Strangers

It had been years since her mother and father divorced, leaving five-year-old Bexley to waft in her own confusion and in a state of distraught. The heavy pain of watching her mother leave the house with the suitcases they had previously used to go on vacations with the family was always with her, even now as a junior in high school. She lived with her father all those years, his girlfriends coming in and out, cycling through, never quite fitting the presence of her mother. Bexley lay in bed, watching shapes form in the darkness of her ceiling as she heard the birds beginning to chirp. It was strange, really, how she had stayed up the whole night pretending as if that would somehow stop time, stop the new day from the beginning. However, she knew that wasn't the case because that simply was not how time worked. Time was continuous because it was structure, a concept, created by humans to make life more organized. How funny, it just made Bexley more frantic about the upcoming events.

Over the fifteen years of divorce, she had visited her mother about every other month just for a day or two since she lived about a three-hour drive away. Over all those fifteen years, she awkwardly introduced the new family members that seemed to keep coming every time she visited. In total, she met two kids that her mother's now-husband, Rob, had previously had and the three kids her mother birthed. Her step and half-siblings, she supposed. To her, though, they were just strangers. Bexley was conflicted because this year, her father was sending her away to celebrate the Thanksgiving holidays with said strangers and that idea terrified her. She didn't want to associate herself with that family, because that family was not a family of hers, it was the other half, the better half of her mother's life. A life that did not include Bexley, not since she was left by her fifteen years ago.

Bexley sat up and sighed. Today was the day, the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving. She looked at her phone, noting the time. It was 5:38, just twenty-two minutes until it was time for her to awaken. The drive ahead was a three-hour drive meaning she would be able to get no sleep that day. It was a dangerous concept, but with all the butterflies in her stomach furthering her dread for the Thanksgiving dinner, she knew that sleep was not an option for her. The thought of having to spend Thanksgiving with a family that wasn't even hers, the family that replaced her and her father, made her yearn for death. It was better to avoid it than to confront Bexley's thoughts. As she debated in her head, the time continued to pass until finally, her alarm rang loud and true, giving her quite the disturbance as her thoughts were interrupted. She may as well go, her father would be leaving to go visit his girlfriend, and god, she hated his girlfriend. There was nowhere else for her to go either, this was her only option because there was no way her father was allowing her to stay home after the last party she threw.

The three-hour drive was terrible and she got lost through the loops of her mother's neighborhood. Bexley had been through this neighborhood, gazing in awe at the huge houses with their enormous plots of land, wondering why her mother didn't fight to keep in contact with her more. Why she just packed up and left her whole life, her only child, behind. As she drove around and pulled up to her mother's home, she thought of all the potential memories she could've had living there, with Rob, having siblings. Instead, she led a mostly quiet life in their quaint two-story, three-bedroom home. She loved her father, he was the only one ever there for her in her family, but then again, that was never saying much. Her father, like her, was an only child with his parents living in another country. The only contact she had with her mother's side after the divorce was her mother, they broke afterward. She came from a chopped down family tree, despite stemming from her mother's branch, she was broken off and put aside as a useless twig.

Bexley took a deep breath before shutting off her car and grabbing the backpack that sat in the passenger. It was a long, three-hour drive back to her home and her mother insisted she stay just for one night so she could be well-rested before her trip back home. She went back, grabbing the box full of gifts her father nagged her to buy for her mother's new family. It was just full of a couple toys for the children and items of clothing for Rob and her mother. She wasn't even sure if they'd like any of it. Bexley looked up at the large house that towered over her, it was intimidating. The house loomed as if threatening her, warning her to be careful once inside. She already knew that, though. So, Bexley made her way over the fancy stone pathway that led to the front door. Shoving the box under her left arm, she rang the doorbell and waited patiently, nervously.

As Bexley waited, thoughts of all kinds raced through her head, worsening her pre-existing anxiety about the situation. Maybe she could just drop the box off and leave, drive around town, go to McDonald's for dinner. Renting a hotel room for the night didn't sound bad either, she had enough money from her part-time job and her side-jobs. It was doable, practical. That practicality might've just been in her head, though. It was too late, anyway, she heard the heavy thunder of footsteps coming towards the door. Those footsteps were all too familiar, belonging to Rob. Rob was actually pretty kind and a good man, no wonder her mother found love again with him. She just wished her mother would find love in her again, too.

"Hey, Bex! Come on in, we're just preparing the turkey and all the other ingredients. What's the box, there?" Rob greeted, then pointed down at the box she carried under her arm.

"Oh, uh..." Bexley stammered, her voice shaky and nervous. "It's... It's some gifts for you guys. I bought toys for the kids and clothes for you and mother, but it's fine if you don't like them. I can return them." She looked down at her feet as she entered through the doorway, being greeted by the sight of their grand entrance. The white marble double staircase that led to their upstairs with a beautiful black archway paving the way into the kitchen where she saw her mother hard at work.

"No, I'm sure the family will love it. Chill out, Bex, I can tell you're nervous," He gave her a slap on the back as he chuckled. Rob was a psychiatrist, and while it didn't take a genius to figure out that Bexley was extremely anxious about the whole pursuit, she knew Rob would be the one wanting to talk to her about it. As if she needed to be cured by talking to him... The only cure was to get out, to leave them all and return to the safe warmth and comfort of her bed.

"You can put your bag in the guest room, you know where that is. I can take the box for you, the kids will adore you," Rob instructed as she handed the box over to him.

"Thanks, Rob. I promise to try and be more relaxed, just... a new situation, people I don't know well, you know," Bexley tried her best to give a smile, but she was sure it came out as more of a frown with her teeth showing than a smile.

Bexley watched as Rob walked away to the living area, finally alone, she headed up the stairs and to the left. This house had so many bedrooms, she never even properly counted. She was sure it had at least six in the upstairs and two in the basement, however, she never got to take much of a look in their basement. It was the third door on her left that was the guest bedroom she always stayed in, and she quickly walked in and closed the door behind her. She threw her bag on the floor and continued to sprawl out on the bed, hearing the faint cheers of the little kids down a level.

Bexley groaned, knowing she had to head down soon or Rob would come up asking all sorts of his psychiatrist questions. Oh boy, did she know about his questions. They were uncomfortably intrusive, but mainly because he was always spot-on about her feelings and problems. Today was not the day to find the root of her problems, particularly because he was a part of it. This caused Bexley to get up groggily, just yearning to have a little bit of sleep, nearing the twenty-four-hour mark of her being up. She took slow and hesitant steps to the door and even just stared at how her hand weakly clutched the doorknob, but she turned it anyway and went down the stairs to join the rest of them.

The kids didn't stop playing and doing whatever it was they were doing as Bexley joined them. Rob had the football game on the television, shouting at the screen as if the referees were able to hear him. Kimberly and Ashton, the youngest of the kids, were playing with a few of the toys Bexley had bought them. It made her smile. Paisley and Amber, the oldest of the family, were off on the couch texting on their phones. They were about sixteen and fourteen now, being the two kids Rob had in his previous marriage. Rob had brought his children into his new family, why didn't her mother do more to include her, too?

"Hi!" a child's voice exclaimed at her, snapping Bexley out of her trance. She looked down to find the face of Markson, the middle child. His voice was strangely high-pitched for a nine year old, but what did she know about nine year old boys? She never had siblings, at least, ones in her immediate household.

"Oh, hi Mark," Bexley smiled down at him. She was pretty tall, closer to Rob's height than she was her mother's, but she noticed she didn't need to look down that much at him. The age gap was what, about an eight year difference? God, he was probably just half a foot shorter than her.

"Marksss," He corrected, dragging out the s consonant, making him sound as if he were attempting some snake impression.

"Right, my bad," She ruffled his hair and smiled. "What are you up to? Been a couple months since I've seen you guys." Even when she did go to visit, her mother mainly took her out to lunch and shopping somewhere as if that could make up for all the other days she wasn't there.

"I'm helping mom," He grinned and grabbed Bexley's hand as he began to drag her to the kitchen. "Mom, mom, Bex's here!"

"Oh, don't drag your sister" her mother chuckled, shaking her head at him. "Hi, dear. I'm sorry I didn't get to greet you as you came in, I've just been busy trying to prepare everything and Marks here has been taking my ingredients elsewhere." Sister. She guessed that was the technical term, even if Bexley never thought of herself in that way.

Bexley raised an eyebrow and looked at Marks. "He told me he was helping, guess you lied Marks. You know what we do to liars? We eat them for Thanksgiving," she joked.

Marks eyes grew wide and he backed away. "I'm gonna help by not being here now," He grinned and quickly ran away.

"I can help you out, mother. I've been helping dad all these years, I'm sure I can do something."

"Oh, that'd be wonderful but I don't want to have you work. You look tired," She said to Bexley, moving the back of her fingers against her cheek. She was cold to the touch.

"No, it's fine. I promise. I do it every year, I love it."

Her mother gave an uneasy look at her and Bexley did a little side smile to help convince her before her mother sighed and broke down, agreeing to have her help out.

By the end, all the ingredients were used up and everything was simmering, roasting, or being baked. Something was missing, though. "Where's the cherry pie?" Bexley asked her mother.

Her mother was wiping her hands down on a towel and tilted her head to the side. "Cherry pie? We don't eat cherry pie, we usually buy chocolate pies from the store. We love it, it's a yearly tradition to buy at least three different types of chocolate pies, even though it does last for a while afterward," She chuckled. "Why? Do you want some cherry pie?"

Bexley was confused, had her mother terminated the tradition after terminating almost all ties with her previous family? "No, I don't need it but... you always made cherry pie for Thanksgiving when I was a kid. We kept it up even after you left..." Her voice trailed off and she was staring at the countertop as she repeatedly wiped off one spot on its surface.

"Did I? That's strange, we haven't had cherry pie in about twelve years. Don't where- what happened," Her mother shook her head and left the kitchen, but Bexley could tell she was trying to avoid the real truth. The truth that was most likely that she terminated the tradition in order to cut ties with her and her father, and to create a fresh start with Rob and Paisley and Amber and everyone else in her new family. Her better family.

Dinner was loud. Bexley was used to the quiet of the dinner table being shared between her and her father, the television rumbling quietly with the announcements of football in the background. To her, Thanksgiving was a quiet holiday. She never even thought to imagine what holidays were like for other people.

"That's my piece of turkey!" Kimberly yelled, whining. "DAD! TELL MARKS TO GIMME!" Her voice turned into a shriek and Rob gave a stern and annoyed look at Marks.

Somehow, despite all the eardrum bursting noise, it was nice, almost. Thanksgiving was always a quiet, lonely holiday shared in a quiet, lonely house, the sound of football and quiet conversation echoing. This, however, was not quiet and although Bexley didn't believe she quite fit in because this was not her family, it was not a lonely holiday this year.

Her tradition of eating cherry pie was gone, missed this year. Maybe it was okay to allow new things in, to try and adjust to new situations. The butterflies of dread were mostly gone, and she couldn't help but smile at the thought of every family dinner being similar to this one. She laughed out loud, her mother and Rob's heads turning to face her. She quickly shut her mouth.

"Sorry," Bexley apologized, wondering if she wasn't supposed to laugh or something.

"Don't be sorry, you just haven't laughed like that since you were a child, it was happy," Rob told her and Bexley's face turned red. Had she really been unhappy every single visit she came here as she grew? Grew more discontent with staying at the house, having to isolate herself in the guest bedroom? Yeah... she did.

Bexley's mother got up and Paisley jumped out of her seat, following behind her. Where were they going? "Is it normal for them to just leave during the middle of dinner?" Bexley questioned, half-joking but half genuinely curious.

"Just wait," Ashton sang.

"Okay..." Bexley nodded in reply, a little sketched out as to what was happening.

Her mother and Paisley returned with a packaging of something. "We got you this," Paisley smiled and handed Bexley the package. It felt like a plastic container was in there.

Bexley ripped open the tissue paper and couldn't help but smile at the sight of it. Cherry pie. "I thought you guys didn't eat cherry pie?"

"We do. It was a surprise, I'm good at lying, aren't I. Give your mom some credit," She smiled at her. "Paisley, too. She came up with the idea of hiding it."

Bexley stood up and gave both Paisley and her mother a hug, the rest of the kids, and even Rob, joining in. She never considered them much of a family until that moment. She always felt out of place, like a stranger in a room full of people who were friends with one another. Tonight, it was different. Tonight, she felt loved and accepted. They were a group of strangers, but they were the most familiar strangers she knew.