We get out of the car and I reach for his hand as he turns his palm toward mine. We walk toward the door and jump when someone honks and I drop his hand as he yanks it away from me. We look toward the beep at my father and mother getting out of their car with Zoe, Zara, and Justin followed by Matthew, Karrie, and their kids, Cooper, Franny, and Vivi. Pulling up is Doug also. We wait for them to walk to us as Max puts his hands in his pockets.
Zoe and Zara run to me and tackle me with hugs and kisses. I miss these nutcases.
“You look like a fucking rock star,” Zara says as Zoe looks at me. “You also look like you’re in love.” And then she puts her finger down her throat. “Groddy.” Then I see the second they get a look at Max because their eyes bulge out. “Who is this?”
“This is Max,” I say, turning to Max as if it’s nothing. “He plays with Matthew. These are my sisters, Zoe and Zara.”
Max is about to nod hello when Zoe walks up to him, putting out her hand, so Max shakes hers then she turns and whispers, ““Ohhh, Max.Big hands, big feet. Big—”
I put my hand over her mouth before she finishes that sentence.
Zara meanwhile walks up to him, getting on her tippy toes, and leans in to hug him. The look on his face is priceless and he doesn’t move his hands from his sides. Because growling behind is Cooper carrying Vivi.
“Would you two for once in your life not make my teeth clench during the day?”
They both shrug and walk away holding Franny’s hand.
Cooper comes to me and kisses my cheek. “Happy Thanksgiving, princess,” he says as I lean up, hugging him.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Dad.” And then I see my mom, so I hug her tight. “Hey, Mom.”
She turns to Max and smiles at him, walking to him, and hugging him. He bends down and hugs her also with one hand as Matthew arrives with his arm slung around Karrie.
“Are we not going in?” he asks and Max nods and turns away, walking ahead of us as I walk next to my family.
“So, Matthew,” Zoe starts, “just so we are clear.” I look at them as they walk backward, facing Matthew and Karrie.
“If Allison can get lifts from your arch enemy, does this mean I can have a crush on him?” She laughs as Zara nods her head and turns to high-five her.
“Girls.” My mother stops walking, making everyone stop, my father putting both hands to his face.
“First of all, he isn’t my arch enemy,” Matthew starts as I look down at my feet and he continues, “and second of all, all he is doing is giving her a lift.”
“So, it’s a go.” Zoe and Zara both clap and then run into the hospital where I see Max get to the elevator and the twins pounce on him, asking him question after question.
When we finally reach Denise’s floor she whelps out, running to us. “You guys, you have to see this,” she says as she pulls Max with her and walks down an empty room at the end of the hall. It’s set up like buffet style, but there are five tables of food and desserts. While four chefs, and I mean chefs, all donning white aprons and high hats walk around checking stuff. I look at Denise, who has tears running down her face as she hugs Max’s waist. She looks over at us and then at Karrie. “I have no words and I don’t think I can thank you enough.”
“It’s nothing,” Karrie says as she smiles. “Now what else can we do?”
“We can go meet the families that have come out today,” Denise says as she leads everyone away from the room and in fifteen minutes, my family has taken over the third floor. Zoe and Zara are busy playing princess with three of the patients, as Justin, Cooper, Franny, and Vivi play Uno with two other patients. Well, at least they try. Justin just lets them do what they want. I take my jacket off, tossing it in the corner with everyone else’s, as I walk down the hall looking for someone, but mostly looking for Max.
Max, Matthew, and Cooper are in the room with a little boy, talking hockey as they sign his autograph book. I walk into the room as he turns to look at Cooper and then at me. “She’s so pretty,” he says, pointing at me. He must be nine years old.
“She is,” Cooper says as Matthew rolls his eyes. “That’s my little girl.”
“My dad says if I want to marry a girl I have to ask her father. Can I marry her?” he asks Cooper, who laughs and says, “Anytime.”