Page 29

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want you to know how thankful I am for you

I stare at the note for a long time. Marjorie adds a heart to every note now, and my heart soars every time I see it. I rip a piece of paper out of my notebook and I’m about to start writing back when there is a knock on my bedroom door.

Before I can even stand from my desk, my mom walks in. She sits down on my bed and pats the spot next to her. “Can we talk?”

She sounds serious, and that worries me. “It depends. Is something wrong? If so, I don’t think I want to know.”

My mom smiles and shakes her head. “This is a good thing. At least, I think so.”

“What’s up?” I ask as I sit down beside her.

“So, as you know I’ve been on a few dates…” She says it slowly like she’s talking to a toddler.

“Mom, you do know I’m in high school, right?”

My mom laughs. “You know, sometimes I think I forget that. There’s times all I can see is that little girl, and then other times I swear you’re more mature than me.”

“So…” I say to remind her of the conversation she started.

“Oh yeah. Sorry. I got sidetracked there.” She takes a deep breath. “Chuck and I decided we are ready for all of us to get together.”

“All of us?” Does she mean the three of us or does Chuck have kids? I hadn’t thought of that before, but I guess it shouldn’t be surprising.

“Delilah.”

“What?”

My mom closes her eyes and shakes her head. “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m so nervous about this. You know Delilah Howard, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m not sure if you know this, but her mom died when she was very young. It was around the same time your dad left. Chuck, whom I’m dating—Chuck Howard—is her dad.”

I still don’t understand why my mom is so nervous to tell me this. “Does he treat you well?”

My mom stares down at my comforter for a few seconds and when she looks back at me, there are tears in her eyes. “So well. I honestly didn’t know it could be like this.”

I pull my mom into my arms and hold her tight. I hope the way I hold her makes it known how much I support her. My mom has dedicated her whole life to taking care of me and making sure that I’m happy. She’s way past due for her own happiness. “You couldn’t possibly understand how happy that makes me, Mom.”

“Really?” Her eyes shine through her tears.

“Really. I can’t wait for us to all get together.” Without meaning to, I move my eyes to my desk.

“I interrupted something, didn’t I?”

I focus my attention back on my mom and squeeze her hand. “It was totally worth it.”

She stands from the bed and gives me a kiss on the forehead. “Still, I’ll leave you be.” She’s just about at the door when she turns around one more time. “Tell Marjorie I said hello.”

I laugh as she closes the door behind her then head back over to my desk. When I sit down, the words come easily. They always do when it comes to Marjorie, though.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! I had a great day. I ate so much Turkey I threw up… no, seriously… that actually happened. My mom (who says hi by the way) laughed so hard that mashed potatoes came out of her nose. It was a messy day, but fun.

I haven’t written anything lately, but it’s kind of your fault. I’ve been too busy writing you notes to work on a story.

You’re going to do amazing in your basketball game. I have no question. Griffin Hill doesn’t stand a chance against you. Stop doubting yourself. You’re going to be the reason the team WINS. Not the reason they lose. And you’re not going to fall on your face (but even if you do, I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it look good).

The fact that you said you’re thankful for me made my whole day. That’s actually a lie. It made my year. I’m so thankful for you. You’re the light this dark world needs. Don’t ever stop shining.