Chapter 57 #57
Chapter 57
~Shailyn~
Thanksgiving morning arrived with the smell of cinnamon and roasting turkey filling every corner of the Belmar manor.
I'd been up since five, unable to sleep from a mixture of excitement and nerves. The kitchen staff had tried to shoo me away, insisting I should rest, but I couldn't help myself. I needed to be involved, needed to make sure everything was perfect.
"Mrs. Belmar, please," Mrs. Eden, the housekeeper, said for the third time. "You should be resting. We have everything under control."
"I know, I know," I said, adjusting the centerpiece on the dining table for what was probably the tenth time. "I just want it to be special."
"It will be," she assured me with a patient smile. "Now go. Your husband is looking for you."
I found Dante in our room, adjusting his tie in the mirror. He looked devastatingly handsome in his navy suit, his dark hair perfectly styled.
"There you are," he said, turning to face me. "I've been looking everywhere."
"Sorry, I was just making sure everything's ready downstairs."
"Come here," he said, pulling me into his arms. "You've been working too hard. How are you feeling? How's the baby?"
My hand moved automatically to my stomach. "We're fine. Just excited."
"You're amazing, you know that?" he murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Planning this whole thing, making it beautiful for everyone."
"I just want us to feel like a real family," I admitted. "Even if it's just for one day."
"We are a real family," Dante said firmly. "You, me, and our little bean. That's what matters."
"But your parents, Monica, Dwayne, they're family too."
Something flickered in his expression. "Speaking of Dwayne, I saw him helping you in the kitchen earlier."
"He was just carrying some of the heavier dishes," I explained. "The ones I couldn't lift."
Dante's jaw tightened. "You should have called me."
"You were on a business call," I pointed out. "And it was just a few plates, Dante. It wasn't a big deal."
"Everything involving my brother is a big deal," he muttered.
I pulled back to look at him properly. "Dante, please. Not today. It's Thanksgiving. Can we just... Can we try to be a family? Just for today?"
He sighed, his expression softening. "You're right. I'm sorry, baby. I'll behave."
"Thank you," I said, rising on my toes to kiss him. "Now help me get into this dress. I can't reach the zipper."
He helped me into the emerald green dress I'd chosen, his fingers gentle against my skin as he pulled the zipper up. When I turned around, his eyes darkened.
"You look beautiful," he said, his voice rough. "Absolutely stunning."
"You're not so bad yourself," I teased, straightening his collar.
"We have a few minutes before people start arriving," he said, his hands sliding to my hips. "Maybe we could…"
"Dante Belmar," I said, laughing and pushing him away. "Absolutely not. We have guests coming."
"Fine," he groaned. "But later?"
"Later," I promised.
By noon, everyone had gathered in the sitting room. Tyler was positioned near the fireplace in his wheelchair, looking distinguished in a charcoal suit. Monica sat nearby, unusually quiet, checking her phone every few minutes with a strange smile on her face.
Cynthia swept in wearing an expensive cream-colored dress, her hair perfectly styled, diamonds glittering at her throat and ears.
"Shailyn," she said coolly. "The dining room looks... adequate."
"Thank you, Cynthia," I said, refusing to let her tone dampen my spirits. "I'm glad you approve."
Dwayne was the last to arrive, and when he walked in, I felt my breath catch slightly. He wore a dark gray suit that fit him perfectly, his hair slightly tousled like he'd been running his hands through it.
"Shailyn," he said warmly, coming over to where I stood. "Everything looks incredible. You've outdone yourself."
"Thank you," I said, smiling up at him. "I'm glad you're here."
"Wouldn't miss it," he said quietly, something in his eyes making my heart skip.
I felt Dante's hand slide possessively around my waist.
"Brother," Dante said, his voice cool. "Glad you could join us."
"It's Thanksgiving," Dwayne replied evenly. "Where else would I be?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe away from…” Dante said with false lightness.
"Dante," I said quietly, a warning in my voice.
Dwayne's expression didn't change. "Actually, I'm exactly where I want to be."
The tension in the room ratcheted up several notches.
"Gentlemen," Tyler's voice cut through sharply. "It's Thanksgiving. Can we at least pretend to be civil?"
"Of course, Father," Dante said smoothly, though his grip on my waist tightened.
I gently extracted myself from Dante's hold and moved to the center of the room.
"Why don't we all move to the dining room?" I suggested brightly. "Everything should be ready."
The dining table looked like something out of a magazine. White linens, gold-rimmed china, crystal glasses catching the light from the chandelier above.
"Shailyn, this is beautiful," Tyler said as he was wheeled to his place at the head of the table.
"Thank you," I said, feeling a flush of pride.
Everyone took their seats. Dante immediately claimed the chair to my right, while Dwayne ended up across from me. Monica sat beside her mother, still glancing at her phone.
"Monica, put that away," Cynthia hissed. "We're at the dinner table."
"In a minute, Mother," Monica said distractedly.
"Now," Cynthia insisted.
Monica sighed and set her phone face-down on the table, but I noticed her fingers drumming impatiently against the tablecloth.
"Before we begin," Tyler said, his voice commanding attention. "I'd like to say a few words."
Everyone quieted, looking toward the head of the table.
"Thanksgiving is about gratitude," Tyler began. "About recognizing the blessings in our lives, even when times are difficult." His eyes moved around the table, landing on each of us in turn. "This family has been through a lot recently. Changes, challenges, conflicts."
I saw Dante and Dwayne exchange a look across the table.
"But we're still here," Tyler continued. "Still together. And I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for my boys, both of them, even when they drive me to distraction." A slight smile. "I'm grateful for my wife, my daughter. And I'm especially grateful for Shailyn, who worked so hard to bring us all together today."
"Here, here," Dwayne said quietly, raising his water glass slightly in my direction.
I felt my cheeks warm.
"And for my future grandchild," Tyler added, his expression softening. "Who will hopefully grow up in a family that, despite our differences, loves each other."
"Let's eat," Tyler declared, gesturing to the food. "Before it gets cold."
The staff began serving, and soon everyone's plates were full. For a few minutes, there was relative peace as people focused on their food.
"This turkey is excellent," Dwayne said, and I noticed he was looking at me when he said it. "Everything is."
"Thank you," I said, smiling. "I can't take all the credit. Mrs. Eden and her team did most of the work."
"But it was your vision," Dwayne insisted. "Your planning."
"My wife is very talented," Dante said, his hand finding my knee under the table. "At many things."
The possessive edge in his voice was unmistakable.
"I'm sure," Dwayne said mildly, though something flickered in his eyes.
"Dante," I said quietly, placing my hand over his on my knee. "It's Thanksgiving. Remember?"
"Right," he said, forcing a smile. "Family Thanksgiving."
"Exactly," I said firmly. "Family."
Conversation continued, stilted at first, but gradually becoming more natural. But it was... nice. In its own dysfunctional way, it was nice.
I was just starting to relax when Monica's phone buzzed loudly against the table.
"Monica," Cynthia said sharply. "I told you to put that away."
"Sorry, Mother, but this is important," Monica said, standing abruptly. Her face was flushed, her eyes bright with excitement. "Actually, I have an announcement to make."
Everyone looked at her.
"I've invited someone to join us," Monica said, practically vibrating. "Someone very special to me."
"Monica," Tyler said slowly. "What are you talking about?"
"My boyfriend," she said, grinning. "He's here. I asked him to come for Thanksgiving because I wanted to introduce him to the family."
"You what?" Cynthia's voice was sharp.
"I invited my boyfriend," Monica repeated, moving toward the dining room entrance. "He's actually waiting in the foyer. I'll go get him."
She disappeared before anyone could protest.
"Did anyone know about this?" Tyler asked, looking around the table.
"No," Dante said, frowning. "She didn't mention anything to me."
"Nor me," Dwayne added.
"Cynthia?" Tyler asked. "Did you know?"
"No," she said, she looked just as shocked.
We heard footsteps approaching, Monica's light steps and heavier ones beside her.
"Everyone," Monica announced, appearing in the doorway with a radiant smile. "I'd like you to meet…"
She stepped aside, revealing the man behind her.
My stomach dropped.
What the actual fuck?