baby B suddenly kicks me in the rib, making me wince and put my cup down, "I think they heard us speaking about them."

"They're kicking?" she sits up, suddenly excited.

I nod and move the duvet before I grab her hand, putting it against where I'm feeling the kicks, "Nathan's only felt one of them kick once but be patient, you may be lucky."

"Is it weird?" she asks.

"Kind of," I admit, "It's also sweet and I love the reminder of them through the day whenever they do."

To urge one of them to kick, I poke my belly in different places and within seconds twin B kicks back, and Amelia gasps, looking up at me with a large smile on her face, "I felt that, was that one of them kicking?"

"It was, that's baby B, they are a little bigger than their twin but don't worry, baby A is the one who keeps me up at night kicking away at my bladder," I laugh, stroking my bump over.

"You are going to be an amazing mother, Iris and I know so firsthand," she tells me with a smile, "I know you're only six years older than me, but you took more care of me than our parents ever did, so I think I have the right to say so."

"That was my job as a big sister, jellytot."

"You're never going to drop that nickname, are you?" she groans, lying her head on my shoulder.

"Never," I chuckle, resting my head on hers, "How's studying in London by the way, you're staying awfully quiet about it?"

"It's amazing and everything I've ever dreamt of..." she goes on to tell me about the place she's living, the course she's taking and the friends she's made there.

I never thought I'd be ending tonight lying in bed with my sister gossiping about the lives we've built ourselves; it feels like a fever dream and I fear that any second now I'm going to wake up alone with Amelia nowhere in sight.

I have yet to wrap my head around what Nathan did to make this happen, but I couldn't be more thankful for him doing so.

~~~~~

A/N

Meet Amelia!!! I absolutely fucking love her!

This is one of my favourite chapters by far, I'm so glad you've got to meet her now!