Thanksgiving blessing

I told my brother not to do it. But he never listens to me. He might now. He had finally escaped the horrible marriage that he had been living in for twenty years and was eager to date. "I found someone on Plenty of Fish, and she seems really great!" I remember him mentioning to me. I thought it was too soon and it was my opinion after online dating myself, that P.O.F. was where all of the crazies hang out. I actually had a guy ask me if I had any sexually transmitted diseases during a coffee meetup that before that question had been monopolized by him showing me pictures on his phone and telling me about his last vacation.

"Don't do it, Mike!" I warned. I knew that he was eager to find someone nice after having to live in a hostile environment for so long, but I just felt like he needed a little time to sort himself out first. This was at the beginning of November. By Thanksgiving, I found out that he had invited her to our family gathering.

I had to admit that I wasn't overly friendly, because I was looking for something to be wrong with her. But actually, she was great. She was smart and funny. Interacted well with everyone. And she brought the most impressive guacamole I've ever eaten in my life. When I asked her how she knew how, she just laughed and said, "I lived in California for years." I wondered why she now lived on the east coast, but I didn't think to ask.

Mike sidled up to me at some point during the day, "She's great, isn't she?" His face was all aglow and honestly, after seeing him be absolutely miserable for so long, I was willing to believe a little, for his sake." I smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "I'm just glad to see you so happy." He smiled back at me, "I am Lisa, I really am!"

The holidays being how they are, I didn't really see Mike until Christmas Eve. "Where is your girlfriend?" I asked when he walked in the door alone. His kids were visiting with their mother. He would be bringing them by the day after Christmas to exchange gifts. "Oh, she had to go back home to see her father for Christmas. He's not doing too well." Mike answered as he walked past me to get to our cousin who was frantically calling his name. Maybe I should have thought to bring it back up again, but I didn't. He seemed good, so I decided not to worry.

It wasn't long after she returned back from California that the trouble started. Her father was dying from cancer and the thought of losing him was causing her significant stress. Being with Mike seemed to be the way that she had decided to cope with it. He did his best, but between work and the girls, sometimes he was just burnt out. If he said no to them hanging out together, she would cry, hang up abruptly and then text him all night trying to guilt him into changing his mind.

After the funeral in January, things got worse. She started showing up at his house at all times of the day or night. Sometimes, she was on her best behavior. Other times, it was a nightmare. She would alternate from being mad to sobbing uncontrollably. Mike would call me and ask me what to do, but I had no answers for him. "She is in a fragile state of mind, hopefully it passes soon." I told him, when what I really wanted to say was, "I told you so."

A few days before Valentines' Day, she came over and seemed more like her old self, so Mike let her in. By Valentine's Day, he was at my house. "Lisa, something is really wrong with her. She is sitting on the couch, crying, and she hasn't showered in days. What do I do?" I know that what I suggested was harsh, but I told him that he needed to call the police. They had to carry her from the house as she was grabbing on to doorway to stop them from taking her out. Mike was completely traumatized. She kept saying over and over again, "I love you, Mike! Why are you doing this to me on Valentine's Day?"

After that, we never heard from her again. Mike swore off dating for awhile and took the time to figure out what he really wanted from life. He started playing rec league basketball and was busy with that and the girls. While he was out with some friends, the other night, he had come across a girl that he knew from high school. They had a great time catching up on everything that had happened since graduation and he had invited her to join him for coffee on his next kid free weekend. He told me all of this as we were discussing the details of Thanksgiving. It was going to be at my house again this year. Our parents wanted to host, but it was just easier to have it here, then have to drag all of the food that I would be making to their house.

The gathering was smaller this year as Mike's kids were with their mom. We were all in the living room with wine watching football when the doorbell rang. I wasn't expecting anyone else, so I was surprised to hear it ring. Even more so when I opened the door. It was Mike's girlfriend from the year before. She reached out to hug me, "Lisa, it's so good to see you!" I didn't know what to say. I was in complete shock. "Mike!" I turned my head and yelled in the direction of the living room. "I brought the guacamole again, because everyone loved it so much!" she said as she walked in and took off her coat. "Where do you want me to put it?" she asked me as she moved towards the living room.

Mike turned the corner and his mouth and eyes immediately opened wide. "Hello!" he said, cautiously. "Oh, get over here, " she smiled. "Give me a hug!" She walked quickly to him and held him tight. "I've missed you!" she said as she kissed him quickly on the lips. Mike just stood there like a statue. She didn't seem to notice. She walked over to the living room and gave greetings and hugs to everyone in the room. Then she settled in. "Where are the girls?" she asked Mike. As he was still trying to adapt to the situation, I answered. "They are with their mom this year." She gave a small frown, "I was really looking forward to seeing them."

The rest of the day actually went forward rather normally, except for the underlying tension caused by our uninvited visitor. When my dad suggested that we share what we are thankful for, before eating, she requested to go last. She listened carefully to everyone else as she smiled and nodded. When it was her turn, she immediately misted up. It took her a minute to be able to talk. "I'm thankful to be back with my family," she said and then she kissed Mike softly on the cheek.

Not long after dinner, she stood up and told everyone that she was leaving. "I've been really tired lately, and I'm sorry to have to go so early." Mike walked her quickly out to her car and she left without an incident. As soon as he was back inside and had closed the door, I yelled at him. "You idiot! What have you done?" He was holding his face in his hands and was shaking his head back and forth. "It's yours, isn't it?" He dropped his hands and looked at me. "Yes, it has to be." The baby had slept quietly in it's carrier the entire two hours that she had been there. The pink blanket was our only clue that it was a girl. I wondered why she didn't mention anything about the baby, but to be fair, we didn't ask about her either. "Well, congratulations, dad! I guess you have someone else to be thankful for," I said as I left him standing alone by the door.