They were going to have a good Thanksgiving. That was very important to Nate because, for the first time in his since he was a small child, he had family to spend the holiday with. Norah was the highlight of Nate’s year and he was excited to share one of the special traditions with her for the first time.

Of course, Norah was not the only one he was spending Thanksgiving with. Natalie and Nate were sharing the holiday, which was considerably easier now that they were dating. It was honestly a unique situation. In theory, the two had barely been dating long enough for a regular to start sharing holidays together. The fact that Nate’s girlfriend was the mother of his child felt like it threw things to a more serious step than just “newly dating.”

It should have felt rushed, but Nate was actually enjoying things with Natalie. They still argued on occasion because it seemed to be in their natures, but beyond the occasional back and forths, things were… well, really good. They spent so long dealing with denial and distancing themselves from one another, to have all those things set aside made things surprisingly easy. They had real dates out in the city, leaving Norah with a sitter, and they had quiet nights in with their daughter. It was unlike any relationship Nate had in the past because he was falling in love with Natalie as a woman and as a partner in the most important part of his life.

When the special day arrived, Nate let himself into the apartment early with a key Natalie let him borrow. He had to get an early start on all the food for the day. Natalie would help him with the cooking as well, but since she rarely got “days off,” Nate assured her she could sleep in a bit later than usual. He had a handle on the turkey and everything else would come along the way.

It was an exciting day because Natalie evidently allowed Norah leeway with her dietary restrictions for the sake of the holiday. Nate was not going to waste the opportunity: cornbread, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, ham, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, rolls, veggies, and of course, the turkey Nate had brining for the better part of forever.

With the large bird resting in the oven, Nate was hard at work tearing a crusty loaf of bread into small pieces for his stuffing. It was such a great morning, he was even humming, for goodness sake! It was Thanksgiving and he had a family that would be waking up any minute. What more could he ask for?

It was a weekday and she wasn’t working. Lately, that had even become a novelty for most weekends. Weekdays, though… that was unheard of unless Natalie tapped into her vacation time, which she rarely did. It was really only when, a few times a year, the whole country put a hold on work and took some time as a holiday. A few years in a row, she had even been called in on Thanksgiving, and, one time, Christmas eve, but those had been for client emergencies. Since she was higher up in the company than she had been at that point, Natalie had been assured that that wouldn’t be the case this time around.

That all meant that she had some time to actually enjoy the holiday. Enjoy it with everyone that included.

Nate and her were dating. It had been over a month since that change had taken place, and still it was unusual for her to really think about. Dating monogamously was not meant to be in the cards for her, and yet there Nate was. He had no intention to hold her down, but he did what she had assumed that no man could do: he had made her care.

The caring went both ways. Natalie was allowed to sleep in while Nate cooked. She wasn’t usually one to waste her day like that, but since her last week had been spent preparing for a huge trial, she had been running on fumes for the few days before her vacation and her body thanked her for the extra time. She awoke around nine am, which was three hours past the time she thought of as a usual benchmark wakeup time.

Since there was no one to impress, Natale skimped on a few of her usual routines. She showered, did her hair and makeup, and wore her dress down jeans and sweater. Designer, of course, but it was still not something that she would be caught going into any office in.

Natalie followed the smell of things being cooked out into the kitchen, where she saw Nate carefully preparing a tray of overcooked bread and Norah colouring on the kitchen table. It was such a domestic scene that it had made Natalie do a double take. The man she was seeing was off cooking, while their child coloured quietly at a table. It was strange how many things had changed in such a short period of time.

”Good morning,” Natalie greeted cordially. She was still working on getting over her reservations about affectionate language and PDA. After taking a mug from one of the cupboards, she poured herself some coffee, smiled at Nate, and then turned to Norah. ”What’re you drawing?”

To Nate’s surprise, the first person to greet him was not Natalie, but rather their daughter. Norah, still in her pajamas, emerged from her room with a yawn. She had a stuffed tiger held to her chest and, as always, she was the picture of a perfect child.

”Morning, daddy,” she said, sporting a sheepish smile.

Nate took a break from his food prep to lift Norah off the ground for a tight embrace and a twirl that made her giggle. ”Good morning, munchkin! Happy Thanksgiving.”

The reminder lit up Norah’s face and she made sure to take a big whiff of the kitchen. ”It all smells so good!” It was amazing how validating the opinion of a seven-year-old could be, even if she was rarely allowed to eat real food, (in Nate’s humble opinion.) ”Should I wake up mommy?”

Nate set the girl down and ruffled her hair. ”No, darling. Mommy has been working really hard this week. Let her sleep a little longer. Why don’t you go play for a bit? I brought you a new coloring book.”

The news pleased Norah, who excitedly bounced her way to the kitchen table where crayons and a book of female superheroes waited. It had been a long time since Nate was a runaway with a small backpack of comic books, but lately it seemed like quality female heroines were making a resurgence, which was a message he was happy to share with his daughter.

It was not long until Nate turned to the polite greeting of his girlfriend. ”Good morning, sleepyhead.” Natalie had it in her to be an affectionate person, but that was usually in a private setting. It did not bother Nate, though it was a noticeable difference between them. Nate had no qualms with acts of affection, public or private. It was an area they would eventually find the right balance for, but until then, Nate resisted the urge to greet her with a good morning kiss. There would be time for that later, after all. ”I hope you got to actually sleep well?”

Natalie turned her attention to their budding artist and the page she was carefully coloring in with crayon. Proudly, she held up a partially colored in heroine with a shield and a lasso. ”Lustrous Lady! Daddy gave me a new book!” It was just the most recent in a long line of coloring books and art books Nate brought his daughter. She was smart as a whip, but she also showed signs of being quite creative. Comments could be made on Nate and Natalie’s personalities, but they were both smart, accomplished, and had unique talents. Norah was filled with potential and Nate was ready to nurture any and every path she might show interest in. Business wunderkind, artist, or curling phenomenon, Nate would be there to cheer her on.

”I did,” Natalie nodded in response to his question. She had actually slept better the past night than in a long time. ”Thanks for letting me sleep.” It was nice to be able to know that things wouldn’t crash and burn if she left the house to itself with Nate there to keep things in order. The ex-con had seriously turned his life around for the better. He was trustworthy with their daughter, he could cook, and he was actually good to her. That thought nearly made her want to backtrack and give him a kiss.

She kept walking, though; only turning back to give him a quick wink. It was still uncharacteristic of her, but she was working on being a bit more affectionate. After being a single mother for so long, it was a strange thing to be able to turn around and try to let her hair down.

Natalie strode through the kitchen and stopped behind Norah to look over her shoulder at the girl’s drawing. She had taken after her father in the artistic sense, with her colour-coordinated costume and the expertly filled-in lines. She was already showing signs of having a career in art if she kept working at it.

”I love it. Have you thanked your dad?”

Norah shook her head and then turned around in her chair. ”Thank you, Daddy!” With that, she turned back around and set straight back to work. ”What colour should I make her mask?”

Natalie thought about it for a second. ”Light purple,” she suggested, reaching for the crayon and setting it down next to the page to be grabbed easily. Norah grinned and picked it up immediately, which made Natalie smile. With artistic talent and a drive, she could go far. Natalie bent down and kissed her daughter on top of the head before walking back to the kitchen.

With her coffee mug in one hand, Natalie used the resolve that she had worked up to place her hand on Nate’s back. ”What can I do to help?” she asked him. It was strange to be asking that question in her own kitchen, where she was usually calling the shots. It wasn’t a bad feeling at all.

Natalie seemed relaxed and well-rested from the moment she entered the kitchen, which Nate considered a minor miracle. The woman kept a lot on her plate at all times, and for as busy as Nate could get, he was still not quite sure where she found all her energy. If he could do anything to afford her a rare opportunity to rest to her heart’s content, he wanted to give that to her. The way she seemed to glow made it all worth it.

Though she walked away toward their daughter, Natalie did take a moment to turn and offer a playful wink. It was another sign that their relationship was slowly evolving. They spent so long pretending they had no interest in one another. It was just nice to express in little ways that they were happy to have each other in their lives.

The excitable voice of Nate’s daughter thanked him for the new coloring book, bringing a wide smile to his face. ”You’re very welcome, my little artist,” he replied as he started browning onions and celery in butter. Norah was the best thing Nate could have asked for in life and he had Natalie to thank for that.

Soon enough Natalie’s hand was pressed against Nate’s back. The contact was welcome; it had been a long week and they had not been afforded much time to spend together. She wanted to help him with the cooking, which was expected. It was her kitchen and, while she could enjoy being pampered, she was not the kind of woman who expected to be waited on. She took care of herself and her daughter for so long on her own. She did not need Nate; she wanted him and that was better. ”The potatoes in the pot should be ready to drain and mash.”

Nate gave Natalie a moment to settle into the kitchen before mentioning, ”You might not need it today, but I do have a pot brewing.” She might have been well rested but that did not mean coffee would not be welcome.

Potatoes in the pot. She could definitely do that. While Natalie was more than used to doing her own thing in the kitchen, she was alright with Nate calling the shots every once and awhile. It was nice not to have to plan everything or to have to take on the brunt of the work. She could take a step back and just mash the potatoes if she wanted to, and that was what she was going to do.

Natalie hefted the pot over to the sink and watched as the water drained from the side. In the middle of the stream, she set a strainer down on the bottom of the sink to catch the potatoes that came with the bottom of the water. With all the contents gone from the pot, she set it back down on the countertop and got to work on the real task.

She put the potatoes back in the pot, grabbed the masher, and set to work. She eyed Nate while doing so, admiring him as he worked. He did have a way about doing things that was easy to watch. Plus, he had made the coffee.

Norah stood from her seat with a paper in hand. Proudly, she proclaimed, ”I’m finished!” She then ran over and set the book down on the only free space on the countertop, giving it its deserved attention.

”It’s beautiful,” Natalie commended, setting down the masher and crouching to give her daughter a hug. For a six year old, it was actually not too bad. The colours were fairly well matched. There was no doubt in Natalie’s mind as to where she had inherited that talent. ”What do you think - is it fridge-worthy?”

Norah nodded solemnly. ”Definitely fridge-worthy.”

”I agree.” Natalie took the paper from the counter and walked over to the fridge, where she stuck it to the metal surface with a ‘g’ magnet. With her hands on her hips, she turned back around and faced her daughter. ”Alright, now how about you help with dinner. Would you like to help me or Daddy?”

Nate took a sip of his own coffee as he slipped the stuffing into the oven. If it was going to be his first real Thanksgiving, Nate wanted to make a full, traditional spread. They were far from the traditional family, but that did not mean they could not share those important family moments together. Nate loved Norah implicitly, and he had grown to love Natalie. He had a lot to be thankful for.

Turning back to the two women in his life, Nate watched proudly, looking over Nat’s shoulder at the finished picture. Norah had a knack for colors and she kept her coloring neatly within lines. When she got older, Nate looked forward to giving her more artistic instruction—if she wanted it, of course. ”That’s what fridges were made for, darling.”

Nat took the picture and adhered it to the fridge with a magnet before asking Norah to help them cook. With the stuffing out of the way, he could offer a tantalizing option for the child. ”You know, I could certainly use a hand with the pie…”

As a girl who rarely got to enjoy sugary treats, Norah’s eyes widened in disbelief. ”Pie?!”

Nate nodded, grinning. ”Pumpkin pie.”

Excited and intrigued, Norah grabbed the little steps she used to get a better look over the counter. ”I can help, daddy!”

”Alright, then. I’ll crack the eggs, you take the can of pumpkin and pour it into the bowl.” Nate knew it was wisest to keep the egg cracking task to himself so they were not spending half their baking time picking out eggshell from the mixture.

As they continued to prepare the dessert, Norah looked up to her father and asked, ”Did you make pie like this with your daddy?”

Nate tried not to wince at the question. He had not spoken with his daughter about his own parentage because it was such a long-forgotten part of his past. ”My dad wasn’t around when I grew up and he didn’t come back.” And that was the difference between Nate and his mysterious father.

Norah nodded in understanding, but she seemed disappointed. ”What about your mommy?”

That was the spot where Nate hesitated. He did not know if Norah had ever been confronted with mortality and if Natalie had talked to her about death before. It was a morbid topic, but it was one everyone had to hear about eventually. ”My mother… she was taken from my life at a pretty young age. I wasn’t lucky enough to have a family growing up. Now I do,” he answered, wrapping an arm around his daughter, who had put down an empty can of condensed milk to reciprocate. He kept his mother’s “departure” from his life broad, so he did not invite any morbid life lessons to an otherwise happy day.

Normally, Natalie was pretty specific about what she let her daughter consume. Obesity was on the rise in North America and most foods that lined the shelves of any given super market contained more awful ingredients than she could count on both hands. Harmful chemicals, carcinogens, and other terrible things that she never wanted her child to have to experience. It had been when Norah was only a year old that she had the opportunity to work with one of the current partners on a large lawsuit case against a fast food agency for their use of dangerous chemicals in their foods. That had been what turned her.

Still, every once and awhile, there were exceptions to that rule. Mostly it was holidays and special events that came along once a year or so. It made those times all the more special for Norah, which Natalie also enjoyed. She was now getting to bake a pie with her father, which Natalie was sure she would never forget.

She stood on the other side of the kitchen, working away on the mashed potatoes. In went some butter, salt, and milk to give it the right consistency, all while she was listening in on the conversation a few feet away from her.

Natalie knew a little about Nate’s heritage, but not a whole lot. What she knew was that his dad hadn’t been around and that he had lost his mother early on as well. Because of that, he had been drawn to a life of crime. Certainly not an excuse, but she could see his point of view. As much as Natalie resented her parents, she was glad that she had at least had them in her life as a child. Growing up without them would have been a whole other story.

”I’m glad you’re in my family, daddy,” Norah smiled up at him innocently. There was so much good in her that sometimes Natalie wasn’t even sure if she was her daughter.

Natalie wandered closer to them, bowl of mashed potatoes in hand. ”I am too,” she added quietly, smiling at Norah and then at Nate. She placed her hand on top of his, which was still wrapped around their daughter. A full family wasn’t ever something that Natalie had pictured herself having, but she was so glad that she did, and she was so glad that it was with the two of them.