"I'm thankful for my family," Finn begins. "I'm thankful for the fact I was born healthy and am now able to box and do daily activities."

"I'm thankful for my family as well," Indie says once Finn has finished. "I'm thankful for the little one we're about to have, for watching my son grow up, and for having my husband Dan."

I smile before we go onto Aris. It works like that here. We smile a bit, then later on, we talk about what we're thankful for in more detail as we eat.

Mom and Dad have already said what they're thankful for. It's pretty close to what Indie said.

"I'm thankful for everyone here and allowing me to stay with them. Thank you for welcoming me and treating me so kindly. I don't really know how to express it in words," Aris mutters shyly.

Again, I smile. In moments like this, the thought of him being a killer flies out of my mind, and later on, I wonder how the hell it would be possible. There's just no way.

Then it's my turn. I decided to say something new instead of the exact same words I say every year. "I'm very thankful for my family and our family's friends, the Reyes'. I'm thankful for being able to give Aris a nice home, and I'm thankful for Steph because he makes my life a lot of times better."

Still pretty close to the usual thing.

I always feel like I don't say enough. There's so many other things I'm thankful for, too. Simple things like my sewing machine, or the fact I at least have hands to sew with, and I'm also thankful for the sun and living close to the beach.

Followed after me, Thomas says, 'I am thankful for my family as well. I wouldn't know what to do without Mom, Dad, and the sibling I'll be getting. I am also thankful for my dog, Mango, because she makes me very happy... even though she finds bodies. I am very thankful for Sage because she makes my life a lot of times better."

Then it's Minho's turn, and I feel my eyebrows raise.

"I'm thankful for all the second chances people have given me," he starts. "I'm thankful for my friends, who I'm glad I'm growing close with again. I'm thankful for my family, who make my days a lot of times better. I'm especially thankful for the second chance Evie has given me, and that it somehow ended well. So... thank you."

The best things he has said at Thanksgiving so far.

He really has grown.

After Dan's words—again close to Indie's words—we start eating. There's too many food to name. I don't even know what some of these things are. All I can say is that it looks good and that I will be eating until I get sick of the sight of food.

So I do exactly that.

With a napkin, Thomas wipes food off my face every time it gets on there.

It's really sweet, but the only thing it does is make me eat even less neatly because it literally gets cleaned up straight after!

And why would Finn and Minho be allowed to eat like beasts and not me?

"Careful," Thomas says when I take another bite off the chicken. "Don't—"

I give him a glare.

He shuts his mouth.

Then I smile at him, half of my mouth covered with sauce.

His gaze softens. "Really thought you'd kill me for a second there."

"No. I need someone to clean my mouth," I reply, and then take another bite. "It's so delicious."

"Let me try." He steals the wing from me. Takes a bite that immediately just leaves nothing but the freaking bone. "Hm. Quite good."

I stare at the bone. "That was my wing!"

"There's a million more." Thomas motions at the bowl full of them. Smiling brightly, I grab another one, just for him to steal it. Again, a giant bite before he gives it back to me.

"Don't do that again." I scowl, eat the last flesh off the bone, and then grab one. Hold it far away from Thomas so he can't steal it.

"This is horrific to watch."

"You're just jealous, Finn," I repeat.

"No. It's crazy. Sharing chicken wings while there's a whole bowl of them."

"Hey, hey," Dad warns. "Don't ruin the fun. Just let them live, Finn."

"He really is jealous," Minho comments. "And I am now proudly able to say I'm not, because I'm starting to succeed! Tomorrow, it'll be our fourth date already. It's going better and better—"

With a groan, Finn slams a hand in his own face.

"Jealous," Minho repeats.

Thomas snickers below his breath. Then, just to irritate Finn, we share another chicken wing, and Minho talks a bit more about the progress he made with Evie.

The previous days, he went on two dates with her. The first date was the one at the cinema. Then they went for a walk on the beach, and Minho spoke to Evie's grandma again. He said she mentioned a few more things about her past and that she got more open. When he tried to take her hand as they walked, she didn't refuse.

Third date was a fair that made Minho lose all his  money, but he said it was worth it. She was happy. Thanked him for everything.

He asked if she has forgiven him yet, and she replied her mind is slowly changing.

"Shut up," Finn groans.

"Such a good chicken wing, isn't it, Thomas?" I tease.

Another groan.

"Oh, I think in about ten dates, she'll be ready to kiss me," Minho adds. "Tomorrow, we're going to watch another movie. Wanna come with, Finn? You will no longer be alone."

Finn snaps. Throws his hands in the air, "I'm not alone, you little..." He trails off.

Minho gasps. "Are you in love?"

"No," Finn says fast.

"Yes," Thomas and I say at once.

Please let the Finn meets sunshiny girl happen.

Minho starts begging for details, but Finn presses his lips into a thin white line for the rest of the dinner, not a single word leaving his mouth. Dad then tells Minho to stop bugging, which he only does when something strange happens.

The lights fall out.

We're left in the darkness. Everyone is silent. I hear some people swallowing last bite of their food away, but no one says a word for a good minute, as if we all know that this isn't just a problem with the power.

The vibe is strange. Tense.

Then I hear some grumbling, coming from Dad. He's attempting to get off his chair in the dark. "I'll try to put the light switch on."

"Let me," Minho replies. "I'm closest to it."

His chair screeches against the wooden floor before click, he's trying to put the lights on. Click click click click— "Doesn't work," Minho announces. "Let me check the power box. My eyes have gotten used to the dark anyway."

Mine also have, but the tiniest bit. I can see the shadows of our families. Their silhouettes and eyes, sometimes mouths.

"Wait, let me help," Dad decides, getting up as well. His footsteps are heavier and faster than Minho's. I hear the box o—

BOOM.

And suddenly, there's a very bright light. I can make out confused faces that slowly become shocking. Then the light is gone again. It was there for just two seconds.

I sniff. The air feels heavy. Smells... burned.

"Does anyone have their phone close?" Indie asks.

Dan gets up. "Mine's on the kitchen counter. Just let me..."

My eyebrows furrow. I can't be the only one who heard that boom, right?

But Dad and Minho are completely silent, so—

I jump up. Nearly fall over as I rush towards them. How did I not realize? "Dad? Minho?"

"Minho..." Dad's voice comes out hoarse, and from below me. He sounds as if his throat is dry and he hasn't spoken in years. "Call..." Dad tries to say. "...power...call...Minho...ambulance," is all I can make out of it.

Shit.

Shit, shit— I search for my phone, but it's not on me. I don't know what to do for a good minute. It's like I've frozen in my place. My mind tells me to find out what happened first, even though all I have to do is call an ambulance. I have to call an ambulance— call an ambulance. "Dan," I gasp, "Call nine-one-one. No questions. Because- because I don't know what just happened either. Just... call."

I think I slowly begin to know, though. The fuse box exploded. It hit Minho and Dad. They're now on the ground. I don't know what the injuries are, but Minho isn't talking, so that can't be good. Is he unconscious? I think he is?

"Hey, Minho!" I shake his body, unsure if that's the right thing to do, but still. "Minho? Can you hear me?"

If I would've had my phone, I could flash a light onto him. But I don't know where it is— my mind has blocked out all thoughts but one. Is he dead?

The burned smell is clearly coming off him. He must've gotten a shock. No, he got a shock. I don't think anything else is possible.

"Minho! Hey, man." Thomas crouches down beside me, attempting his best to wake up Minho, too. "Minho!"

A whimpering moan escapes from somewhere. Somewhere close. It was Minho. I'm sure of it.

"Wha..." leaves his mouth, almost in audible. "What?"

Our relieved breaths immediately bring a calmness over everyone in the hallway. "You okay?"

"What happened?" He asks instead, muttering.

"Think you got a shock from the fuse box," Thomas explains.

"Ah." Some kind scoff that also sounds like a chuckle. "You think Evie will find that cool?" He murmurs.

For a second, we're completely silent, in shock, and then we chuckle. "I'm sure she will."

Minho tries to get up, but we stop him. "Don't. There's an ambulance on its way. You might have internal damage."

"An ambulance for me? I feel a bit tingly, but that's it," he announces. His voice is now loud and clear, almost as if nothing just happened. "No ambulance needed."

From a distance, sirens approach.

"Well, too bad for you," Thomas replies.

"Tell Evie at school tomorrow. Better let her visit me."

"No one said you're staying there for the night. Just need some checks done." I can't help but smile a bit, both at his worry about Evie and the fact that so far, nothing seems very damaged.

Well, our fuse box, but that's the least important thing.

"Dad, are you okay?" I ask.

"I feel tingly as well, but it'll be fine."