Journey to Thanksgiving

The shrill ring of the alarm of the old-fashioned clock on the bedside table pierced the darkness. Kasey rolled over, stopped the alarm, and saw that it was 3 am. Normally, this hateful hour was reserved for a handful of people in the community, but today, Kasey was joining their ranks.

Jumping out of bed, Kasey stumbled into the adjoining bathroom to grab a quick shower. Thankfully, she could smell the pungent aroma of her morning salvation already brewing. She said a quick prayer of thanks for whoever invented the programmable coffee maker, knowing that the glorious, warm liquid would be ready when she walked into the kitchen.

Kasey turned on the hot water in the bathroom and dipped a toe under to check the temperature. She adjusted the knobs until she got the perfect mixture for her—hot, but not so hot she would look like a lobster when she exited the shower. Stepping into the shower, she made a mental note that she needed to hurry because she had to be on the road soon. There was no time to luxuriate under the showerhead as much as she wanted to do that.

Ten minutes later, feeling refreshed and almost fully awake, Kasey dressed in her favorite pair of comfortable jeans, a warm sweater, and her most comfortable pair of boots. She carefully braided her long, brown hair and headed for the kitchen.

Entering the kitchen, Kasey poured a steaming travel mug of coffee, added her favorite Italian sweet cream creamer, and put the lid on top. Next, she put an English muffin in the toaster, so she would have an easy, portable breakfast. Hearing the pop of the toaster, Kasey grabbed a butter knife and coated one side of her English muffin with peanut butter. She put the two sides together like a sandwich, and grabbing a banana, her coffee, and her keys, she headed for her car.

The car started easily, and Kasey selected her favorite CD and popped it into the player. As she began backing out of the driveway, she noted that the dashboard clock showed 3:35. Sunrise was still an hour and a half away, and Kasey was pleased that she’d made record time getting ready and moving.

At the end of the street, Kasey turned left and headed west toward the interstate. She was on pins and needles with anticipation. Today was the culmination of many long months of waiting, hoping, and praying.

Taking the exit, Kasey carefully merged into traffic, adjusting the volume on the stereo as she did. The nervous energy of the day required that she listen to her favorite music at a high volume. Her nervousness was mixed with a flutter of excitement like none she’d ever felt.

The traffic was light as Kasey made her way south along the interstate. Her CD ended, and she decided it was time to pull off to stretch her legs, get something to drink, and choose different music for the next leg of the journey. She began looking for a rest area or exit, hoping it wouldn’t be too long before she found one.

She was in luck. There was a sign for an exit indicating a gas station was only a mile away. Kasey decided she would top off her gas tank and grab a snack while she was stopped.

Kasey took her exit and saw the largest gas station she’d ever laid eyes on in her life. She pulled to the nearest pump, stopped the car, and filled the tank. Rather than block the pump, she pulled nearer the door and parked to go inside the store.

First things first, she found the nearest restroom to freshen up a little. After approximately an hour in the car, she was feeling a little worse for wear. She used the bathroom, washed her hands and face, and headed to look for something to drink and a snack.

Kasey chose a green tea from the drink cooler and a protein bar from the snack counter. Satisfied with her purchases, Kasey headed back to the car. She had killed enough time. She needed to drive straight through the rest of the way if she was going to make it on time. Her plan was to make it to her first stop early. Otherwise, she’d be late for her final destination today.

Thankfully, traffic was still light as Kasey took the exit to once again head south on the interstate. She had arranged to arrive at her first stop on her journey right at sunrise. She hoped it would be everything she had been imagining for weeks now.

At exactly 5:05 am, Kasey pulled into the parking lot of the human resources building in her hometown in Alabama. She had ten minutes to spare before the anticipated time of sunrise. She just hoped Lydia would also be on time. She still had miles to go before her surprise was complete.

Kasey parked the car and stepped out to wait beneath the big oak tree out front. Now bare of all its leaves, the oak had been a lovely green this summer when all of this had been set in motion. Now, it looked desolate while still looking majestic.

Knowing Jesse would be waiting for her at her mom’s house helped calm her nerves somewhat. He’d been here working for several months now, and they had agreed that he would drive separately to her parent’s home and then ride home with her after the meal that day. He was taking the next three months off on leave—another major part of their surprise for her family and his.

She looked up and saw Lydia’s blue sedan pull into the parking lot. The moment had finally arrived! Just in time, too. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon.

Kasey met Lydia at the car with unrivaled excitement. Lydia opened the door, and stepped out, gave Kasey a quick hug, and then opened the back door to the car. Kasey bent down and picked up the toddler, who was anxiously waiting to be released from her carseat. The two-year-old wrapped her arms around Kasey’s neck and leaned in close. It was obvious they already had a strong bond.

Kasey turned the child around and pointed out the sunrise. The baby squealed in delight. Lydia and Kasey both smiled, knowing this was the day they had been moving toward for a while now.

After months of supervised visits, day trips, and a few overnight stays, Kasey and Jesse had finally been awarded custody of the little girl the day before. Kasey had gotten the call yesterday afternoon. If everything went as planned, and there was no doubt everything would, the adoption would be finalized in three months, and Kasey, Jesse, and little Allyson would be a forever family.

Lydia helped Kasey get Allyson safely strapped into her seat in Kasey’s car, and they were on the road again to Kasey’s mom’s house. This leg of the journey would only take about 20 minutes, and Allyson napped as they drove. When Kasey pulled into the driveway, Jesse was already there waiting for her. He hadn’t gone inside yet.

It was early, but Kasey’s mom was expecting them at 6. There was a lot of cooking to be done before the rest of the family got there. This year, they had one more thing to add to their list of things to be thankful for, and no one knew it yet but Kasey and Jesse.

Jesse met Kasey at the car, gave her a quick hug, and then helped her get Allyson out of the car. He handed the toddler to Kasey and retrieved the bag she’d packed the night before from the trunk of her car. Together, they walked to the front door.

Jesse rang the doorbell, and they heard Kasey’s dad say, “Come on in.”

Entering the house, they followed the smells to the kitchen. The turkey was already in the oven. Preparation of side dishes and desserts was beginning to get underway.

“Hi Mom. Hi Dad. Where’s Brad?” Kasey asked.

Her mom looked up as she said, “Hi Kas…”, stopped mid-word, and squealed. She came around the island as Kasey’s dad emerged from the pantry. He lit up like the Christmas tree they would be putting up tomorrow when he saw Allyson in Kasey’s arms.

“Who’s this?” he asked Kasey.

“Mom, Dad, this is Allyson. We’ve been granted custody of her, and in three months, she will officially be our daughter, your grand-daughter.”

A sleepy Brad came around the corner just in time to hear his sister’s explanation. He gave Kasey a huge hug and shook Jesse’s hand, saying, “I’ve got to go wake Michelle. She’ll want to be here for this.”

Just then, Michelle said, “I’m here. Your mom’s squeal woke me just fine.”

Allyson looked around, spotted Kasey’s mom, and said, “Are you Nana? Can I have some milk?”

Everyone laughed. Kasey’s mom, now happily dubbed Nana, got Allyson some milk. Kasey’s dad, who Allyson declared would be called Papa, set to work making pancakes for the newest family member while Brad and Michelle took her to meet her cousins Leighanne and Liam.

Other family members came in an hour or two later, and Allyson charmed them all. Thanksgiving dinner was a little late that day, but no one seemed to mind because they were all reminded exactly what they had to be thankful for that year.