The night before Thanksgiving, Daniel was practicing classical guitar for class, when his cell rang. He was at the apartment in Boston that he shared with three other guys.
"Hi Daniel", a soft familiar voice said,"it's
me Bethany. I wanted to tell you how sorry
I am about your friend Adrien. I know I never met him, but I heard from your friends in Durham."
"Yeah, it was pretty bad. I'm still really stunned. It's hard to focus. I'm glad Thanksgiving is here. Mom and Nick are coming with Mom's boyfriend tomorrow. We're spending the holiday with my grandparents in Framingham. How about you? It's been a while. You OK?"
"Yeah - I mean - no, not really. I mean
I hate to complain when your friend just died and I don't know. I just called to see if you were OK and tell you how sorry I am?"
"I'm so glad you called, Bethany. I missed you. I still think about you a lot. Are you going home to Derry for Thanksgiving with your folks?"
"Well, I don't know. They are separated.
My dad left my mom and she's really messed up over it. I'm having a hard time going home. Mom and Dad are fighting a lot. Mom wants the house - the usual stuff. Of course she deserves it. Dad has a girlfriend.
That's why it's over. My sister Diana will be home, but I don't know."
"Do you want to come to my grandparents?" Daniel asked her without thinking it through.
"Well, I don't know. My mom is kind of having a nervous break down." He could hear her drawing on her cigarette and remembered he wanted one as well.
"My mom won't mind. My grandparents are a bit stuffy, but they are paying for my college tuition so Mom is pretty grateful and of course I am. They are Republicans, rich, won't want us sleeping together. Mom and Jim won't even be sleeping together I bet."
"Well yeah maybe. Could I drive to Boston tonight and go with you tomorrow?
"Yeah, but are you really up to driving tonight?"
"Yeah, I really want to see you."
"Then come. I'll call Mom and tell her."
"I'll see you when I get there, a couple hours I think. Maybe even less."
He gave her the address and exactly how to get there once she got to Boston. He knew the city well now, although he did not drive. He did take buses and taxis when he could afford them.
"I love you, Bethany. Drive careful. Don't speed, OK?"
"I love you, Daniel. Yes I'll be careful. I will see you soon. Can't wait."
Lizzy was totally OK with Bethany coming and was looking forward to meeting her. She called her parents to tell them that
Daniel's friend Bethany Golden was coming, and that they should prepare for one more if it was alright. Jack and Tara White were slightly put out, but that was how they were.
"How long has he known her?," her mother had asked.
"The more the merrier. We'll just make room for one more. We'd love to have her", was Jack's response, although he too had given the third degree. "Is she in college?
Where? Who are her parents? Where is she from?"
Jim, Lizzy and Nicolas piled in with Rusty
and all their suitcases making sure there was room in the trunk of Jim's Honda Accord for Daniel's guitar and Bethany's suitcase and his. The three kids could ride on the back seat. Lizzy felt almost euphoric that day.
The foliage was amazing, red, orange. The car would be crowded with Rusty as well but they would manage. They were a family.
Daniel and Bethany were standing outside bundled up in warm winter attire. It had begun to snow a little that day. The family got out.
"So nice to meet you, Bethany," Lizzy smiled warmly putting out her hand.
"This is my brother Nicolas and that's Jim", Daniel introduced everyone."
"Well let's get your stuff in the trunk." Jim was opening the trunk and Daniel put in his guitar and a backpack for each of them.
"Rusty," he gushed over the black lab. "And this is our dog, Rusty."
"Hi", said Bethany patting the dog's head as he wagged his tail and panted vigorously.
"Hi, how ya doin' Nicolas? I've heard a lot about you."
"Hi," said Nicolas shyly. He smiled though. He was pretty quiet around new people, but she talked to him a lot on the way about things Daniel had told her he had a passion for like video games, computers and science fiction as well as math, which was not her favorite subject, but she did have to take it, even though her major was Art.
It was around three in the afternoon by the time they pulled in to the driveway of the Whites' home. Jack and Tara came out to greet everyone. Rocky went running around the yard enthusiastically.
Tara gushed over Nicolas who she had not seen since last year and had grown about seven inches it seemed.
"Nice to meet you," Bethany said politely to both of them.
"We're so glad to have you. Come on Lizzy and Jim. So glad to finally meet you."
"Likewise," Jim smiled broadly.
"Let me help with some of your stuff," Jack insisted and they headed in.
The house smelled like Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing. There was a fire burning in the hearth.
"Can we get you a drink Jim? Lizzy? Kids?" Jack asked.
"Just ginger ale will be good," answered Lizzy.
"I'll take a beer if you've got any?", Jim said.
"How 'bout you Daniel and Bethany?"
Daniel looked at Bethany. "Just soda is fine," she said.
"I'll have a beer", Daniel decided. "I'll help you Grandpa." Daniel had been to his grandparents a lot since he had been in Boston. They had come to get him once in a while for weekends, so he knew the house well.
Finally dinner was served. They actually had a maid who served dinner. Her name was Elaina. Visiting them was almost the twilight zone compared with home.
Of course politics came up and Jack complained about the new president who
Lizzy had voted for, but Jim changed the subject remarking on the food.
The kids were all pretty quiet until Tara began to ask Bethany about college and she
began telling about how much she was enjoying Keene State.
After dinner, the three young people joined Rusty in the living room in front of the fire and drank hot chocolate, before walking him, and then went down to the basement to play pool.
Jack and Jim were having coffee in the living room, while Tara was showing her daughter where everyone would sleep. Lizzy and Jim would be in Lizzy's old room, the boys would be in the room with the twin beds and Bethany would have the guest room with the canopy bed and large wardrobe and bath.
Lizzy thought Bethany would love it, knowing Daniel might end up sleeping there too, but she knew the relationship was not her business. They were in college and adults in her opinion. After all Daniel had been through and Adrien's tragic heroic death. They were men now, not boys. She knew this.
"So Jim, I hear you own a bar. How's business?"
"Well ya know Jack, Lizzy and I are thinking of selling and buying a place that we could make a family restaurant. We're a bit burned out on the bar business. I know Lizzy is. She thinks we could maybe remodel her house into a bed and breakfast. I mean if we bought her house with the money from the bar."
"You should invest. I lost my shirt when Wall Street crashed, but you know stocks are cheap right now."
"Oh yeah, you mean Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? I know people are buying those. I'm not really into stocks, Jack."
"Well, if you ever change your mind I am a wiz in the stock market. Just the damn Wall Street crash. And now with this new upcoming administration - "
"To be honest Jack, Lizzy and I voted for Obama. We would prefer to not talk politics, Sir, with all due respect. I find from running a bar, it tends to cause a lot of problems. Fist fights even."
Jack chuckled at that. "Alright, alright fair enough Jim. Care for a Cuban cigar?"
He held out one to Jim.
"Love one. Thanks. I don't usually smoke but I can't resist those."
Downstairs the kids were having a great time playing pool. Nicolas even laughed when Bethany messed up a shot.
"Are you tired?", asked Daniel. "Do you want to see where you're sleeping? We're sleeping," he whispered in her ear and she giggled slightly.
When Bethany saw the upstairs she marveled. She loved the room. "It's so beautiful," she said. Tara and Lizzy sat on the bed while Bethany looked around. Daniel and Nicolas were downstairs talking with Jim and their grandfather.
"This is the guest room, Bethany," Tara said. "Poor Lizzy was an only child."
"Really?" Bethany looked at Lizzy sympathetically. "What's that like, Ms White?"
"Just call me Lizzy, Bethany".
"OK Lizzy." Bethany lay back on the soft bed. As Lizzy and her mother talked and caught up on Adrien's funeral and Daniel's schooling and Nicolas's condition, the autism and his friend Sky and Dr. Epstein's evaluation, Bethany fell asleep. The two women put a blanket over her and took her shoes off and quietly slipped out and downstairs to join the rest of the family. "Sweet girl", remarked Lizzy's mother quietly as they eased the door shut turning off the light leaving on a soft lamp so she would not wake up disoriented in an unfamiliar house.
Lizzy would have Daniel bring her stuff up to her.
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