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Chapter Thirty Five

"Bawk, bawk, bawk!"

"Dude Tristan, buddy, it's 'gobble, gobble.'"

"Bawk, gobble, gobble, bawk!"

I just shook my head and continued to grate some carrots into the large salad bowl.

I had just entered the second trimester. I had managed to lurk in school up to break undetected by wearing my loose flannel shirts. Luckily the grunge look was back in, but even those shirts were getting tighter.

"I think we better go shopping tomorrow," mom said. She touched the Jell-o she had made that was sitting in the refrigerator. It was still a watery mess.

Thank goodness G-ma McLean was bringing the turkey.

"Shopping?"

Mom looked at me...well at my stomach. "You're going to need some clothes, honey."

I exhaled loudly. I knew what maternity clothes were. Stupid shirts with ties under your boobs and pants with elastic...

So not cool.

I had been complaining for two straight weeks now about school. And about my inability to drive.

Basically I had been complaining about everything.

"Okay, dinner has arrived!"

The front door kicked shut and a minute later dad came in. I smelled the amazing aromas of mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing...

Everything mom couldn't cook and dad didn't have the patience to cook.

"Mom should be here with the turkey in fifteen minutes. I think we're actually going to time it right this year."

I smiled. Every year dad ordered out the sides, grandma brought the turkey, mom tried to make Jell-o, and I made the salad.

Last year grandma had gotten stuck in traffic. We were all so starved that the sides were mostly gone by the time the bird got here.

But this year things were right on schedule. Grandma breezed through the door and set the turkey in the middle of our dining room table. Ally set our silverware, Joe helped carry the side dishes out, and the twins bounced up in down in their chairs with fork and spoon at the ready.

"How you doing sweetheart?" Grandma said gently. Her arm wrapped around my waist and squeezed me gently.

"I'm doing okay grandma," I said with a smile. She kissed my cheek.

We all sat down and dad stood at the head of the table, electric carving knife in hand.

"Let's pray," he said. We bowed our heads.

"Our Father in Heaven, we give thanks for the pleasure of gathering together for this occasion. We give thanks for this food prepared by loving hands. We give thanks for life, The freedom to enjoy it all And all other blessings. As we partake of this food, we pray for health and strength ro carry on and try to live as you would have us. This we ask in the name of Christ, Our Heavenly Father. Amen."

"Amen."

"And a special amen to the ladies at Kroger for preparing this TURKEY!" Joe said loudly.

I couldn't help but laugh. We were going to have to give a couple amens out to the deli clerks who fixed everything up. Well, except the salad. And mom's Jell-O soup.

"I made pumpkin pie!" Ally said excitedly.

Oh, and I had forgotten about Ally's pie. I had spent the whole entire day yesterday helping her measure out ingredients. It looked like pumpkin pie, and smelled like pumpkin pie.

I could only hope it tasted like pumpkin pie.

-----------------------------

"Does your baby like turkey?" Tristan asked halfway through the meal. I looked at him in surprise. The twins hadn't really said anything about me having a baby before.

"Well, I..." I glanced down at my plate. I had literally just woofed down ten pieces of turkey. The button of my jean was officially undone.

And I was still hungry.

"I'm pretty sure it does," I said with a smile.

"Is the baby going to go to school with you?" Brayden asked. I could hear his feet kicking against the wooden chair.

"No, it's not," I said. "It will be born around summertime."

"Are you going to fart as much as mom did when she was pregnant with these guys?" Joe asked, pointing a fork loaded with mashed potatoes at the twins.

"JONAH!" Mom yelled.

Dad lowered his head. I saw his shoulders shaking. Mom glanced over and jabbed him in the stomach. He winced.

"Ow, I'm full."

"How's school going Ally?" Grandma asked. She smiled. Somehow Ally was always getting kind of just tossed into the mix.

"I love school," she said enthuastically. "I wrote a poem and my teacher entered it into a contest."

"She did?" Dad asked. He sounded impressed. "You didn't tell us that!"

Ally just shrugged. "I haven't heard who won yet or anything," she added softly.

"What about you Joe?"

"What about me?"

"How's school."

"Sucks. Except band."

"What instrument are you playing?"

"All of em. Except the pussy ones."

"JONAH!"

"WHAT?"

Grandma looked at me.

"Shel?"

"I hate school," I said simply. Dad looked over at me.

"You don't have to worry about it much longer."

I looked up. "What do you mean?"

Dad smiled. "I'm enrolling you in an art school next semester."

My eyes widened. "WHAT?"

"The semester is shorter and you'll get out around the first of May. It won't give you enough credits to go back to school in the fall at a Senior at Tampa Prep, but it will if you go to public school."

I was shocked. Art school? No more plastics or domeheads to contend with?

"Would I transfer in as a senior if I went to Mason's school?" I asked.

Dad's eyes darkened.

"I don't know."

The thought of moving to Kentucky was still playing in my head. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Mom had her hands full with the three boys. Kevin and Addy only had Dan and when he wasn't around Joe he was a really good kid.

"Can we check?"

"We'll talk about that when the time gets closer," mom said.

"I don't want to talk about it in delivery," I said. I knew it came out snappish.

"Shelby, please," mom said.

"We'll talk about it later," dad said. "Like when you pass driver's ed."

I snorted. "That would mean I would be allowed to take driver's ed."

Dad smiled. My eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Yes really. But I'm coming with you."

I groaned. Nobody had to take driver's ed with their dad tagging along.

"Why?"

"I just want to...make sure you're safe."

I knew deep down dad had a hard time with the whole driving thing. If mom was late, he freaked out. Of course, I couldn't blame him. That's how Ally and Joe's mom had gotten hurt. And later died.

Maybe having dad along wouldn't be such a bad thing. I smiled.

"Have I told you guys how much I love you?" I said enthusiastically. Mom and dad laughed.

"Now you have something to be thankful for," grandma steased. I looked around the table. I really did love my family.

"No, I already have a lot to be thankful for," I said. I stuffed another piece of turkey in my mouth. It tasted so good.

My baby really did like turkey.