The subject turned to other topics, and I listened quietly, commenting here and there but never really joining any of the conversations happening around the table. Trevor was right; it was hard being away from my family. But I had to admit that it also made my life easier in some ways. I glanced over at Alex, who was laughing at something his uncle had said. I was thankful that we’d been able to get to know each other and fall in love without any family interference. While I loved his family and they’d been great, I was grateful that when we’d met and started dating, we’d sort of been in our own little bubble.

I was having fun in Oregon, and I loved meeting all the important people in Alex’s life, but I wasn’t ready for our bubble to include others. Even the thought of telling my aunt and uncle that we were getting married made my stomach tighten into knots. We’d be congratulated and celebrated, sure, but after that it would be a constant barrage of questions and planning for a big wedding that my aunt expected and I dreaded.

The longer dinner went on, with people laughing and joking and food being consumed in mass quantities, the more I relaxed into my chair.

This family reminded me of home. The camaraderie and inside jokes and love that were apparent in every word spoken, even when they argued. It was like sitting down at my aunt’s table in New York. I let the feeling wash over me.

“You have to go with us,” Ani said, pointing at me as the men got up to clear the table and bring out dessert.

“Where are we going?” I asked. I hadn’t been paying attention to whatever she and Ellie were discussing.

“Black Friday,” Liz said, setting down a stack of newspapers filled with advertisements. She passed them around the table. “We leave at three in the morning and hit all the best stores.”

“You can look up the sales online,” Ani said, digging into her paper. “But it’s our tradition to look through the ads in the Thanksgiving paper.”

“Be sure to set aside the comics for me,” Ellie said, glancing up from her ads. “Christmas is coming up.”

“She uses them as wrapping paper,” Liz explained.

“I don’t just shop for the holidays,” Ani said, waving at us to get started looking through our own ads. “I get Arie stocked up on clothes, too, and get stuff for the house.”

“We’re not going to the home stores this year,” Liz said. “You took hours last time.”

“I needed good blinds.” Ani rolled her eyes.

“And now you’ve got them,” Ellie replied. “I’m not going in a single hardware store this year.”

“You can wait in the car?” Ani said hopefully.

“Dream on,” Liz murmured. “Oh, the sweaters at Macy’s are fifty percent off.”