Song is for the start of the chapter!

I took a piece of pie dough without mom looking and popped it into my mouth, then bounced back to kneading the dough before she realized what I had done. Thanksgiving dinner was only an hour or two away and we had spent the entire afternoon getting ready and when I say we, I mainly mean mom. She was the hard worker on this project, my family just tried to help as much as they could as Dad cleaned the house and Farrah made the apple pie filling. Me, on the other hand, just woke up 50 minutes ago. I had been back from California for all of three days, and I was still trying to recover.

"Clare, don't knead it too much! Please, the crust will be hard!" she said and scooched me out of the way so she could take over.

I chuckled at her. "Sorry, I really don't know what I'm doing here."

"Why don't you go set the table?" mom suggested to me as she took over what I was going.

"Ooh! Demoted!" Farrah laughed at me as she took a bite of apple pie filling.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Please, and it's not like mom demoted you in the last 30 minutes," I argued with her, referring to her attempt at making the cranberry sauce.

She put her hands on her hips. "I rather not talk about it."

I smiled at her right before I left for the dining room. As I walked over to the large oak table, a wave of dizziness and nausea washed over me. To support myself, I grabbed onto the side of the stable as I tried to keep what I ate yesterday down.

"Hey Farrah, I mean, Clare, can you fold these napkins and try to make it look pretty?" dad said to me as he walked into the room with his arms full of gold color clothes.

I smirked at him, not hearing him call me Farrah in a long time. It had to be years, and it was refreshing. "Nice save. Yeah, sure," I said as I took a seat at the table, unable to hold up my weight under my legs any longer.

As if not noticing my struggle, dad laid out all the clothes in front of me. I wasn't sure if it was because he was busy cleaning or if finally deep down he had peace of mind that I would be ok. I couldn't help but feel the same as I folded the napkins. For the first time in years, I felt like everything would be fine and that I would be fine.

He looked at his phone for the time with a hint of a frown on his face, knowing that he was running out of time. "They're coming in an hour and a half. Maybe you should start getting ready soon?" Referring to the Smith's, Peter's family.

I nodded with a smile, knowing what I currently was wearing wasn't good enough for the dinner. I at least needed to take a shower, but I wouldn't do that just yet. Feeling like a slacker, I should help get ready a little more.

I was more than excited to be celebrating with Peter and our family, but in the back of my mind, I feared that I would get sick like the last thanksgiving. I shook my head to clear the thought, knowing that this time it would be different. I was on the up and I could feel it in my bones.

Halfway through folding, I realized that I needed to take a break and get ready before it was too late. I got up from the seat and trudged up the upstairs, lacking any energy to make quick movements.

I made it to my room and frowned as I realized that I had very little clothes to wear since Farrah tossed most of them. Quickly, I picked something up that I didn't care about and made my way to the bathroom.

Just as I was about to get into the bathroom, Farrah stopped me. "WAIT! Where are you doing?" she asked from the bottom of the stairs.

I looked at the clothes in my hands and raised an eyebrow at her. What did it look like I was doing? "I figured I was going to just carry these clothes back downstairs, maybe I can set them on my lap to keep myself warmer during dinner."

She rolled her eyes at me. "No, Clare, don't wear those. I picked a special outfit for you today," she said as she ran up the stairs, taking the clothes from my hands and with a smile. "Now go take a shower, I'll get that outfit for you."

I shook my head at her. What was I going to do with her, really, she had my back more times than I could count.

I took a shower as quickly as I could, mainly because I wanted to know this outfit, excited to see what she picked. As I turned off the water and reached for the towel, I slipped on the wet tile, hitting my knee on the tile hard enough that all I wanted to do was sit on the floor, holding my leg for a minute. I prayed silently that it wouldn't bruise.

As I regained my ability to stand again, Farrah knocked on the door. "Give me a minute!" I shouted through the door and quickly put on a bra and a pair of underwear as Farrah came in with clothes in her hands.

"I just figured a minute had gone and I let myself in," she said and put the clothes on the counter. Her smile dropped a little when she saw the lump on my knee that was already changing color.

"Don't say anything. It's nothing, just slipped," I told her simply, not wanting her to worry or tell the parents. She put her hands on her hips, ready to protest, but I stopped her before she even started. "Let's see those clothes that you got me for today."

And just like that, her smile returned. "Oh Clare! I got you this cute skirt and top. I know you will look so cute!" she said and held up a pink skirt that had an A-line shape. "Put this on," she said and handed it to me. "And I got you this." She held up a black button-down. "Put this on. Oh, and don't forget the tights." She tossed me a pair of gray ties. "There, now you are ready for dinner. Now go, get dressed! What are you doing just standing there?" 

I smiled at her as I dressed.

"No, you put it on wrong. The shirt goes into your skirt," she said as she helped tuck the shirt into my skirt. "And don't button the shirt all the way to the collar. Unbutton a few." She said and unbuttoned the shirt one or two buttons." She took a step back from me and smiled, mainly of herself, proud that she made such a suitable outfit. "There, perfect."

I turned to face the mirror and looked at this pasty white girl in the mirror with wet hair that was not combed. I frowned at her, not finding her beautiful.

"No, don't make that face. You make this outfit perfect. When it comes down to it, clothes are just clothes, what makes the clothes perfect is who's wearing them. I picked the skirt to highlight your slender waist. The black is to highlight your fair completion."

I shook my head at her. She didn't know what she was talking about. I was way too fair for the black shirt. "I look too white."

"So?" she said and shrugged. "That's your tone. You just need to know how to play it. Now get your makeup done and go downstairs. Dad's asking for you," she said and turned on her heels and walked out of the bathroom.

I looked at the mirror again and sighed as I paid attention to what Farrah told me. Did I really make this outfit? I smoothed out the skirt and did a small turn. I couldn't hold back a smile from my face, liking the way the skirt fit me.

By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, dad found me right away. "Oh good, Clare! Can you set the silver wear on the table?" dad asked with a smiled at me as he looked at me from head to toe. "You look beautiful, Clare."

I smiled lightly as I looked down at myself, feeling confident in these clothes. I really felt pretty in this outfit for the first time in a while. "Thank you, dad." I walked back to the table and set the silver wear around the pearl white plates. Just as I put the last fork in place, there was a knock on the door.

"They are here!!!!" Farrah said excitedly.

"Showtime," I said under my breath as I walked into the entryway, hoping that this thanksgiving wasn't like the one we had last year. I smiled at Peter through the glass and waved as I opened the door.

The first thing that came out of Peter's mouth was, "You're stinking gorgeous."

"Thanks. Farrah picked out the outfit," I smiled at him, giving credit where it was deserved.

"But the outfit is perfect for you. You're beautiful Clare."

I smiled widely at him, loving how often he told me I was beautiful. He told it to me so much that I believed it myself.

"Come on! What are you doing out here in the cold, Clare, let them in! Let's get this party started," dad told me as he welcomed in the Smiths.

I gave a small hello to Peter's parents, then moved aside so they could step into the warm house.

"Clare, you look so darling!" Peter's mom cooed at me as she stepped inside.

I smiled brightly at her. "Thank you, Mrs. Smith. Farrah picked the outfit."

"Well, the clothes have one heck of a model."

I blushed and looked at Farrah, who grinned back at me as if to say, 'I told you so'.

As we gathered together around the dinner table, dad stood up. "Now can I have your attention, please!" He asked with a cup of juice in his hand. Everyone stopped their small conversations and looked at him, waiting for him to continue his speech. "I would like to take a few minutes to go around the table to say what we are all thankful for this year."

We all nodded in agreement. "I'll start, I'm thankful for my family, most importantly, spending it together on this holiday. I'm thankful for my two beautiful daughters and a gorgeous wife that loves me unconditionally," dad said to us.

Mom stood up and kissed dad with a quick hint of passion under her skin. "And I would like to be thankful for my husband, who without him, I would be lost. I'm also thankful for the stable job he has and the freedoms we have in the united states."

Farrah who was next to mom stood up and said, "I'm thankful for my best friend, Clare, who's a fighter, who shows me that I should never give up. Also thankful for parents that love me for who I am."

I smiled at her and grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze, knowing that it was my turn. I carefully stood up and sorted out my thoughts. I had so much to say but I didn't want to talk their ear off. "I'm thankful to be alive and to have this extra year on this earth. I am thankful for my family that supports me, for my sister that tells it how it is. I am also thankful for Peter, who makes me feel like I'm normal and beautiful." As I sat down Peter planted a kiss on my cheek.

"I'm grateful that Mr. Atkins let me date his daughter, for letting me into not only Clare's life but the family's life as well. I've fallen in love with all of you, thank you for letting me in. I'm also grateful that my parents moved into this neighborhood," Peter said as he looked around the room at all of us.

To be honest, I zoned out when his parents talked as my thoughts took the driver's seat. For someone that was incredibly unlucky, I was lucky to be here with everyone I cared about. People that loved me surrounded me and I loved them, knowing that there wasn't anything more that I could ask for. At the moment, everything was just so perfect and I soaked all of it in.