"Meghan, darling, how did you get an invitation to a James Thanksgiving dinner?" My mother asks, looking into her compact mirror and wiping a smudge of lipstick from the corner of her mouth.

"Um..." Their son is in love with Mia so Isaiah and I are trying to get them together. "I'm friends with their son so I was invited." Taking a deep breath I press the button for the bell which rings through the whole house.

"You're friends with their son? The one who's taking over the family's business?" My father stands still while my mother fixes his tie.

"The one and only." I tug my navy knee length dress down so it fits comfortably around my bump.

The large glass door suddenly swings open. The James' family butler, Alan, stands there his head held high.

"Hi Alan." I walk into the house, my parents following after me.

"Good evening Miss. Meghan, Mr. and Mrs. Hume." He nods at my parents. "All of the James guests are meeting in the foyer."

"Mia here yet?" I ask Alan as he takes my coat.

"The Evans family has arrived and is in the foyer." He responds, moving to take my parents coats.

"Thank you Alan." A familiar voice says. "I'll show the Humes to the foyer."

"Mr. Hume, how are you?" He stretches his hand out to shake my fathers.

"Ah, Isaac. I'm doing well." Isaiah bites his lip and gives my father a tight smile.

"Good..."

"How are you Isaac?" My mother asks him, smiling sweetly. It makes me want to smack her, I know she knows his name.

"I'm doing fine, Mrs. Hume." She nods back at him then grabs my father's arm and walks towards the foyer.

When they leave Isaiah turns around, allowing me to get a good look at his black suit. Without thinking I reach up and straighten his bow tie which was slightly crooked.

When it's straight my hand freeze, not knowing what to do with themselves. Isaiah clears his throat and my hands jerk to my side.

"Thanks you." He tries to look into my eyes but I avoid his gaze as my cheeks flush.

"Meghan!!!" I hear Mia squeal right before scrawny arms wrap around from behind me. "And baby Carter!" Her hand starts for my bump but I smack it away.

"No touchy."

Mia makes a hissing sound and a clawing motion. She's smiles slightly when she notices Isaiah and my heated cheeks.

"Well, I'm glad you're here because there are a lot of people here." Her eyes widen. "Fancy people." She whispers the last two words, her hands wiping down the side of her floor length burgundy dress.

"Meghan, I'm glad you could make it." Cameron walks up from behind Mia.

I turn from Mia and pull him into a hug. "Hey Cameron."

"How's your baby?" He aka pulling away from the hug.

"He's good. I'm just getting out of my second trimester and Carter is practicing breathing."

He doesn't look surprised learning it's a boy. I assume Isaiah already told him. "Can babies do that?" He asks. "You know, breathe before actually coming out?"  He looks genuinely curious.

Mia giggles. "Yes, babies breathe in and out the amniotic fluid to practice breathing." She smiles at him.

"Oh." Is all he says looking completely stupefied by Mia.

"Look at the four of us." Mia says. "The old gang back together." She chuckles awkwardly when she doesn't get a reaction.

"Master Cameron." Alan walks up to us.

"Yes, Alan?" Cameron tears his eyes alway from Mia.

"Your parents guest are being seated in the dining hall."

"We better get in there." Cameron holds his arm out for Mia. "Amelia?" She takes his arm and follows him towards the dining hall.

"I guess we should follow them..." Isaiah nears me holding out his hand.

His warm hand envelopes mine and we make our way to the dining hall. There has to be over thirty people sitting at the huge table. Isaiah leads me toward the heard of the table where the James family sits. He pulls out a seat next to Mia for me.

"Thank you."

"Welcome." I glance and my parents across from me while he take the seat to my right.

Mr. James stands and thanks everyone for coming, he has Cameron make a small speech about everything their company is grateful this year.

Next caterers in black pants and white shirts come in with plates and everyone falls into quiet conversation.

"Harold," My mother suddenly says looking at me. "When the last time we had thanksgiving dinner together?"

My father thinks about it and I mumble "never" under my breath.

Mia reaches over and grabs my left hand, giving it a small squeeze.

"Hey Meghan," Isaiah sets his fork on his plate. "Remember that Thanksgiving we had at your house? I think that was my favorite Thanksgiving."

I smile remembering that bittersweet night. The night I finally gave up on my family.

"When was this?" My father asks after taking a sip of his wine.

"That's was what?" Isaiah says looking right at my father. "When we were seventeen?"

"Yeah."

"Your parents had promised to be home that night so you spent the whole day cooking." Isaiah is staring at my father so he doesn't see me glaring at him.

"You didn't talk to me or Mia all that day." He chuckles humorlessly. "You were determined to have a perfect family dinner.

"Isaiah..." I whisper not wanting there to be a scene.

"I hadn't heard from you all day. Neither had Mia. So I picked her up and drove to your house." Isaiah's jaw clenches. "I remember using that key you gave me. Mia and I tried as quietly as possible to walk to your dining room, just incase your parents were there."

My mother sets her fork on her plate. Her eyes filling with tears.

"They weren't. You were sitting there, alone, enough food to feed twenty people."

"Isaiah..." I try again holding my tears at bay. His eyes never leave my fathers.

"I held you in my arms while you cried asking why your parents didn't love you enough to come home just for dinner."

"Isaiah, man, that's enough." Cameron whispers from the other side of Mia.

"Excuse me." Isaiah clears his throat and stand up from his chair. Cameron starts to stand but I stop him.

"I'll get him."

When I make it out of the dining hall I hear the front door close. Waddling to the front door as quickly as I can, I make it outside a few seconds later.

"What the hell was that?" I smack Isaiah on the back of the head.

He rubs his head. "When did you parents come back into the picture?"

"They're trying." I tell him. "And I don't appreciate you making them feel bad."

"Sorry." He mumbles.

"I'm sorry they still call you Isaac." I say before we fall into a pit of silence.

A few minutes later Isaiah speaks up. "Mia invited me to go nursery shopping with the two of you this weekend."

I feel my eyes widen. She just doesn't know when to quit...

"Oh."

"Is that okay?" He asks.

"Y-yeah." I stutter. "Of course, we're friends."

"Good."

***

We have a few more chapter to get through before crap gets ready to hit the fan... I'm getting excited! 😁

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