Sadness entered Matty's heart as the week dragged toward Thanksgiving. She barely ate and hardly slept at night. She worried about Granny Ivy.

Feeling sorry for his little daughter, her daddy allowed her to stay home from school over Monday and Tuesday. However, she promised to attend her online class sessions with her teacher. By Wednesday, she knew there was no hope of a nursing home visit.

Matty's mother and father did all they could to make Thanksgiving Day memorable. Nana Amy brought her a special teddy bear wearing a Pilgrim outfit. The little girl dutifully hugged her new plush toy. Then, she set it down on the floor and stared despondently into the fireplace.

"Don't feel bad, Matty," Nana Amy stated, sitting beside her little granddaughter on the couch. She pulled the child into the nook of her arm. "We're all together and have a fine turkey dinner. Next year will be better; you'll see."

"We aren't all together," Matty glumly declared, inching away from her grandmother. "Granny Ivy isn't here, and we can't go to see her." Slowly she moved further away from her elder's embrace.

The big dinner was a washout. The family sat silently around the dining room table, passing plates of turkey and stuffing. Please and thank you were the only words spoken into the solemn hush. When Nana Amy asked Matty to pull the wishbone, the child looked at her balefully. Placing her folded napkin over her half-eaten meal, she asked permission to leave the table before the pumpkin pie.

When daddy dismissed her, Matty climbed the stairs to her room. She longed to remain alone. Sitting woefully on the edge of the bed, the child had a sudden idea. Entering her closet, she took out her new fall coat and her little brown leather boots.

Carefully, she wound the long purple and pink plaid scarf Nana Amy knitted around her neck. Feeling she dressed warmly enough, Matty tiptoed down the front stairway and glanced around. Mommy and Nana Amy busily washed the dishes in the kitchen. Daddy sat on the living room couch, snoring in front of the TV. Loudly the sounds of a football game filled the space.