"Pretty flowers for two pretty ladies" Savannah said, smiling, handing Lydia and Hermione two bouquets.
"Honey, I bought you some dahlias because I know they're your favorite, and Hermione, I got you some pansies. I hope they're OK."
"Oh my goddess, thank you!! I'll go put these in water" Hermione said with a wide grin and she flounced off into the home with her gift.
"Wow, Hank sure changed a lot" Savannah laughed.
Lydia meanwhile stared skeptically at her ex husband.
"I wish that I could say the same about you. I'm only allowing you inside because of the kids. Otherwise, I'd slam the door in your face."
"I understand. I brought a cherry pie!"" Savannah said cheekily, and Lydia reluctantly let her inside.
Thanksgiving dinner at the Tullio house was tense but lively.
Savannah was regaling everyone with tales about the last few years and how busy she's been with her job taking her everywhere around the world.
Her oldest daughter, Emily, had mixed feelings about her father's sudden return. She had missed her dad a lot, and she loved him, but she had taken her mother's side of the divorce, and the mother and daughter had only gotten closer over the last few years.
Savannah's other daughter, Nancy, on the other hand was a real Daddy's Girl and she had supported him any time Lydia or Emily spoke badly about him.
Hermione, meanwhile, had remained neutral, trying to support everyone.
"So Nancy" Savannah asked, "whatever happened to that guy you got engaged to? Kevin, right?"
Nancy waved her wedding ring.
"I don't see what kind of father would miss his daughter's wedding" Lydia said spitefully, but Nancy and Savannah ignored the comment.
"Kendra joined the Navy straight out of college. She's on active duty right now. That's why she couldn't make it here today."
"She joined the Navy? On her own?"
Nancy nodded, poking her fork into her cranberry sauce.
"Good for her" Savannah said with a little impressed sound as she ate some stuffing with her own fork. "You don't see a lot of kids these days wanting to serve their country. Not unless they're poor or their family forced them into it. Isn't that right, Hermione?"
Hermione blushed cutely.
"Oh, well, I suppose."
"What do you mean you suppose? You were a Marine. You voted for McCain in 2008 just on the promise that we'd never leave Iraq."
"I think...I think I regret who I used to be" Hermione said quietly.
"Not everyone is OK with sending their children off to die" Lydia said. "Or to drop bombs on innocent people in foreign countries."
"You seem pretty OK with the house that I paid for. And the college educations that I paid for."
Lydia rolled her eyes.
"Did you come here just to be a dick?"
"How have I been a dick? I've been nothing but wonderful to everyone since I got here."