A Holiday at the Reyes House
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A Quiet Thanksgiving With the Reyes Family
Elise called Micah two days before the holiday to invite him to come to her house for Thanksgiving. “Mom and Pop Reyes will be there,” she said, like that settled everything.
He muttered something about work.
She had expected this reaction and played her trump card. “The girls are asking for you.”
That was the part he couldn’t ignore. He sighed, defeated. “I’ll bring a pie.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I’m bringing a pie.”
The Welcome
Walking into his sister’s house felt like stepping into a furnace of noise and warmth.
Mom Reyes spotted him immediately. “Mi corazón,” she said, grabbing his face. “You’re too thin. Your hair is too long. When are you going to find a nice girl to make sure you take care of yourself?”
Behind her, Elise and Daniel hid their smiles like cowards.
He held out his pie. “Brought this.”
“Mijo, I made three.”
He shrugged. She took the store-bought pie and put it in a corner of the kitchen.
Pop Reyes wasn’t much of a talker. He just gave Micah an understanding glance every time the room got a little too loud. It helped more than Micah would ever admit.
The Girls’ Table War
Lucy hit him like a missile. “Uncle Micah, I want to sit next to you this year. Nora sat by you last year and says she gets to again, and that’s not fair because I’m younger.”
Nora crossed her arms. “I didn’t say you couldn’t sit next to him, too. I simply propose he sit between us. It’s the strategic choice.”
Lucy didn’t really understand what her older sister meant, but she didn’t care because she got to sit next to Uncle Micah.
Dinner was elbows, stories, too many hands passing plates, and the chaotic comfort of a family who knew Micah belonged, even if he wasn’t always certain.
After Dinner
When the dishes were stacked and the noise dipped to a dull roar, Micah slipped onto the back porch. Air, finally.
Elise joined him, leaning on the railing beside him. “You survived,” she said.
“Barely.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. They love you.”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t know if he could speak past the lump in his throat.
“You can come over more than twice a year,” she said. “We won’t bite.”
He let out a tired breath that almost counted as a laugh. “I know. It’s just hard to be here. Inside. Around so many people.”
Elise smiled that sad smile she always got when she saw how hard he tried to be normal and failed. “I know.”
They stood there in the cold, the warmth of his sister’s house glowing behind them. For a few quiet minutes, he wasn’t bracing for anything. He was just there.
And for a minute, that was enough.
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