The Brain vs The Heart - A Battle Royale
Chapter 26
Luke woke Thanksgiving morning feeling energized. He’d slept really well having the scent of Reid lingering next to him. He knew Reid was already up and at the hospital so he sent him a quick text before heading to Grimaldi.
I hope it’s ok to be thankful for you today. Even if you aren’t here I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I hope everyone there appreciates you as much as I do….. I know they can’t possibly :D
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Luke was pleased his international calls went even better than his domestic ones had. The response wasn’t just positive, his ideas were greeted with such enthusiasm he couldn’t help but want to share the news with someone. He picked up his phone again and called the one person he knew would keep this secret for him.
“Good morning grandmother. How is your thanksgiving morning?”
“Why Luke, it’s even more fabulous now that you’ve called. What can I do for you on this fine morning?”
“I can’t call just to wish you a happy thanksgiving?”
“Oh absolutely you can, but you forget I understand how your mind works my dear boy. I know there is another reason you’ve called so out with it.”
Lucinda heard a short laugh on the other end of the phone before her grandson continued. “I’ve been working up a new business proposal for Grimaldi and I’m really excited about it. I was hoping I could run it by you and just keep it between the two of us.”
“As if I could ever say no to you dear…. Go ahead.”
Their short conversation went almost an hour. Lucinda had a great many questions. Luke answered each openly and honestly. The longer they talked and the more in depth they got the more Lucinda was willing to get on board. By the time they hung up she assured him she would do whatever he needed to help make it happen if he decided to put his plan into action.
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This is seriously weird was all Luke could think standing in Emma’s kitchen at the farm. There had been many Thanksgivings there in the past as a family, even some that Noah had been a part of. This one just seemed different to him than any of the rest had. Maybe because his parents weren’t together anymore and Luke was starting to believe, for the first time in his life, never would be again. Maybe it was because his head, and his heart for that matter, were somewhere else. He loved his family, and enjoyed being together for holidays. He loved what they signified in his life too, but if he was honest with himself, this was the first time that on this specific day he wanted and maybe even needed to be somewhere else. Without another moment of hesitation, he made a call to get the jet ready.
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Luke sat at the table with Holden at his left and Ethan at his right. “I’m most thankful this year for the following things. “My little brother’s health” he said, smiling and mussing up Ethan’s hair. “My sisters continued crazy behavior” he winked at both Natalie and Faith. “And my dad’s return home…..where he belongs. I love you dad.” Luke paused, then looked at his mother and added two final things. “I’m glad I have a mother who loves me whether she agrees with me or not, and I thank the universe for bringing Reid into my life. Without him I would be a little less happy, a little less light, and a little less content.” As Luke continued to stare at Lily, trying to get his point across, Ethan decided it was his turn.
“Oh….oh…I want to be thankful for Dr. Reid too. For ah fixing my brain and everything, and for being cool to Luke and making him smile again.” The entire table laughed, with the exception of Lily.
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After dinner Emma began packing up a big care package of food. “Who is that for” Lily asked with a rather worried look on her face.
“Well, I don’t know dear. Luke just asked me to prepare something for him. Enough to feed a small army I believe were his exact words.”
The massive amount of food coupled with Ethan’s comment about how much pizza Dr. Oliver could eat could only mean one thing in her mind. But, that wasn’t good enough for Lily so she went to find her eldest son to press the issue. “Luke, please explain to me what, or for whom, all that food your grandmother is preparing for.”
Luke guided her back into the kitchen, not wanting to fight with her in front of his siblings. “Do you really want to know the answer to that mom?”
Holden followed close behind, interrupting her response. “Lily, Luke is an adult now. I don’t think it is really any of our business what he plans to do with it, do you?”
Lily gasped at Holden. “You know don’t you? You know he is having some kind of relationship with that….that man….and what, you’re ok with it?”
“Calm down. All I’m saying is that it doesn’t really matter what either of us thinks as long as our son is happy.”
“Oh of course, that must be so easy for you to say. You aren’t even willing to give our love a chance anymore so why not convince our son to throw away any chance he might have had with his true love.”
Luke stepped in and tried to deflect the anger back onto him. “Mom, please don’t yell at dad when we all know you’re really mad at me. And, how can you still be stuck on me and Noah after all these months, seriously?”
“I’m not stuck on anything Luke. I want what’s best for you.”
“Well maybe Reid is what’s best for him” Holden interjected. Luke look of surprise and relief encouraged Holden to stand his ground when Lily shot him a look of pure hatred. “Have you even tried having a conversation with Dr. Oliver or taken the time to see how happy our son has been? No of course not. You’re too busy pushing your own selfish agenda just like always.”
“Selfish” she spat out. “You’re calling me selfish.”
“Mom….”
“Stay out of this Luke” she snapped. He gave Holden an apologetic look, raised his hands in surrender and backed away to the corner of the room.
Emma used that as her queue as well and quickly left the room, hoping to distract the other children from hearing what could become a very vicious fight. Luke stood to the side and watched it all unfold. He knew the conversation had started out about him, but in many ways never had anything to do with him. This was something that had been brewing for a long time, simmering under the surface for both his parents, just ready to boil over. “Yes selfish” Holden almost shouted. “You talk about true love. Where exactly did true love get us?”
“Ugh” Lily fired back “How dare you say that to me. You gave up on us, not me.”
Holden laughed. He literally laughed at how ridiculous her clouded view was of the memories of the past year. “You honestly believe that don’t you? You re-marry Damian when my body isn’t even cold in the ground and I’m the one who gave up on us?”
Luke knew they needed to hash this out, but he just couldn’t take it right now. He loved his parents, both of them. But, it was more important to him that his younger sisters and brother not have to be witnesses to the latest in the love/hate relationship that was Lily and Holden, especially not on this day when they were supposed to be thankful for having each other in their lives.
“Ok you guys, enough. This is not the place, and this certainly is not the day to do this.” He bobbed his head in the direction of the other room where his siblings were sitting. That seemed to deflate the charged atmosphere of the kitchen. Luke looked between the two of them debating for a second if he had the courage to leave. An image of Reid flashed and he knew his answer. “I have to get going.” He gave Holden a hug. “I love you dad. Thank you for being there for me.” He turned to his mom. “Mom” he sighed “I…..I love you. I hope someday we can agree to disagree on who is or isn’t right for me.” Luke collected the last remaining containers and put them in the box Emma had started to fill. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
Holden and Lily both replied with far too little emotion “Happy Thanksgiving.”
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The jet landed in Dallas at almost seven in the evening. Reid would have been on for almost thirteen hours at this point and had an hour before his day would be over. Luke debated bringing the food to the hospital or taking it straight to Reid’s place. He decided to go for the privacy of Reid house over the big romantic gesture of showing up at his job.
Luke had just enough time to have the cab driver stop so he could pick up some candles on the way. He used his key and let himself into Reid’s. He was pretty sure Reid had accidentally forgotten to ask for it back just like Luke had accidentally forgotten to ask for the extra key to his place. Luke thought it was sweet how they’d managed to get keys to each other’s places without any of the normal pomp and circumstance that should come with such a significant moment.
He turned on the stove to heat up everything Emma had packed for him. He made a mental note to himself to thank her again for doing this for him, and Reid. He looked forward to the day they would get to meet. He knew after he ate her food tonight Reid would be insistent it be soon, but only if she cooked for them again. Luke got everything ready with barely any time to spare. He’d just gotten the table set and the candles lit when he heard the front door unlock.
“Surprise” Luke called when Reid saw him.
Reid stood in the doorway shocked, then bewildered. He was positive Luke was a mirage. He’d wished him there and he’d appeared. He shook his head and wiped his hand across his face. “I’m delusional. I seriously need sleep.”
Luke’s smile immediately fell. “I…um… you’re not happy to see me?”
Reid’s head snapped back to look at him again, never expecting his hallucination to talk back to him. “Holy shit, you’re real? I thought I was making you up.” He was over to Luke in four quick strides. He embraced him and held him for a couple seconds before pulling his head in to connect their lips. Reid was in heaven. It was utter perfection to have Luke in his house, waiting for him just like he’d wanted the day before. Reid turned their heads to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue into Luke’s mouth when he opened it to let out a sigh. Reid started backing Luke up wanting something solid to press him up against. It was when they ran into the table that Luke remembered the rest of his surprise. He pulled back from Reid “I brought food.”
That got Reid’s attention. “You did? Wasn’t it hard to find a place open for takeout on thanksgiving night?”
“No, I brought it with me from Oakdale. It’s my grandma Emma’s homemade traditional thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all the trimmings.”
Still holding on to Luke’s hips he peered around him to take a look at his table. He’d never seen it decked out in quite that fashion. And candles, he knew he sure as hell didn’t own any of those. He looked back at Luke with pure joy in his eyes. “You did all this for me?”
Luke blushed and ducked his head down slightly. “Well….yeah….I did.”
“Thank you….I love it.”
They both tried to ignore the significance of the words and sat down to eat.
The way to Reid’s heart is clearly with food….. Brain 9 ½, Heart 16 ½