Bound by pain

Thanksgiving invitation

Gabriella stared at her phone, anxiety curling her fingers into tight fists as she waited for the familiar ping. It was silly, she knew, but every passing moment felt like an eternity. The sun dipped lower in the sky, painting the horizon with hues of orange and pink, while she sat on the edge of her bed, tapping her foot against the floor. Mark had been everything she didn’t expect—a mix of charm and an offbeat sense of humor that had left her simultaneously captivated and uncertain.

Meanwhile, Mark found himself in a different kind of turmoil a few blocks away. In Rueben's comic shop—an eclectic haven of vivid illustrations and mismatched shelves—he tried to shake off the lingering thoughts of Gabriella. “What do you think about her?” Rueben's sudden voice broke through his distracted reverie. Mark shrugged in response, but in truth, Gabriella had imprinted herself on his mind like an indelible ink on a once-blank page.

“I don’t know, man. She kinda reminds me of a feminist or like a Karen? Not to mention her friends... she looked kind of out of it.” Mark explained, crossing his arms defensively.

Rueben raised an eyebrow in amusement. “She seems okay. Just give it a chance. You can’t do worse than Dawn.” With a chuckle, Rueben’s comment made Mark cringe momentarily. Dawn had been an experience he was more than eager to leave behind.

As he pulled out his phone, Mark checked the time, cursing under his breath when he remembered his grandmother was waiting outside the shop. His heart skipped as he noticed a new message notification—Gabriella had texted him.

“She texted me,” Mark said, unable to hide the spark of excitement in his voice.

“What’d she say?” Rueben leaned in, clearly intrigued.

“She just wanted to know if I’m still scared off,” Mark replied with a lighthearted laugh. “She suggested we try again without her friends.”

“I bet now that she knows you’re not a serial killer, she feels a little more comfortable.” Rueben cackled, and Mark couldn’t help but join in the laughter.

After exchanging a few more light comments, Mark bid farewell to Rueben and exited the shop. The autumn air brushed gently against his cheeks as he headed towards his grandmother’s waiting car. Once inside, he hesitated before typing a reply to Gabriella. After all, Thanksgiving was just around the corner, and he could already picture her sitting at his family’s table, deflecting the more peculiar elements of his relatives with her quick wit and easy laughter.

“No, you didn’t scare me away. We can try again—how about you come over for Thanksgiving?” he sent, his heart racing as he hit send.

Mark’s grandmother glanced at him with warm, understanding eyes. “What happened, baby?” she asked in a gentle tone that soothed his budding nerves.

“I think... I might have a date for Thanksgiving,” he replied, a nervous smile creeping onto his face.

His grandmother’s reaction was immediate—a bright smile and an approving nod. “Oh, how lovely! I can’t wait to meet her,” she chirped, shifting the car into drive and heading to pick up Lyric from her mother’s house.

Later that evening, as she sat at her desk flipping through a book on modern poetry, Gabriella’s phone buzzed again, startling her. She opened the message, her heart fluttering at the thought of spending Thanksgiving with Mark and his family. She imagined him busting jokes around the dinner table, an easy grin on his face that brightened the whole room. A part of her felt shy about the idea, but it was better than sitting alone at her own family’s table where expectations hung like heavy ornaments, each family member waiting for the next announcement about her life.

“Sure! I’d love to come!” she typed back, her fingers dancing eagerly over the keys. But quickly, she hesitated, adding, “Just so you know, if your family is as quirky as you, I might need some serious backup.”

With that, Gabriella hit send and felt a rush of excitement and a hint of nervousness. She hardly knew Mark, but there was something surprisingly enticing about him—something that sent her heart fluttering each time she thought of him.