Since my parents always made too much food, a few family friends were invited to join us. The Millers had been family friends forever and had two kids. One was in the army and deployed to Germany right now, so he couldn't come. The other was Cindy's best friend, a girl her age named Mary. Additionally, the Fitzgeralds and the Garcia's joined. They had been some of my parents' friends growing up. Mrs. Fitzgerald was unable to have children and so she was like a second mom to me. The Garcia's children were too spread out across the US, and couldn't make it for Thanksgiving.

Cindy was chatting in hushed...