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Chapter Forty-Seven: Silas

Thanksgiving 2027

"Ezra, will you bless the food."

"Okay, Pop-Pop." He bows head and folds his arms. We all look at each other, then back at him when he starts to serve himself.

I give him a nudge under the table. "Ezra, pray." We aren't super religious, but our kids know the basics, prayer being one of them.

"I did."

"Well, I didn't hear you."

"I wasn't talking to you."

Nik laughs behind her hand next to me. He is always full of sass. "If there was ever any doubt. He is definitely your son." I grad her thigh hard, and she yelps.

"Let us go around and say what we are grateful for. We will go around the table and we each say something different. No repeats." My dad says. "Bella, will you start. Then Ezra. And Kal and so on."

"I'm grateful for Mommy and Daddy. And you Pop-Pop. And for our whole family. I'm thankful for when clouds look like animals." She takes a sip of her juice. "Ahh," She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. "And Disney World." We take the kids to one of the Disney parks once a month. It never grows old.

"I know where babies come from... thanks, dad, for sexing, mom." Wine sprays out of Nik's mouth as she laughs and coughs at the same time. I had 'the talk' with the boys on Sunday after they both asked where babies come from. I talked with the boys, and Annika will have it with the girls. "I'm also thankful for the house—my own room. Chocolate. And baseball."

"Where would you live without the house?" Kal asks Ezra.

"I don't know... on the beach."

"Well, I'm happy to be alive. I'm thankful for cars. Cause it would have taken forever to get here without one. And I'm thankful for food."

Zoë coos in her highchair. "Momma. Dada." She signs for more, and I place turkey pieces on her tray. I'll spoon-feed her the mashed potatoes.

"I am thankful for my wonderful kids," Nik says, rubbing her thumb over Kal's cheek. "And an amazing husband." I meet her for a peck. I want to be greedy and take more, but that would gross out the kids.

"Ewww!" The kids yell.

"I'm thankful for early retirement." She goes on. Her successful book series has been done for a while. 35 books. It's crazy. "And for our wonderful little life. I wouldn't change a single thing."

"I'm thankful for sexing, Annika." She smacks my chest. And the boys dry heave. "I thankful for my dad for cooking an amazing turkey and mashed potatoes. Annika for cooking everything else." I give Zoë a spoonful of potatoes. I'm so thankful for that girl that wanted to give two of my kids a better life by letting me raise them. "I'm just so thankful." I look over at my beautiful wife. "I love you so much, Annika."

"I love you too, Silas." She kisses my neck just next to my ear. "Thank you for being such a great husband and father."

"Thank you for being the best mom and wife."

"We're great."

"We should win an award."

"Well," my dad starts, "I am grateful that my precious family is so close to me. If you moved, I would just have to follow you. And I'm thankful for the life I have been blessed to have."

"Cheers!"

When we get home, Bella is asleep, so I carry her little body up to her bed. I turn when I notice Nik at the door. "Hey, mommy."

"Hey, daddy."

"Are the kids all in bed?" She nods. "I'm so tired. It's been a long day."

"You go to bed then. I'm going to take a bath."

"Well, in that case, I'm taking a bath too."

I fill it up, add the salts. I climb in first, and then she joins me, sitting in between my legs. I hold her tight to me, her back to my chest. We don't even talk. We don't need to. The contact of bodies and this connection is enough. I just relax and hold my wife till the water grows cold.