On a chilly Thanksgiving afternoon, the Carter household buzzed with the warm hum of family chatter and the buttery scent of roasted turkey. In the center of it all sat a little boy named Oliver, barely seven, his feet swinging far above the floor as he perched on a chair much too big for him.
The table before him looked like something out of a storybook—cranberry sauce shimmering like rubies in a crystal bowl, mashed potatoes piled high like little snowdrifts, and rolls so fluffy they seemed to float. But none of that held Oliver’s attention.
His eyes were locked on the turkey.
Golden brown, glistening with herbs, it sat proudly in the middle of the table like the king of the feast. Oliver leaned forward, elbows creeping dangerously close to his plate, nose twitching at the aroma. He could hear his stomach grumble, loud enough that his older sister snickered, but Oliver didn’t care. The turkey was calling to him.
His mom placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“Hold on, sweetheart. We have to say what we’re thankful for first.”
Oliver sighed dramatically—the kind of sigh that only a hungry child waiting for turkey could produce. Still, he folded his hands and tried his best to listen as everyone went around the table.
His dad was thankful for family.
His mom was thankful for health.
His sister was thankful for her new bike—even though she pretended she’d rather have been thankful for something “cooler.”
Finally, the spotlight turned to Oliver.
He sat up straight, eyes bright. “I’m thankful,” he said with all the seriousness in the world, “for turkey.”
The table erupted in laughter, warm and full, the kind that fills a room like an extra layer of comfort. Oliver didn’t mind being the reason. He grinned, showing the gap where his front tooth used to be.
“Fair enough,” his dad chuckled. “Let’s eat.”
As the first slice of turkey landed on his plate, Oliver felt like the happiest boy in the world. And as he lifted his fork to take that long-awaited bite, he realized Thanksgiving wasn’t just about the turkey…
But it certainly didn’t hurt.
Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #348 – Mom With a Blog
Therapy Bits 
Talk to me! I love comments!