The turkey was frozen. Why was it still frozen? She had put it in the fridge to defrost days ago. Why the hell was the damn twenty-pound bird still frozen? She had done everything right, followed every direction, and still the main course at her first solo Thanksgiving was frozen solid. She stabbed at it with the butcher knife again, hoping against hope it was only this top layer. The knife nearly slid off the ice, it was so hard. Ophi groaned in frustration. People would be at the house in five hours to eat, and her bird was frozen solid.

“That’s it. I’m serving tofurkey.”

The doorbell rang, and Ophi didn’t know whether to thank God or to pray for the devil to come and destroy the world to keep this night from happening. It all depended on who was on the other side.

“Richard, please get the door!”

“But Mooom, the show isn’t over,” her bright eldest child hollered from the living room.

“Richard, if you don’t get off your butt and answer that door, there will be no TV for the rest of the year.”

A litany of annoyed grunts and mutters trailed the loud stomping into the main foyer. His father used to do the same thing when she asked him to take the garbage out. Oh joy.

“Don’t forget to ask who it is before unlocking the door,” Ophi called.

“I know that,” Richard yelled back, sounding as though she’d insulted his very soul. “I’m not a baby.”

Ophi decided to take her frustration with her son’s attitude out on the frozen turkey. After a few more stabs, she safely deduced it was frozen through and through.

A large, beautifully thawed turkey landed on the counter next to her frozen monstrosity. Ophi looked up and her angelic baby sister, looking stunning with a blue dress on, her dark bangs framing her delicate features, stood there pointing at the thawed turkey with a smile.

“How did you know?” Ophi cried, dropping the knife on the counter, then hugging her sister close, holding her hands out, careful not to get raw turkey nastiness on Nettie’s dress.

“Your delightful children called me last night in a fit of giggles. It was ten at night by the way. They said you left the turkey in the fridge and then fell asleep on the couch. They both worked really hard as a team and put it back in the freezer, you know, or else it would go bad. When I asked them to put it back because you’d be upset they put it away, they said they would put it back in the fridge when they got up in the morning so you didn’t notice.”

“Why didn’t you call me when they did that?”

“I know you were prepping and cleaning all day yesterday and didn’t want to bother you.” Nettie rubbed Ophi’s arm, and the gesture soothed Ophi. The bonds of family were something she needed desperately at that moment.

“Your solution was to buy a new turkey?”

“Yeah.”

“You couldn’t call me an hour ago when I began hacking at this thing and running it under the hot water?”

“We were already on our way, and reception around this weird remote area is terrible. What, did the city forget to approve power lines and cell towers?”

“My town is charming. Don’t diss my town.”

“What town? There’s nothing around your house for a mile.”

It might not have been the close-knit community Ophi and her siblings had grown up in, but she had wanted a home nearer to nature, something open and freeing. She purchased the large house after her first series of videos featuring her kids in their homemade costumes went viral. The requests had been flowing in, and she’d finally made enough to purchase the property she wanted and started building from scratch. Her house was a modern farmhouse-style, rife with rustic elements, sliding barn doors, and exposed wood. There was a tire swing on a tree out front and her porch wrapped around two-thirds of the house. It may have been in a secluded area…but it was her dream home.

I did this. I worked for this place, for my family, and I made it happen.

“Mashed potatoes and stuffing anyone?” Nettie’s boyfriend, Joshua Dellinger, asked as he set two large baking trays on the counter, then put his hands on his trim hips and smiled.

Ophi turned to her sister. “I hate you and your gorgeous boyfriend. Get out.”

Joshua came around the counter, and it was only then that Ophi noticed her children had attached themselves to both of Joshua’s legs and were going for a ride. Joshua kissed her on the cheek. “Nice to see you too, Ophi.”

“Shut up and go distract my children while I cook your perfect, defrosted turkey.” Ophi pointed at her sister. “You, crack that bottle of wine. This Thanksgiving is going to be perfect even if I have to be drunk to get through it.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Nettie saluted before heading to the wine closet.

With a happy sigh, Ophi tossed the frozen turkey into the freezer, then began working on the defrosted one. Before she was able to open the package all the way, the phone rang.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she couldn’t help wondering if it was him.

“Don’t answer that,” Ophi said as Nettie reached for the wall unit.

Nettie placed two bottles of white wine on the counter and looked at Ophi suspiciously. “Why?”

“Telemarketers. They’ve been calling all morning.”

“On Thanksgiving?”

Ophi pulled the bacon and butter out of the fridge, then removed all the necessary spices from the cabinet. “They know everyone is home now. It’s the perfect time.”

“Sure it is.” Nettie let the phone go until it stopped ringing. “What happened to your machine?”

“I got rid of it. Most people have my cell now anyway.”

“You might as well get rid of your land line if you’re not going to use it.”

“It came with the cable package.” Ophi needed to change the subject. “It’s so sad about Mrs. Berkin, huh?”

Usually, they had Thanksgiving dinner at Mrs. Berkin’s house, but she had slipped and hurt her hip a week ago. She was due for surgery the day after Thanksgiving and for some crazed reason, Ophi had volunteered to have the open-town Thanksgiving dinner at her place. They usually ended up with a good mix of people, some town regulars, Ophi’s family of course, and folks newly moved to the area who didn’t have anywhere to go. Ophi’s house was large enough and she wouldn’t be the only person making a turkey, so there would be plenty of food for everyone. Every year, the message was passed around town, and people showed up. It worked, and it felt nice to spend time with all the different people.

But Ophi had never hosted before and her stomach was in knots and nothing she was making tasted any good. She was crazed.

“Yeah, but she’ll be good. We’ll bring her some leftovers after her surgery. Her kids are with her tonight and she’ll be fine.”

Ophi didn’t like having Thanksgiving without Mrs. Berkin. The woman had saved her and her siblings in more ways than one, Ophi especially. When she’d become pregnant with Richard, her good-for-nothing fiancé leaving her flat, Mrs. Berkin had given her every single baby item she had kept and made sure to teach her how to be a mom, as Ophi couldn’t afford all the books and didn’t have time for parenting classes. She worked at a local theater, costuming all the way up to her delivery date. In fact, she’d been on her way to work when her water had broken in the middle of crossing the street. A neighbor had seen her and had driven her directly to the hospital. Mrs. Berkin met her there and had been with her through every agonizing second, through the terrifying C-section and through the first few seconds where Richard hadn’t made a peep, scaring the life out of Ophi. Then he screamed, and Mrs. Berkin’s was the first smiling face she saw before meeting her son for the first time.

“I’ll miss her tonight,” Ophi said, her eyes tearing up.

“Hey, girl. No tears.” Nettie hugged Ophi to her side, resting her head on Ophi’s shoulder. “She’ll be okay.”

“Sorry. I’m all whacked out and stressed today. Can you do me a favor and taste the test pie in the fridge? I thought it tasted weird. Also the cranberry mold?”

Nettie grabbed a spoon and ate some of both. “They taste as good as they always do. You feeling okay? Your taste buds get a little weird when you’re sick.”

“I’ve had a little bug this week, but I’ll be okay. Where’s Joshua?”

“Entertaining the kids. It’s just us.”

“Great. Wine please, and help me prep this bird. The usual mix of spices have already been laid out for your prepping pleasure.” She made a grand gesture, sweeping over the counter à la Vanna White. Nettie eyed her suspiciously.

“No, tell me what’s been going on with you the past few weeks.”

Ophi did not look at her sister; her focus was on the bird and the bird alone. “Nothing, I’m fine.”

“I swear to God, Ophi, you have never lied to me this much in our lives. When shit was getting real after Mom and Dad died, and our money was running out, you told it to us straight. But every time I’ve asked you what’s been going on with you these past couple weeks you lie to my face and say you’re fine. Tell me the truth, please. I’m worried about you. What is going on?”

“I slept with Principal David Goldberg.” She blurted it out, like it had been itching to burst from her loud mouth. She looked up at Nettie in horror, and Ophi’s little sister had the appropriate expression of shock and surprise. Ophi had never intended to tell Nettie, never intended to tell anyone, but it was out in the open now, and she was going to let it all out. Ophi grabbed the wine bottle and drank from the source with vigor. “Oh God,” she said after swallowing, clutching the bottle to her chest.

“When? No, I know. The Halloween party, that’s where you spent the night.”

“Yeah we fucked like rabbits, and then I ran out of there like a scared teenager and he’s been calling me nonstop but I haven’t returned his messages and the calls stopped a couple days ago and now I hate myself.” She spat it all out in one breath.

“Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know.” Ophi took another swig from the bottle.

“You’ve had the hots for him since that PTA meeting.”

“I know, and apparently he’s had the hots for me since that meeting as well.”

“Then why the hell would you fuck him and then ghost him? Are you crazy? The man is perfect.”

“Yes, that is the only reasonable answer I have for doing what I did. I freaked out, Nettie. I saw him in bed, both of us naked, and my heart stopped, and I don’t know why but I got scared and I ran.” She took another drink before putting the bottle back on the counter and rubbing her eyes. “I can’t stop thinking about him. I’ve made a huge mistake. I should have called him. He could be here right now, with us, making sure my kids didn’t put the turkey back in the fridge. Fuck, he saw my C-section scars and didn’t flinch, the bastard.”

Nettie clasped Ophi’s hands and said, in that contradictory apologetic and annoyed tone she had, “I think you’re the bastard in this situation.”

Ophi nodded grievously, picking the wine back up for another swallow. “I think you’re right.”

“We’ll fix this, but not tonight,” Nettie said. “Tonight we eat and drink and watch the townsfolk get into shenanigans.”

There was nothing more to say on the matter. Ophi had fucked up royally, ruining a perfectly good thing she might have had with David. Now she was alone, again. She set the bottle down and pushed it away, not wanting to play the part of the drunken Thanksgiving host.

“Why do I keep pressing self-destruct on anything good I have in my life?”

Nettie did what she always did when one of her siblings was distressed, and engulfed Ophi in a massive hug, squeezing her tight. After a moment she pulled away and smiled. “Let’s fix up this bird and get it in the oven.”

“Okay.”

Ophi was with her family on her favorite holiday. She shouldn’t think of what might have been. She should be grateful for all the amazing people in her life. Amazing. That’s what David had called her in the car outside the gymnasium.

Why did she run? Was she scared he’d be another in a line of men who were either unreliable or met some tragic fate? Maybe she was cursed. Maybe she felt she was protecting him.

Or maybe she was scared to admit it was okay to take something for herself, to want something that’s hers.

Even if it was just one night.