"Okay, So I’ll see you tomorrow evening?” Taylor asked giving Abby
another hug.
“Yeah baby. Tomorrow night.” Abby replied. “Southwest airlines flight
262, DON’T forget.” She said handing him a small piece of paper with the information written on it.
“How the hell could I forget?!” Taylor said laughing.
Abby shrugged, “Because I know you too well.” She pulled Taylor’s face
close to hers. “Hey..”
He looked her in the eyes. “Yeah?”
“I love you.” She smiled.
Taylor kissed her forehead. “I Love you too.”
Abby broke apart and handed the lady her ticket.
“Say hello to your family for me, okay!” Taylor shouted above the other peoples heads in line.
Abby gave a short wave and disappeared around the corner into the plane.
Taylor turned and started walking towards his terminal now. His plane
was scheduled to take off an hour after Abby’s. So he had a little time. This was the part he hated. Waiting.

***************
“Oh God Lissy! I don’t know what to do..” Kari sobbed into her friends shoulder.
“I.. I don’t know what to tell you to do babe. I’m just as shocked as you are. Why would Zac do something like this?!”
“I can’t lose him. NOT now!” Kari shook her head.
“I know hun, I know. I’ll have Warren talk to him, okay?” Lissy offered.
“No! Wait, no.. wait, do you think that’s a good idea?” Kari looked up at her with hopeful eyes.
“Warren’s pretty good talking to Zac. Him and Zac are like soul mates. They tell each other everything. Warren and I are the same way, so I know if I ask him he’ll have something to tell me. Some sort of information.”
“Okay... yeah. Lets do that.”
Lissy stood up, grabbed her Abercrombie jacket off the couch and walked out the door. She headed down the street towards Warren’s house.
If all this is what it looked like, Zac was ganna get his ass kicked. Whether she had to do it herself or not. She couldn’t picture him doing such a thing to Kari. How could he?! Zac wasn’t like that. Any other guy maybe,
but not him. Zac was.. Zac. Sweet and innocent. Or so she thought.
She approached Warren’s house and strolled through the grass towards
the front door. She stopped when she heard talking on his back deck.
Lissy started slowly around the side of his house. She pulled her jacket together to keep the light breeze from giving her chills. The faint sound of two guys voices could be heard.

“Are you fuckin stupid man?!” Said one of them. Lissy strained her ears.
“Yes, NO.. I don’t know. It... it felt right.”
‘Zac! You FUCK!!!’ Lissy thought when she heard those words come out of his mouth.
“IT FELT RIGHT TO CHEAT ON YOUR GIRLFRIEND?!” Warren raised his
voice. His tone made Lissy jump back.
“I..” was all Zac could get out before Warren interrupted him.
“Zac! You’ve done A LOT of stupid for as long as I’ve known you. But
THIS! Has go to be the MOST pathetic thing I have ever seen you do! Kari doesn’t deserve this. And Kari doesn’t deserve you!”
Lissy waited to hear Zac response. Non came. The air was silent.
‘What’s happening?’ She thought.
She went to peak around the corner. Only to bump into and come face to face with Zac. He tumbled backwards.
“Lissy! Uh, What are you doing here?” Zac stuttered out. He wiped his wet eyes, but it was too late. Lissy saw.
She gave him a look of disgust. “You know why I’m here, Zac. And I’ll give you ONE hint! I’m NOT strolling the neighborhood!”
Zac looked down in pure guilt.
“How could you? How could you FUCKING do that to her?!”
“Liss, I don’t have an explanation, I know. But will you let me sort this out myself?” Zac pleaded.
“NO! DO YOU WANT TO FUCKING KNOW WHY? BECAUSE THAT’S MY BEST FRIEND UP THERE IN HER ROOM IN THAT HOUSE RIGHT OVER THERE, WHO’S HEART IS BREAKING PIECE BY PIECE!” Lissy shouted as she pointed across the street to the white brick house. “I’m sorry. This DOES involve me Zac!” She said with a weak voice. Tears formed in her eyes.
He stood there with the look of a beaten little kid, across his red face. He couldn’t say anything or do anything. His feet wouldn’t walk. His eyes couldn’t see. His knees locked and he fell to the ground and put his hands up to his face.
Lissy took one last look at him and stormed back around the corner of Warren’s house to the front door. After one knock, she let herself in.

**************

“Ahh! Why do ya gatta leave me?” Nora persisted. Isaac shut the trunk of his explorer.
“I’ll be back in a couple days. Don’t worry. I have your sister’s number. I’ll call you as soon as I get in.
Nora looked down at her watch. “It’s ganna take you about seven hours, right?”
“Yeah. Come here.” Isaac pulled her into a hug. “I’ll miss you.”
Nora gave him a half smile. She kissed him once more and turned back to her car and got in. She slowly pulled out of the college parking lot. She had an hour before she had to be at the airport to catch her plane to
Colorado.
Isaac stood there till her car disappeared into the heavy traffic.
‘This is going to be a crazy weekend.’ he thought. Turning around, he jumped into his explorer and started the long drive back to Tulsa.

*************

Thanksgiving Day. The aroma of turkey filled the Hanson house. Taylor rolled over and rubbed his eyes. He looked at his alarm clock then let out a moan. Ten-thirty. Time to get up. It was rare Taylor even slept in anymore. College was beginning to be a pain. He missed Abby already and her coming that evening was the ONLY thing getting him out of bed.
Taylor scooted to the edge of the bed and stood, only to land with a thud onto the light blue carpet in his room.
“Damn!” He laughed as he shook his still-sleeping leg to wake it up. He hated that.
After a minute he stood again to walked down the long hallway and down the stairs.
“Hey Tay.” Jessica greeted him in the kitchen. He looked up at her then stopped in his tracks.
“Who’s this?” He asked pointing to the tall boy sitting on a bar stool next to her.
“Oh, um, Billy meet Taylor. Tay.. Billy.” she introduced.
“Hey man.” Billy nodded.
Taylor just looked at him and walked over to the cooler. Jessica and Billy exchanged glances. She rolled her eyes as if to tell him to shrug off her big brother. Taylor pulled a carton of cranberry juice out and took a
drink.
Billy looked down at his glass of juice, made a face then pushed it away.
Jesse let out a giggle. “It’s okay Billy, yours was fresh from a carton.. no Taylor germs.
“Oh, sorry.” Taylor said after he realized what he had just done in front of the guest. He put the juice back into the cooler. He open the deck doors running off of the kitchen and leaned over the side of the railing.
“Hi sweetie.” Diana said from the small bench where she was reading a
book.
“Hey Mom.” Tay walked over to her and gave her a quick kiss.
“How ya doin?” she looked up at him.
“Pretty good. Everything’s so different here anymore.” He looked back into the kitchen just in time to see Jessica giving that Billy kid a kiss.
“Well things change.” Diana smiled.
“Since when did Jess start dating?” Taylor asked with curious eyes.
Diana looked over towards the glass kitchen door. “Since boys started liking her.”
“Yeah but Mom! You never let us date at 14!” Taylor looked at her in awe.
Diana laughed. “You guys were a different story. You weren’t interested in girls. You were interested in music. Oh, and she’s 15.”
“Ahh, never mind. She’s just grown up on me that’s all.” Taylor smiled. He realized just how much he sounded like his dad. He chuckled at the thought.
“Well, I’m ganna go see if Isaac wants to go out for coffee like good old times. Bye Mom.”
Taylor walked in and past the two lovebirds. Most likely Isaac was still in bed. He was on the phone long enough with Nora last night. He should be just about beat.

*************

“Well? Why do I feel like your pushing yourself further and further away from this family!” Hannah screamed.
“I have been through a hell of a lot more then you Hannah! You do NOT have the right to sit there and accuse me of shit I do and DO NOT do!”
Abby said almost at a whisper. The fresh set of tears rolling down her
cheeks were hot.
“YOU THINK THIS FAMILY HASN’T BEEN THROUGH AS MUCH AS YOU?! IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK?!” Hannah’s voice was raising more every second.
“Hannah, let me ask you this.. did you live at home when mom and dad
fought on and off every time they were together! NO! DO YOU HAVE ANY
IDEA WHAT IT’S LIKE TO COME HOME FROM WHAT SEEMS LIKE A PERFECT
DAY TO THEM DOWN EACH OTHERS THROATS! NO! YOU DON’T!” Now
she was screaming. “My live has been PURE hell! The ONLY people I’m
happy to be with or around anymore are Taylor and his family! And that’s pretty damn pathetic!”
“Abby! You know. I’m sick of hearing your SHIT every time I see or talk to you. Which is NEVER!” Hannah backed off and started walking away.
“You know what. Maybe I shouldn’t be here. Maybe I shouldn’t have even COME home for Thanksgiving. I see I’m not wanted around here anymore. Especially by you. So goodbye.” Abby stood and walked into her room.
She picked up her purse and duffel bag and headed down the stairs,
through the kitchen and out the front door, slamming it.
This caught Hannah’s attention.
“Abby get back here. You’re not going to ruin this dinner for the rest of the family!” She screamed after her.
Abby turned to look at her sister.
“I guess it’s too late for that.” She said barely audible for Hannah to even hear. Tears overcame her sight as she stumbled across the front yard.

Abby walked out along the main road. She waved down the first taxi she saw.
“Where to ma’am?” The driver asked.
“Airport.” Abby said wiping her damp eyes.
‘So much for Thanksgiving.’ She thought as she looked down at her
watch. She had 4 hours to wait before her plane took off. One of those hours in which she would be riding in the taxi.