Talking Turkey

Fiona turned to Ben and said, "I have to tell you something."

"Okay, shoot. Fi, you know you can tell me anything," Ben said. "Just don't say you hate Thanksgiving." He chuckled and then shot me a sideways glance. "Wait. What? You don't like Thanksgiving?"

"It's not that at all. As you know, my family is Australian, and Australians don't really do Thanksgiving."

"Yeah, but you grew up in Canada. They have Thanksgiving there."

"Canadian Thanksgiving. It's different, or at least it was for us. It wasn't a big holiday for us. Your family, on the other hand, loves Thanksgiving and everything that goes with it." Ben nodded in agreement, and I continued. "Anyway, that is not what I want to say. I need to tell you that I have only eaten turkey once. I was ten and… I didn't like it."

"Wow. You're serious about this. I guess that's not a deal-breaker, but wow." I looked at him blankly. "You really should have said something sooner. This is heady stuff."

I rolled my eyes, "Don't make a big deal about this. I just wanted to let you know ahead of time, so you don't try to force-feed me in front of your family."

"Tell me, what did your family eat on Canadian Thanksgiving?"

"Usually lamb, sometimes roast beef. Moving on... So, who is going to be there?"

"My folks, of course, both grandmothers, my aunt, uncle, their two kids, and of course, my sister - help me. Oh, and my dad's cousin and his wife."

I gulped. "Big crowd."

"I guess. Pretty average for us."

"We never had big family holidays. It was always just my parents and siblings. No extended family."

"Well, you're in for a treat."

Ben exited the highway. We sat in silence as Ben made the few turns to his parents' home. He pulled into a tree-lined development and spoke briefly to the gate attendant. Why was I so nervous? Just breathe, I told myself. I pulled down the sun visor and slid open the mirror. I applied a little lip gloss and face powder to take the shine off my nose. Ben reached over and grabbed my hand, "You look great. They are going to love you, and even if they don't, I do, and nothing else matters. He pulled into the driveway of a sprawling brick rancher. "Ready?" I nodded, and Ben gave me a peck on the cheek. "It's showtime!"

Ben's mom came running out. "You're early. Benny, you must have been speeding." She looked down at my belly before hugging me. "I didn't think you'd be showing yet. Stella will have a fit. Never mind, come in; I have soup waiting for you, and it's getting cold already."

"I thought we were early," I whispered to Ben. He winked at me and smiled.

"Sit, eat. Have some soup and challah. What do you want to drink?"

"Paula, it's wonderful to see you. Thank you so much for having me. I just need to use the restroom first. I'll be quick," I said.

"Sure, Honey, it's just down the hall on the left. I am sure you need to tinkle after the drive. I had to pee all the time when I was pregnant with Benny."

I stayed in the bathroom longer than necessary, relieved to have a few moments alone. Wandering back to the kitchen, I took in Ben's childhood home, which was nice, not too formal, although the décor was a little out there. Just like Paula, I thought. Does that woman always say exactly what she's thinking?

As I approached the kitchen, I slowed down. I heard Ben say, "Mom, relax. This is a bit overwhelming for Fi. Just dial it back a little, okay?"

Paula gasped but clamped her mouth shut as I walked into the kitchen.  "Here, she is. Sit, eat. I will let you get settled. It is good to have you here, Fiona. I am off to the grocery store for a few things. I hope they are still open. You know Stella gets annoyed if we don't have canned cranberry."

A compact, gray-haired woman entered the kitchen as we were cleaning up the soup bowls. "Benny, I thought I heard your voice. Come here and kiss your old grandma." She started when I turned from the sink and saw the bump through my shirt. "Is this your pregnant Shiksa?"

"Grandma Stella, let me introduce you to my girlfriend Fiona," Ben said, putting his arm around my shoulder.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I said and held out my hand.

She grasped my shaking hand with her gnarled one. "Your grandfather would be rolling over in his grave, Benny. Fiona, it is nice to meet you, dear. I am going to rest a bit before dinner," said Stella and shuffled out of the room.

"Well, that went pretty well," said Ben.

"Are you kidding me?" I glared at him and turned back to the dishes.

"Come on. She doesn't mean anything by it. That's just how she talks." He put his arms around me, nuzzling my neck. "A little nap sounds good about now. You up for it?"

"Seriously, in your parents' house? You're out of your mind."

"It's not like they haven't figured out we've slept together."

"Ugh. Go away," I said and swatted him with the dishtowel.

"Hey, baby brother." I turned to see a pretty, young woman of medium height, curly dark hair like Ben's, but longer, medium-brown eyes, and a cocky grin. This must be the infamous Rebecca.

"Hi, Becs. It's good to see you," Ben said as he gave her a quick hug. "This is Fiona, my girlfriend."

"It's so nice to meet you, Rebecca, finally," I said and caught the mischievous look in her eyes.

"It's good to meet you too," she said as she eyed me up and down. "I am so glad you're here this year. Takes the attention off me for once."

"Glad to be of service," I said, trying to make a joke. "Hey Ben, I think I want to rest a little before dinner."

"Of course. See ya later, sis," he said.

"Benny!" A boy of about eight came hurtling down the hallway into Ben's outstretched arms.

"Hey, Aaron. Look at you; you must have grown at least five inches this year."

Aaron smiled, pleased to get the admiration from his hero. "Who are you?" he said, looking at me.

"Hi Aaron, I'm Ben's girlfriend, Fiona. I have heard so much about you. I hear you are an awesome soccer player. How was your season?"

"It was great. I played amazing.  We only lost one game this season, and that was just because the ref is blind. So, are you having a baby, or are you just fat? My mom says people can't have babies unless they're married. You and Ben aren't married, so you must be fat."

"Actually, I am having a baby."

"When is the wedding? I want to be the ring bearer."

I frowned at Ben, looking for a little help, but he just gazed back, unperturbed. "Well, Aaron, we're not getting married right now."

"I guess my mom was wrong then. I'll go tell her," and he sped off."

I closed the door to Ben's room. "Ben, this was a mistake. I should not have come. Even your little cousin is judging me. Miraculously, you are still the golden boy you have always been in their eyes. I didn't get in this situation by myself, you know."

"Don't worry about it. I am going to see if I can help my mom. You get a little rest and come down when you're ready."

I laid on the bed, praying for this to be over soon. Did I think a pregnant, 21-year-old, Catholic girl was going to win over Ben's very Jewish family? This was a bad idea.

I startled awake and reached for my phone. Oh no, it was 4:30. Ben said dinner would be at 5:00, and I had planned on helping Paula get ready. I swore as I pulled on a simple dress that I thought camouflaged my mid-section and hurriedly brushed my auburn hair and applied a little mascara to highlight my green eyes. It would have to do.

The living room was full of people. "Here's Sleeping Beauty," said Ben's father sarcastically. Daniel was an imposing man, over six feet tall, with a shock of gray hair. He was an extremely successful defense attorney. We had met once when he was in D.C. for a conference. Aaron and I had met him and Paula for dinner, and he seemed to like me well enough then, but that was pre-baby.

"Hi, Daniel. It is nice to see you again. Thank you for having me."

"Dad, I'm just going to steal Fi for a minute," Ben said.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"You know I'm your knight in shining armor." He steered me over to a pleasingly round woman, who was cackling about a joke Aaron had told her. "Grandma Mimi, this is Fiona."

"Oh, Fiona. It's lovely to meet you." She squeezed me in a huge hug. "Benny just adores you, and I can see why."

I have one ally, at least. "He adores you too. I've heard some fabulous stories about you and Grandpa Saul."

"May he rest in peace," she said and then leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I'm the fun granny."

"It's turkey time," bellowed Paula. We all took our seats, and fortunately, I had Mimi on one side but Daniel on the other.

We sat down, and the chaotic passing of platters and dishes began.

"Fiona, take some turkey," said Daniel. "It's my special recipe. I brine it for a full 24 hours. You won't find turkey moister than mine." I smiled and took what I hoped was an acceptable portion of white meat and then passed the platter to Mimi on my left.

"Ben, how are the law school applications coming along? Did you get the results from your LSATs after you retook them?" asked Daniel.

"Dad, the results don't come back for a few weeks. You know that. Yes, I am working on my applications, but I am not sure I want to go to law school next year. I might do something else. Please, can we not talk about this on Thanksgiving?"

"Fine, but we need to talk about it at some point."

"Fiona. What kind of name is that?" asked Stella.

"It's Irish," I replied.

"Really? Benny said your family is Australian or maybe Canadian?"

"We're Australian. I'm a sixth-generation Aussie, but most of my family emigrated from Ireland to Australia. We moved to Canada when I was three."

"Sixth generation? Hmm. Your family must have been convicts."

"Quite possibly," I said, swallowing a bite of dry turkey and washing it down with some water. I would kill for a glass of wine.

"Fiona, tell us, what are your plans?' asked Ben's Aunt Diane.

Is she interested in my plans for next week, or the rest of my life? I took a middle of the road approach and said, "after final exams next month, I'll be graduating a semester early. Then I'll start looking for a job right after the holidays."

"Fi is a brainiac," Ben said proudly. When she started at Georgetown, she was practically a sophomore because she had so many AP credits. And she's double majoring in engineering and psychology."

"I'm surprised you had time to fit that in with all your extracurricular activities," Daniel muttered under his breath.

Mimi patted my thigh and squeezed my hand under the table. I could not bear her kindness right now. "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom," I said and got up abruptly, sloshing water from my glass.

I made it to the bathroom before the tears began. Oh my god, what am I doing here? These people hate me. I am a loose woman corrupting their precious Benny with my wanton ways. I stopped my rant and looked in the mirror. I saw the reflection of my young face etched with stress and my expanding waistline. I rubbed my stomach protectively, which had a calming effect. "I love you, sweet baby boy," I whispered. "Everything is going to be fine. You are going to have a beautiful life. Always remember your mother is strong and she loves you more than anything." I smiled into the mirror, held my head high, and walked back to the dining room.

I stood behind my chair and cleared my throat. "Could I say something?" Daniel looked up at me. I could tell he was used to making the speeches. He would just have to deal with it. I was going to say my piece before I lost my nerve. "It is wonderful to be here with all of you," I began. "I know this situation is a little unusual and not what any of you were expecting. You probably have questions, but don't worry - everything is under control. This baby is loved so much, which is why after his birth in March, I will be giving him up for adoption. Ben and I are not ready to be parents." I glanced over at Ben and saw relief mixed with shock and sadness. "I hope you all can support this decision. Now, Daniel, could you please pass the turkey? It's absolutely delicious."