"Who? Everly? You know she's not homeless. You met her on Fourth of July weekend, remember?"

"I remember you being incredibly embarrassed about how you knew Everly that night at dinner, and then I put two-and-two together and remembered she is the same girl who comes into my cafe and takes suspended orders. Your red-face at dinner and lack of a good story suddenly made perfect sense. You're dating a homeless girl. Congrats."

"You must be drunk," I laughed. "Everly is my girlfriend. I assure you she is not homeless-not even close to it-her father is one of the most respected doctors in the country."

"Then tell me why she needs suspended coffees!"

"I have no clue," I lied. I had plenty of clues. "Maybe she's getting them for someone else who needs them and can't come into the cafe. Ever think about that?"

"No, because she sits at a table drinking her little cup of coffee with ice in it, and never has company. Not until she met you anyhow. Tell me, how does being swindled feel?"

I laughed. "Everly's not swindling me. You should take a breath. You're going to have a stroke over a free cup of coffee, Noelle."

"I'm glad you think it's funny," she chided. "People pay for those coffees under the assumption they are doing a good deed. Your stupid girlfriend is abusing a charitable effort and stealing from people who truly need help!"

"I'm sure she has a really good reason," I said, shrugging. "If you're that pissed off about it, tell me how many she has taken and I'll pay you back for them. What do I owe you, Noelle?" I reached for my wallet. "Ten, twenty bucks tops?"

"She's been taking them for almost three years!"

"Okay so more like a grand. You want a check now or do I need to hit up an ATM before I go back to work tonight?"

She folded her arms all business like. "I want your girlfriend out of my room and to stop stealing coffee. She does it again I'm going to serve her with a trespassing warrant."

"Chill the fuck out, Noelle. It's just coffee."

"People in need would argue otherwise. But what the hell would you know about that."

"I'm sorry but are you about to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast in our warm, luxurious home or are you due at a soup kitchen to help these poor folks in need of a hot meal tonight?" I baulked. "You think Everly is the only person who has ever taken from that jar and wasn't really in need? Wake up. The real world is full of suckers and suckees. If you're gonna cry about every time you wound up the sucker you have a lot of tears ahead of you."

"Or maybe you're the sucker and have no clue who your girlfriend really is."

"I think I know her perfectly well. Now excuse me, but there's a mountain of baked ziti I must introduce myself to."

I ate my food huddled on the end of the couch where two girls to my right held a conversation about being military wives and the difficulties of such a role. I listened in between bites and wondered if Tatum had the same thoughts, if she felt the same loneliness these women confessed.

Half way through my plate I spotted her with Everly as they sliced through the crowded room. Everly paused a few feet in front of me. I shook my head as I looked her over. It was more skin than I was used to seeing her show in public. The dress was grey and shiny with some Paris inspired print at the bottom. No sleeves. The hem hit right at her knee. It hung a little loose off her shoulders because Noelle was taller and more filled out than Everly, but she still outshined every bulb on the Christmas tree.

"Bellissima." I held out my arms for her.

She walked over and waited for me to set my plate aside before she sat on my lap. "Hope I'm not interrupting you two."

I wound my arms around her waist. "If setting that plate of ziti aside isn't a testament to how much I love you, I don't think you'll ever believe me, Everly Anne."

She turned into me and said quietly, "I don't like wearing this dress. I feel uncomfortable."

I glanced up but Tatum was gone. A commotion from the front of the house told me Nick had arrived. I turned back to Everly. "Why did you change then?"

"It felt better when I had it on upstairs. But now I just feel stared at."

"Well," I smiled, "have you seen yourself? You're more beautiful than the Christmas tree. Of course everyone is looking at you."

She looked back to the plate of ziti and placed it in her lap, spearing a bite for me. After I ate two forkfuls, I took it from her and cut off a small piece of noodle.

"I really don't like eating alone," I sighed. She took a small bite and we carried on like that until the food was gone. I ate most of it of course, but she tried, and that was something hopeful in my book.

"We should go see Nick."

Everly followed me through the crowd until we reached the front of the house. As soon as Nick spotted me he grabbed me by the shirt.

"I'm gonna kick your ass, brother." But he was all laughter and jovial. "Kissed my wife? I should show you how Russians stick a towel down an enemy's throat to remove their stomach lining while they're still breathin' you bastard."

"She totally wanted it," I replied. "Ever since second grade she's been thirsty for me."

Tatum was honestly more terrifying than her husband. I threw my hands up in surrender as she smacked the shit out of my head. "It's only a joke, Tater. Calm down. I hated kissing you. You disgust me. I'd rather kiss the Sargent to be honest."

He looked at me. "I knew the truth would come out eventually."