Thanksgiving

Today was thanksgiving, our first day with Maggie and Erik. We didn’t have dinner until 6pm, when the 22nd person showed up to take part in the feast. It was very untraditional; curry, cabbage rolls, and other dishes that remained a mystery. I suppose I am too used to the mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

I spent the evening playing with the children, watching how wonderful B was with the children too. I fielded questions of our status; "Are you engaged?" No. "Have you talked about it?" Yes. "And you’re living together?" Yes. "For how long?" Two years. Each time, they looked surprised by my answer, as if to say: "Two years you’ve been living together and there’s still no ring on your finger?" Then I would kindly insert my age into the conversation, which seemed to ease their minds a bit.

Maggie and Erik are the only married couple with no kids, and we were the only unmarried couple. That’s how it always is when we go to visit. Sometimes it can get uncomfortable.

The women cleaned up the dishes while the men sat out by the fire. B didn’t crawl in bed until 2am. "Why didn’t you stay and party with us?" He fell asleep with his arm around my waist: "You’re warm," he mumbled.