Thanksgiving(Part 2)

As the door slammed open, breaking the intimate moment between Jasper and me, I felt a pang of disappointment mixed with relief. Travis walked in with a big smile on his face, his arms full of bags, oblivious to the tension that lingered in the air. Jasper quickly rushed to help him, leaving me to gather myself and regain my composure.

I took a deep breath, willing my racing heart to calm down as I straightened my posture and tried to shake off the lingering effects of the kiss. It was as if the sudden intrusion had snapped me back to reality, reminding me of the delicate balance I was trying to maintain.

"Hey," Travis said, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled in the room. "I see you haven't gotten around to extending the table yet. Need a hand?"

"Sure," I replied, grateful for the distraction as I returned to the stove to tend to the dishes. Jasper and Travis moved towards the dining area, and I could hear the sounds of them pulling the table apart.

Jasper fetched the wooden leaf while Travis assisted, their movements synchronized as they worked together seamlessly. With a gentle slide, Travis placed the leaf in position, and they pushed the sides of the table back together.

Travis regaled us with amusing anecdotes from his past Thanksgiving experiences, while Jasper chimed in with his own stories and witty remarks. As we waited for the main course to finish cooking, we indulged in appetizers and snacks, savoring each bite and enjoying the lighthearted conversation that flowed effortlessly between us.

The aroma of the perfectly cooked turkey filled the air as we gathered around the table, our mouths watering in anticipation of the feast before us. Travis and Jasper had set the table with care, arranging the plates, utensils, and serving dishes in preparation for the meal.

As we took our seats, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the air.

With a chorus of "dig in!" we began to serve ourselves, passing around dishes of mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings.

"I'm carving this bird, Jasper," I declared, asserting my authority over the Thanksgiving centerpiece. With determination in my eyes, I tugged the carving knife closer to me, ready to take on the task of carving the perfectly cooked turkey.

Despite Jasper's attempt to offer assistance, I was determined to see it through myself. After all, I had spent hours preparing and cooking the turkey, and now it was time to showcase my culinary skills by expertly carving it.

"No, you're not, Alex, I cooked it, I carve it!" Jasper countered, his voice firm as he tugged the knife back towards him, my hand refusing to relinquish the knife's handle. The intensity in Jasper's piercing green eyes bore into mine, his determination matching, if not surpassing, my own.

"Perhaps you should allow Alex to carve the turkey since it's his first holiday free," Travis suggested, attempting to play referee as always. Jasper shot Travis a glare for siding with me, while I couldn't help but feel a smug satisfaction at Travis's intervention. "Oh, come on, Jasper, let wonder-boy carve the turkey. Make him feel like he did something besides cook, and clean all day," Travis teased, his playful tone laced with mischief.

"Don't forget that I helped cook the turkey," Jasper defended, his tone defensive.

"No, you didn't. Being so grossed out that you could barely touch the raw turkey to season it, doesn't count as cooking it," I argued, my grip tightening on the knife as Jasper tugged it towards him.

The tension between us crackled in the air, each of us unwilling to yield in this seemingly trivial dispute.

"Can someone carve it soon?" Travis murmured with a smirk, knowing how I could argue for hours. "I'm hungry!"

"First of all, Travis, you're always hungry, and secondly, I'd love to see you try to carve this," I retorted with a swift and dismissive look, but it was all Jasper needed. With my gaze off his, he swooped in, tugged the large knife free of my grip, and made the first slice. "JASPER!" I exclaimed in protest, feeling a mix of indignation and amusement at his audacity.

"Halle-fucking-lujah, Captain America is finally going to carve the damned turkey, and we're going to get to eat this century!" Travis shouted in praise, slamming his fists on the table in happiness.

"He's so cute when he's hungry, which is ALL the time!" Jasper joked.

I sat down, feeling irritated that I'd lost the carving battle, and folded my arms across my chest. I watched Jasper carve the turkey with a mixture of annoyance and begrudging admiration. It was hard to stay mad when he looked so confident and capable with the knife, effortlessly slicing through the tender meat.

As we enjoyed the carved turkey and array of sides together, the laughter continued to fill the room. Tales of holidays gone atrociously wrong gave way to discussions of disastrous family dinners for various occasions, each story more absurd than the last.

Then, the conversation shifted to plans for Christmas. Jasper mentioned he was going to spend it at his apartment, while Travis had been invited to spend it in the Caribbean with his parents. I was taken by surprise when Jasper turned to me and extended an invitation to spend Christmas with him. The offer caught me off guard, but without hesitation, I accepted. It felt like a natural progression in our weird relationship, and I was genuinely touched by the gesture.

"What do we do now?" Jasper asked, breaking the lighthearted chatter that filled the room.

"Make more food!" I suggested eagerly, still reveling in the joy of our successful Thanksgiving dinner.

"Or watch the parade!" Travis chimed in with a grin.

"The parade?" I echoed, feeling a twinge of confusion. The mention of a parade caught me off guard, and I couldn't hide my curiosity.

Silence briefly enveloped the room as Travis and Jasper exchanged incredulous glances. It seemed I had inadvertently stumbled upon a gap in my holiday knowledge.

"You've never seen the parade?" Travis asked, disbelief evident in his tone.

"What parade?" I asked, feeling genuinely perplexed by their reactions.

"The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!" Jasper exclaimed, already moving to lead me toward the living room.

Caught up in their enthusiasm, I allowed myself to be guided toward the television, eager to experience this new holiday tradition.

"Our boy has never seen the parade," Travis exclaimed, feigning shock and dismay.

Jasper, his expression amused, raised an eyebrow at me. "Well, it's just about in the middle. Have a seat."

Before I could protest, Jasper gently forced me into the nearby armchair. "You are not allowed to leave until you see Santa!" Travis declared with mock seriousness.

I chuckled, feeling a sense of warmth and camaraderie in their playful banter. "What about the food?" I asked, momentarily concerned about our unfinished meal.

"We will bring it in here, don't you worry," Travis assured me, his smile infectious. "This is how it's supposed to work, the kids watch the parade and the adults bring the food."

"Look! It's Snoopy!" Jasper exclaimed, his laughter infectious as a preview of the coming parade flashed across the screen.

I couldn't help but smile at his childlike enthusiasm. "That's right," I agreed, watching as Jasper's eyes lit up with excitement. But soon, the novelty of the parade wore off for me. "This is kind of boring," I admitted, feeling a bit disappointed.

Jasper turned to me, curiosity evident in his expression. "What would you usually be doing at this time?" he asked, genuinely interested in learning more about my traditions and experiences.

As I remembered the typical scene at home on Thanksgiving, a mix of emotions washed over me. The familiar yet unsettling image of my mother toiling away at work to avoid the family gathering stirred a pang of sadness. My father's solitary retreat to his study, enveloped in smoke and seclusion, reminded me of his distant and irritable demeanor.

The bustling activity in my brother's household, with his wife assisting in the kitchen while he tended to their children, evoked a sense of warmth and familial connection, albeit tinged with a touch of envy. Meanwhile, the absence of my sister, always elusive and evasive, left an empty space that seemed to echo with unspoken tensions.

The bustling atmosphere of the kitchen, filled with the aroma of cooking delights and the clatter of pots and pans, were the only pleasant parts.

As I reflected on those moments of friction, I realized that they were a testament to my independence and assertiveness, qualities that had shaped my identity amidst the confines of familial expectations. In the kitchen, I found a sense of purpose and belonging, a place where I could assert my autonomy and contribute to the creation of a cherished tradition.

The memory of my last Thanksgiving in jail cast a shadow over the festive atmosphere of the present moment.

The absence of familiar comforts and the constant vigilance required for survival had cast a pall over the holiday, leaving little room for celebration or reflection. Instead, it had been a day marked by isolation and uncertainty, a stark contrast to the gatherings of family and friends that I had once taken for granted.

As the memories of that tumultuous Thanksgiving flooded back, I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for the time lost and the experiences endured behind bars.

Travis brought in the food from the kitchen as I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for not contributing more to the holiday festivities. "I didn't do anything," I confessed to Jasper, my voice tinged with regret.

Jasper then shared his own experiences with holiday celebrations—or lack thereof. Growing up with helicopter police parents who were rarely home, Jasper had never really experienced traditional family gatherings. Instead, holidays had been spent alone or with close family, devoid of the warmth and togetherness that typically defined such occasions. Even after moving out, Jasper had chosen to ignore the existence of these family-centric holidays, preferring to avoid the feelings of emptiness and isolation they evoked.

Travis, ever the provocateur, couldn't resist pointing out the irony of Jasper's situation. "You're thirty and lonely, mate," he remarked with a teasing grin, eliciting a playful yet contemplative response from Jasper.

"Why don't you celebrate usually?" I asked.

According to Jasper, having helicopter parents in law enforcement was akin to living with constant worry and anxiety. Promises made to him were often broken as his parents prioritized the safety and well-being of others over their commitments to him.

The most challenging aspect of his upbringing, Jasper revealed, was the inherent clash of ideologies within his family. Despite his attempts to express his own thoughts and feelings, Jasper felt unheard and dismissed by his parents, who remained steadfast in their own beliefs and values. It was a situation that left him feeling isolated and disconnected from the traditional notion of family gatherings and celebrations. It was clear that his decision not to partake in holiday festivities was a reflection of his own coping mechanism—an attempt to shield himself from the painful memories and emotional turmoil associated with his upbringing.

Jasper's revelation about his parents being the city's police chief and captain shed further light on the immense pressure he must have felt growing up. It was evident that their careers were not just professions but central pillars of their identity, something they expected Jasper to inherit and uphold.

The unexpected injury that forced Jasper to return to the US and enroll in the police academy really highlighted the relentless grip his parents' expectations had on his life. It must have been a challenging and tumultuous time for him, grappling with his own desires and ambitions while feeling compelled to adhere to his family's legacy.

"Is that why you act like you like to break the rules now?" Travis's laughter broke the tension in the room, diffusing the awkwardness that had settled after Jasper's confession.

"Excuse me for not being able to be truely rebellious!" Despite Jasper's defensive response, Travis's question seemed to strike a chord, hinting at a deeper layer to Jasper's behavior. It was evident that Jasper's upbringing and the expectations placed upon him by his parents had shaped his perspective and influenced his actions in some way.

Travis chuckled as he recounted the story of how he and Jasper first crossed paths. "So, there I was, trying to talk my way out of a parking ticket, when this hot officer shows up with the greenest eyes I've ever seen. I swear, I nearly forgot what I was doing!"

Jasper rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the hint of a smile. "You were practically begging for mercy."

"Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures," Travis quipped, earning a playful shove from Jasper.

I joined in the laughter, grateful for the lighthearted moment amid the weighty conversation about Jasper's past. "I nearly got on my knees."

Jasper's smirk widened as he leaned back, folding his arms with a mix of amusement and skepticism. "And let me guess, you thought you had it in the bag?"

Travis chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh, absolutely! I was laying it on thick, pulling out all the stops. And believe it or not, the partner actually bought it. He let me off scot-free."

The skepticism in Jasper's expression only deepened. "And then what happened?" I asked.

Travis's laughter filled the room. "Well, just when I was ready to speed off into the sunset, our dear friend Jasper here," he gestured towards Jasper with a playful grin, "decided to be the bearer of bad news and rewrite that ticket right then and there."

Jasper's pride shone through his grin. "Rules are rules, man."

Travis chuckled, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "You were always the stickler for the rules, weren't you?"

Jasper's wink was accompanied by a knowing smile. "Someone has to uphold the rules of society."

Travis continued, recounting their ongoing feud and the playful banter that ensued whenever Jasper dared to arrest him for breaking the law.

"You're in the wrong for breaking the law," Jasper insisted firmly, his voice carrying a hint of frustration.

"He arrested me for trying to bribe him, and the chief had him let me go since my dad got him elected," Travis explained, his tone tinged with exasperation as he recalled the incident.

"I didn't agree, so it was this huge thing," Jasper shrugged, his expression reflecting a mix of determination and stubbornness.

"You just wanted to not listen to your dad!" Travis retorted, a touch of defiance in his voice.

"No! You broke the law, Travis!" Jasper shot back, his words sharp with disapproval. "You had to have consequences."

"Are you still lonely with that stick up your ass?" Travis jabbed, his tone teasing yet pointed. "You're thirty, old man!"

"And you need to follow the rules!" Jasper scolded, his voice carrying a sense of authority and righteousness.

"Bite me!" Travis snapped back.