Notes: Just a few lines inspired by the thoughts of the coming Thanksgiving Day. I don’t own Vin or any of the rest, but I can imagine. Any mistakes are mine.
Vin was muttering to himself as he walked slowly to the meeting place Ezra had designated. “Don’t see the point in this, of all days for Ezra to have an urgent meetin’. Why Today?”
“Hello, Mr. Tanner, beautiful day isn’t it?” Mrs. Potter spoke to him as he past her place.
“Yes ma’am.” He did not stop to chat, but kept on walking.
The tracker continued on as several of the people in town called out a greeting. “This is a day for people with families, not people like me. I should just grab Peso and take off for a few days until all this holiday stuff is finished. “ He observed the children as their mothers called them in to eat, remembering all the previous Thanksgivings that he had no one to share it with.
I suppose Vin, you should think about what you have to be thankful for today. What would that be Tanner? Well, you survived another year without having a rope around you neck for one. Yeah I did. You also have managed to stay in one place for more than a few weeks without being forced to move on and have a few people glad that you are here. Yeah but…No buts Vin, maybe you don’t have a house, kids, and blood family, but take a look around and see what you do have.”
Vin stopped in the middle of the street and took a good look around at the place that somehow had become home for him over the last year. He realized that he knew everyone’s name and that they knew his. The children in town liked the man they knew as one of the peacekeepers of Four Corners.
For the most part the citizens of this town respected him and made sure that he knew it. They showed their appreciation every day, not just on holidays. The men he worked with, he trusted to watch his back and he found friends for the first time in his life that accepted him for who he was. No questions asked.
Then there was Chris. Hell, from the first day he met him he felt he had found a brother that he never had.
Okay Tanner, maybe you can get through this day without thinkin’ about what you missed in your life.
The Texan made a decision and with a purposeful stride headed over to the town restaurant to meet Ezra, but he was not alone, his fellow peacekeepers were there, too. On the table in front of them was a huge turkey with all the trimming and next to Chris was an empty chair waiting for him.
“Come on in Brother and join us, we can’t start without you.” Josiah’s booming voice carried across the room.
Vin pulled out the chair next to Larabee and sat down with his friends… No these men were his brothers. For the first time that he could remember, he knew what it felt like to be surrounded by the love of family. He was home for the holiday.