Thanksgiving with The Thomas Family

Audrey sat uncomfortably in the passenger seat of the car. Her husband, Beck, short for Beckett, was driving. His eyes were focused on the highway in front of him and the heavy, weaving traffic. They should have left earlier, anticipating the heavy Thanksgiving traffic as everyone made their way out of town for the holiday. The couple probably would have left earlier if Audrey hadn’t been so concerned with fixing a side of wild rice, quinoa, and cranberry salad, which was now sitting unpleasantly in her lap covered with cellophane. 

“I’m excited to see your family again,” Beck said. 

Audrey wondered why. Her dad constantly called him Becky and her mother was insistent when it came to the conversation of children. Audrey herself didn’t enjoy seeing her family for the holidays. She had married into a family much quieter and less opinionated than the family she’d grown up with. But this year she had felt an obligation to see her family for the holidays. Her mother had called her, somber and crying, begging her to attend Thanksgiving. She wanted them all to be together; she was worried it would be their last Thanksgiving together. Audrey asked what she meant by saying “last Thanksgiving together”, but she refused to elaborate.

While Audrey was curious about what her mother meant, she didn’t want to go home for Thanksgiving. She didn’t want to eat the turkey and exchange pleasantries with her two brothers and older sister. They had all lost contact over the years for one reason or another, but Audrey thought she was happier without them in her life.

Beckett reached over and grabbed her hand. He squeezed it lightly in a comforting way that reminded her that he was her foundation. No matter how the dinner went or how many jabs her mother made, Beckett would be there to provide a solid ground to stand on. “I’m just nervous,” Audrey said, squeezing his hand back. 

“They’re your family, you shouldn’t be nervous to see them. I know they can be a lot, but they love you,” he said. Audrey rolled her eyes in response, choosing to look out the side window instead of straight ahead. Beck brought her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her fingers. It was the kind of gesture that made her feel safe with him, and she felt then as ready as she would ever feel to see her family.

They pulled up in front of her big family home just a quarter after noon. Her mom had said dinner would be on the table at one o’clock, which knowing her, meant dinner would be on the table by three at the very earliest. Audrey was happy to be there early; she thought she could help get dinner on the table before everyone got stark-raving-mad with hunger. An extra set of hands might also prevent the inevitable bitching done by her mother at the dinner table about the food and the company. 

Audrey and Beck were met at the door by Audrey’s father. He was a tall man with a hint of a beer belly. He was wearing a button down flannel shirt and a pair of jeans. He was well put together considering he spent most of his time in ratted out jeans and stained t-shirts with motorcycles on them. Audrey gave him a big, warm hug as a greeting. “Happy Thanksgiving,” she said as her arms wrapped around his neck, just like when she was little. 

“Happy Thanksgiving,” he said, hugging her back. 

He let her go, then shook Beck’s hand. “Happy Thanksgiving, sir,” Beck said, trying to strengthen the grip of his handshake. Audrey’s father, whom Beck either called “sir” or “Mr. Thomas”, had the tendency to squeeze his hand harder and harder until he was certain his fingers would break. This time Beck was ready, he went into the handshake weaker and grew stronger as Mr. Thomas’s large fingers coiled tighter and tighter around his hand.

When Beck was almost certain his hand couldn’t take anymore squeezing, Mr. Thomas let go, “It’s good to see you, Becky,”, he said affectionately, then patted him roughly on the back. Beck could take it; he had gotten used to Mr. Thomas’ rough ways with him. He never thought too far into it. Mr. Thomas just thought they were men being men, but Beck knew Audrey was bothered by how her father treated him. 

“Dad, how many times do I have to ask you not to call him Becky?” Audrey asked, shoving past her dad and into the front entryway. She slipped off her shoes by the door like she had every day of her childhood; her mom had never been a shoes in the house kind of person. 

“Oh, but Becky doesn’t mind, do you Becky?” Mr. Thomas responded, looking at Beck for an answer instead of his daughter. 

Audrey was looking at Beck as well, waiting for him to defend his name. Though the truth was, Beck didn’t mind being called the nickname at all. “It’s fine, Audrey. I don’t mind,” Beck said.Audrey rolled her eyes and sauntered off into the living room as Beck made his way into the kitchen with the side dish. 

Audrey’s older sister was sitting on the couch already nursing a glass of red wine. Tabitha had a bit of an alcohol problem. It wasn’t a problem she admitted, but was incredibly obvious to her family. “Hey Tabby, where’s the kids?” Audrey asked, not even bothering to sit down. 

Tabitha took a long sip from her glass, “They’re outside with Nick,” she said swallowing. 

“I didn’t know Nick was going to be here,” Audrey said, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Yep,” Tabitha replied, simply. It was clear Tabby wasn’t going to be the life of the Thanksgiving dinner. She rarely ever was. She took another long sip from her glass, “Max is bringing a girl to Thanksgiving,” she said, almost like when they were young girls sharing secrets again. 

“Have you met her before?” Audrey asked. 

“No,” Tabby responded. She took another sip, “I hear she’s nineteen,”. 

“Nineteen?? Is Max fucking insane?” Audrey exclaimed. 

Tabitha finished the wine in her glass, “Most likely. I need more wine. Have you seen mom yet? She’s in the kitchen,”. 

Audrey followed her older sister through the foyer and into the kitchen. Her mom was sipping from a glass of wine herself and peeking under the plastic wrap at the dish Audrey had made. The bottle of red wine sat on the kitchen island corked and ready for another pour. 

“Audrey, what is this?” her mother asked, coldly. 

“It’s a quinoa salad. It’s vegan,” Audrey explained. 

“So you brought us rabbit food?” Mrs. Thomas questioned.

“No, mom, it’s good for you. You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to,” Audrey said, exasperated already with her mother.

Mrs. Thomas was a petite woman with big hips and broad shoulders. She was one of those older women who always considered themselves overweight, but none of her acquaintances have ever thought of her as someone who needed to lose weight. She was a warm woman who smelled like vanilla bean and wore an array of aprons around the house when cooking and cleaning. She’d not had a job as long as Audrey has been alive, and Audrey thought less of her for that. 

Mrs. Thomas approached Audrey with open arms and wrapped her up warmly. She was a tight squeezer, like an anaconda.“Mom,” Audrey croaked, “Too tight,”. 

Mrs. Thomas relinquished her hold, “I’m just so happy to see you! I feel like it’s been so long since you’ve been home,”. 

“Yeah, well I’ve been busy,” Audrey responded. 

“Obviously not busy giving me grandchildren, but we don’t have to talk about it. I know you hate talking about it,” Mrs. Thomas said, returning to her cooking and glass of wine.

Audrey sat down next to Tabitha at the island where she was refilling her glass with wine. “Can I have one of those?” she asked her mother. Mrs. Thomas handed a glass to Audrey, and they all refilled their glasses until they were full. 

Audrey tossed back half her glass of wine. She felt a little bad for taking a note from Tabitha’s book, but she thought being a little buzzed would make the day easier. “So what’s going on? You said this might be our last Thanksgiving together?” she asked.

Mrs. Thomas looked like a deer in the headlights for a moment. The color seemed to drain from her face. Then it filled with color again, “Max, you’re home!” she said, her voice raising and her mouth forming a smile. 

Audrey turned and her younger brother Max was standing behind her with a big smile on his face. At twenty-five-years-old, Max was the youngest of the Thomas family, and he was the family embarrassment. One year it was because he’d been arrested for a DUI on Christmas Eve. This year it was because he was bringing his nineteen year-old girlfriend to Thanksgiving. She was standing next to him, short with long black hair and a young face. Her sweatshirt said “Hope and Faith Community Bible College” written on the front. She wore a shiny silver cross necklace around her neck and had a patch of acne on her chin. It looked like Max had just picked her up from a week at church camp.

Mrs. Thomas hugged Max tightly as she had Audrey; Mrs. Thomas did not have a favorite among her children and was an equal opportunity hugger. After hugging Max, her eyes fell onto the young girl beside him, “You must be Maddie. It’s so nice to meet you,”. 

Maddie stuck her hand out, “It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Thomas. I’ve heard a lot about you and your family,”.

Audrey rolled her eyes; there was no telling what Max had told his little girlfriend. Mrs. Thomas skipped the handshake and pulled Maddie into a hug. “I’m more of a hugger than a hand shaker,” she said. Audrey saw Maddie grimace and then smile. “Well, Max, how about a glass of wine? Maybe a scotch? Maddie, I’d offer you a drink but you’re not of age, but if you really want one, then you can have a few sips. Who am I going to tell?” Mrs. Thomas shrugged. 

Maddie looked up at Max expectantly, “Actually mom, Maddie and I don’t drink,” he said. 

Tabitha snorted, then took a long sip of her wine. Max’s eyes shot over to her; she tried to look inconspicuous. Mrs. Thomas turned around to look at her two daughters, “Well, I think that’s great, honey. How about some peach tea then?” she offered. 

Maddie smiled a big, bright smile. It was a smile that screamed I just got my braces off three years ago. Audrey cringed and tried to hide it by sipping her wine. Mrs. Thomas removed two glasses from the cabinet and the pitcher of tea from the fridge. Max made his way into the kitchen to give both his sisters big hugs, neither of which were well received. “How are my sisters?” he asked cheerfully. 

“Fine,” Tabby said shortly, starting to fill her glass again from a fresh bottle. Audrey wondered how many glasses she’d already had. 

“Great. Good to hear. Audrey, how are you doing? Did Beck come with you?” Max asked, still smiling. Maddie stuck close by him and was staring at her with big brown eyes. 

“Yeah, he’s around here somewhere. I think he’s outside with dad, Nick, and the kids,” she explained. 

“Good, I like that one,” he said.

 Audrey looked from Max to Maddie, then back again. Mrs. Thomas handed them each a glass of peach tea. “Well, I’d hope so, because we’re married,” Audrey said, rolling her eyes. “Of course, you might not remember that because you were black out drunk the entire wedding,” she sipped from her glass and watched as Maddie’s eyes shot through Max like a bullet. 

Max laughed nervously. Audrey watched as redness creeped up his neck and into his cheeks. “Yeah, well… sorry about that. I’m a different person now, Audi. I hope you can see that,” he said. 

Audrey stared at him for a moment, then grabbed the bottle of wine and topped off her glass. “I’m going outside,” she said. She walked over to the sliding doors in the kitchen and slid it open. She shut the door forcefully behind her and walked out onto the patio. Nick, Tabitha’s current husband, chased her two kids around the yard. They were laughing, screaming, and chasing Beck. Audrey wasn’t sure what game they were playing, but all of them were smiling and laughing as they ran. 

Beck saw Audrey out of the corner of his eye and stopped. Her niece and nephew, Phoebe and Dylan, jumped up on him and tackled him to the ground. “We got him, Nick! Did you see that? We got him!” Dylan shouted. 

Nick stopped and put his hands on his knees to catch his breath, “You sure did, kiddo! Good job,”. 

Beck got up off the ground and brushed the dirt off his jeans. There were grass stains on his knees and Audrey smiled at them as he approached her. Phoebe and Dylan saw her out on the patio and ran up to her first, wrapping their arms around her waist and looking up at her. “Auntie Audrey!” Phoebe and Dylan shouted as they greeted her. 

Audrey hugged them both back, “You guys have gotten so big since I’ve seen you last,” she said, squatting down to look them both in the face.

“I lost my first tooth!” Phoebe piped up. 

Audrey widened her eyes, “Wow! Did you get a visit from the tooth fairy?”.

Dylan nodded enthusiastically, “She gave her a whole dollar,” he said before his sister could respond. 

“A whole dollar? No way!” Audrey said. 

Phoebe nodded quickly, “I put it in my piggy bank,” she said. 

“Well that’s a great place to put it,” Audrey responded. 

Nick had made his way across the yard and was standing next to Beck. Nick and Tabitha had gotten married over a year ago after Tabby’s first husband left her and the kids. Nick was a good guy as far as Audrey could tell; probably too good for her alcoholic sister. He loved her though and the kids, that meant the world to Audrey and her family. Audrey was worried, more than anything else, that her sister would find some way to fuck it all up. 

“Tabby might need some water,” Audrey mentioned, looking at Nick and nodding. 

Understanding lit up his eyes immediately, “Alright, kids, let’s go tell mommy to hydrate,” he said, then they all walked in through the sliding glass door leaving Beck and Audrey alone. 

“How’s your mom and sister?” Beck asked, still trying to catch his breath. 

“They’re fine. Max is here too with his little girlfriend,” Audrey said. 

“Little as in-?” Beck wondered aloud, waiting for his wife to finish the thought. 

“As in young. Like, freshly nineteen young,” she explained. 

“Ah, yikes. That’s disappointing,” he sighed. 

“But I guess he’s changed because of her, so we’ll see. I’m not sure anything a nineteen year-old does or says could make a grown man change, but I guess it’s happened,” Audrey rolled her eyes. 

“You never know. Sometimes people change, and sometimes people meet others who make them want to change. There doesn’t have to be any rhyme or reason to it,” Beck responded. Audrey stiffened, so he wrapped his arms around her. “Just try to have a good day. You can make whatever assertions you want to make on the way home, but right now just enjoy your time with everyone,” he advised; it was advice Audrey didn’t want to hear, but she felt maybe she needed to hear.

They walked back into the kitchen where everyone was gathered now. While Audrey was out on the patio, her older brother, Ben and his husband, Trent, had arrived in wide smiles and matching sweaters. They were standing around the kitchen while Trent mixed holiday cocktails and Mrs. Thomas checked the turkey in the oven. Tabitha had a glass of water in front of her that was half full; she was smiling and laughing at whatever story Ben was telling.  

Ben was always telling a story. Audrey wasn’t sure if they were all true, but he always had something to say. When he told a story, the whole room had his attention; it was as if a spotlight shone down on him from the heavens. The oldest of the family and also the most attention grabbing; their parents had gotten it right the very first time. Audrey often thought of her and the rest of her siblings as the side characters in Ben’s life. He was the main character and the rest of them were just there to be a part of his stories. She didn’t feel jealous of him though. She just wished, for once, that she could be the main character of the story. 

“And that’s how we ended up with a pet squirrel for two weeks,” Ben finished, smiling. Tabitha giggled and Mrs. Thomas smiled proudly. 

“Don’t those things have rabies?” Maddie asked, bravely. It was a stupid question, she just didn’t know it. 

Ben smiled sweetly, “Uh, not typically, no. The likelihood of a squirrel or other wild small rodents having rabies is incredibly low. Besides, Kenny was a good squirrel. He just needed a little love before being let back out in the wild,” he explained. It wasn’t a rude explanation by any means, but the commentary still frustrated Audrey. Ben was a know-it-all, especially about animals, and he couldn’t help himself from making others’ feel stupid for not knowing the things he knew. She hated that. Audrey had learned over the years not to question Ben when he says something; he only ever made her feel insignificant and stupid. 

The conversation died down, then reignited as they stood around the kitchen. They caught up with each other and talked about their lives while Mrs. Thomas cooked up a feast. Audrey and Beck helped her prepare some of the meal, while the other siblings talked and drank and snacked. It was a typical family Thanksgiving, Audrey just wished she enjoyed the company. There were reasons she’d stayed away from her family gatherings and the reason was beginning to set in: all her siblings made her angry or uncomfortable in some way. If they weren’t related to her by blood, she was sure she would never see them again. It hurt her, it made her angry. She had a cocktail and another glass of wine; she wasn’t an alcoholic like Tabby was, but she needed something to make the family gathering more bearable. Things were more bearable when there was alcohol swimming in her system.

Throughout the afternoon, things started to get a little hazy; a little less funny and a little more confusing. She was lost in thought and in the stories being told. If she spoke, she was sure her voice would be slurred. Tabitha’s was, but she became more giggly and talkative as the afternoon went on. Audrey could tell Max was getting a kick out of seeing so many of his family members drunk at once and all in the same place. Maddie stood next to him with a clear scowl on her face. Audrey thought she was a judgemental bitch, and hoped she hadn’t said it aloud; she couldn’t remember if she had or not. 

Finally, it was time to sit down for dinner. Audrey swayed a little in her chair as the feast was laid before them all. Beck set his hand on her leg, “Are you alright?” he whispered. She nodded, but thought she was possibly lying. She hadn’t been this drunk since her Senior year of college when she and a bunch of her friends went to Mexico right before graduation. 

Tabitha and Nick sat across from them, Max and Maddie sat down next to them, and Ben and Trent sat next to Audrey and Beck; the kids had a little table set up for them in the kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas sat on opposite ends of the big dining table, facing each other, not smiling. They filled their plates and the only sound was forks hitting plates, glasses being picked up and being sat back down on the table, and the occasional smacking of the lips. 

Mrs. Thomas barely touched the food in front of her. She looked pale again, pained. Mr. Thomas stared at her from across the table, a set frown across his face. Audrey could see he was displeased, but wondered why. She ate heartily, inhaling the food, feeling it soak up the alcohol in her stomach. Things were becoming more clear and she could see her siblings becoming more coherent with every bite.

Slowly, everyone became more aware of the tension coming from either end of the table. Everyone kept their eyes on their plates, kept quiet, until Mrs. Thomas cleared her throat. The siblings all lifted their heads to look at their mother; she hadn’t eaten a bite. “We wanted you all here this Thanksgiving to discuss something important,” she said slowly, and calculated. 

“When you called you said this would be our last Thanksgiving together?” Audrey slurred, swallowing down something sour in the back of her throat. Her siblings turned to look at her.

“Is that true?” Ben asked, apparently she had not told them the same. 

All the siblings looked from one parent to the other. “I told Audrey that because she is typically the most difficult one to get here,” Mrs. Thomas said. There was relief on everyone’s face, but only for a brief moment. “But it’s true,” Mrs. Thomas confirmed.

“Are you or dad sick?” Tabitha asked. 

“No, no ones sick,” Mr. Thomas excused. 

“Well, I wouldn’t quite say that,” Mrs. Thomas muttered, and all eyes were on her once again. 

Mr. Thomas grew tense, “Margret, let’s not do this in front of the kids,” he warned. 

“But they should know and we’re telling them anyway, so why not tell them why,” Mrs. Thomas retorted, her eyes were blazing fires and Audrey had to look away from them. 

Mr. Thomas looked down at his plate and held his gaze there. “Your father has been having an affair. For a while. After a lot of consideration, we both thought it best to get divorced,” Mrs. Thomas announced. The whole room went quiet and all eyes were on her. 

Audrey’s stomach tossed. “Are you serious?” Max asked through a mouthful of food.

“Dad, what the fuck?” Tabitha slurred. 

Audrey felt the alcohol moving in her stomach. She had drunk far too much and the news of her parent’s divorce was like the ignition of a cannon in her guts. She could feel the alcohol and the few bites of food she’d taken boil up hot in her throat and she tried to swallow it down again.

“I haven’t been entirely honest and that’s my bad, but I’m not a bad person. I’m still your dad,” Mr. Thomas asserted. 

“How long?” Ben asked Mrs. Thomas. 

“At least the last ten years,” she said quietly. 

“Dad, how could you?” Tabitha cried, her words slurred and tears in her eyes. 

“How could I? How can you get drunk everyday like you do? Especially in front of your kids? You think they don’t know you're a drunk?” Mr. Thomas retorted. 

“Dad,” Ben squeaked. 

“Shut up, Ben,” Mr. Thomas demanded. “Shut up for once in your goddamn life,”. 

There was silence and the only sound was Tabby crying. “I may be a drunk but at least I’m not a fucking predator,” she said finally, pointing a bony finger at Max. 

“A predator? What the fuck are you talking about? She’s legal,” Max defended. 

“It’s still gross,” Audrey moaned, trying to hold in what was desperate to rise out of her throat. 

“Excuse me, but I’m nineteen years old and I can date whoever I want,” Maddie said. 

“You’re still a child,” Ben retorted. 

“Ben, politely fuck off. No one asked for your opinion. No one ever asks for your opinion,” Max yelled, pushing himself up from the table.

“You may not ask for it, but you’re going to get it,” Ben responded, also pushing himself up from the table.

Everything was spiraling out of control. Tabitha was yelling at Mr. Thomas. Mrs. Thomas was yelling and trying to separate Max and Ben from an argument that was about to get physical. That’s when Audrey couldn’t hold it down any longer. Hot and sour, the vomit projected from her stomach onto the table and her lap before she could try to hold it down again. It was in the quinoa salad she had brought and on the turkey they had barely cut into.

The whole table stopped talking then, and directed their attention to the mess Audrey had caused in the middle of the table. It was a mess that had been boiling up for a long time. All of them had felt the same mess inside themselves; their family had been a ticking time bomb of problems and emotional toil ready to break loose. Now the root of all their problems, and Audrey’s vomit, were all on the table. It was ugly and they were forced to face the ugliness head-on. 

A hysterical laugh broke through the silence. The siblings looked around, trying to identify where the joyful noise was coming from. The source was their mother at the end of the table. She was hunched over, laughing like crazy, and sobbing at the same time. For Mrs. Thomas, everything good and important to her had fallen apart in front of her very eyes; it was both hilarious and incredibly heartbreaking.

“Mom, I’m sorry,” Audrey muttered, the smell of her vomit still strong in the air.

Mrs. Thomas didn’t stop laughing, couldn’t stop even if she wanted to. She was sure when the laughter stopped, the crying never would, so she continued to laugh. She laughed until everyone was silent, then until they were uncomfortable. Her kids fidgeted in their seats, wondering what would happen next, what there was left to say. There was nothing. Thanksgiving, the last one they would all spend together, was over.