Work Text:
Joe was basting the turkey when the hairs on the back of his neck alerted him to the fact that he was being watched. Since Iris was to his right preparing the green bean casserole that left Barry. It was Barry's first Thanksgiving with them and Joe was doing his best to make it a good one but until now Barry had spent the day in his hiding spot in his room. "How's it going, Barry? Did you come down to help?" Joe asked as he put the lid back on the roaster and maneuvered it back into the oven.
"I know how to make the stuffing," Barry offered softly. "I always help... always used to help my mom."
That was more words strung together then Joe had heard out of Barry in days. "That's great. The cornbread is right there on the counter."
"The cornbread?" The way Barry said those two simple words pinged Joe's radar. They were quavering, broken and anxious.
A quick look at Iris netted him a shrug, so she didn't know what was wrong any more than he did. "Yes, the cornbread. It's over there. In the bowl." Joe pointed to it.
"The stuffing's got cornbread in it." It was a statement, not a question, but only just.
"Well, technically, it's cornbread dressing, not stuffing, since it isn't cooked in the bird. But if you add a little chicken stock you won't be able to tell the diff-" He broke off when Barry suddenly burst into tears.
"Barry?" he asked carefully, approaching slowly, one step at a time but he hadn't even gotten around the table when Barry turned and fled up the stairs, down the hall, and into his room with a slam of the door.
Joe sighed, turning to Iris. "Can you crumble up the cornbread when you're done with the green beans, honey?" They were on a sort of schedule with dinner after all.
"I think I should be the one to go talk to him, Daddy."
"Are you sure?" Iris might be Barry's best friend and love him like a brother, but Joe wasn't sure she was really equipped to deal with him when he was in full meltdown mode. To be frank, Joe wasn't entirely sure he was equipped to deal with Barry when he got like this either. Especially since he had no idea what set him off this time.
"I hate seeing him like this. I want to help."
Joe smiled. He couldn't help but wonder when his little girl had gotten so grown up. "All right. But come get me if either of you need me."
"I will," she said, looking very serious and responsible.
Joe watched her go and shook his head. He couldn't imagine not having taken Barry in, but there were times he wondered if he'd bit off more than he could chew.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iris knocked on Barry's door before pushing it open and calling, "It's me." Not that she had to announce herself, she and her dad had very different knocks so Barry would have already known who was at his door, but she'd always been told it was better to be polite. The light hadn't been turned on, there was just the nightlight, but that didn't matter since not only did she know the layout of Barry's room like the back of her hand, but she already knew exactly where Barry would be.
Padding over to the dresser in the corner, she sat down cross-legged on the floor, and leaned against the drawers. "You know you can tell us what's wrong," she said, addressing the dark shape wedged in the space between the dresser and the wall.
Barry sniffled. "It's stupid."
"If it's making you sad then it's not stupid," she replied, repeating something she'd heard her dad say.
The shadow moved a little, as Barry shrugged and then curled even more into himself, but he didn't respond.
After sitting in silence for a few minutes Iris said, "Talk to me, Barry. Please? What happened? What did we do wrong?"
"You'll laugh."
"I promise I won't."
"Pinkie swear?"
"Pinkie swear."
Barry's hand emerged from the darkness with its pinkie extended and Iris wrapped hers around for four firm shakes ('One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and four to let go') then released his and formed a fist, which Barry tapped with his own.
"Okay, Barry - now spill."
"I only ever had Thanksgiving at home," he began, but then stopped and sniffed again.
When Barry didn't start talking again Iris said, "Right. That makes sense. And?"
"And so I only ever ate what my m-mom made." That also made sense, although Iris didn't say so out loud. "I never had cornbread stuffing before."
"It's really good, especially with dad's gravy on it."
"I'm sure it is good," Barry said quickly, adding "Joe's really good in the kitchen," before falling silent.
"But?" Iris asked after a moment.
"When Joe talked about stuffing I thought... I thought he was talking about the kind I was used to. Told you it was dumb."
"It's not dumb, Barry."
"Yes, it is."
"No, it's not. Let's go talk to dad. Maybe he can make it or something." Iris stood up and stepped over to the corner. "Come on, Barry," she said, offering her hand. After a moment there was a scrabbling sound and then Barry emerged, looking miserable. "Oh, Barry, it'll be okay." Iris threw her arms around him and engulfed him in a quick hug before grabbing his hand and pulling him to the doorway and then down the hall.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe was dicing the onions for the stuffing when the kids reappeared, Iris dragging Barry along behind her. The poor kid looked miserable. "Hey guys. What's up?"
"Barry misses the dishes his mom used to make for Thanksgiving. So I was thinking, I know we can't make it now because we don't have the ingredients, but what if we make his stuffing for Christmas?"
"Do you know the recipe, Barry?" Joe asked.
Barry nodded, then shook his head before finally shrugging. Great, that's helpful.
"Let me see if I can take a guess here what you mean by all that." Joe put down the knife and then made a vague gesture in Barry's direction. "You kind of know the ingredient and the order you put them together, but you don't know the specifics like the measurements and things like that."
Wide-eyed in astonishment, Barry nodded. When was Barry going to learn he was as easy to read as a book?
"Okay," Joe said. "How about we go to the library on Monday and take out a bunch of recipe books and we'll make a batch of - what's your stuffing called?"
"Sausage stuffing."
"We'll make a different recipe every week until we find one that's close to what you remember. How does that sound?"
Barry rushed forward and drew Joe into a big hug. "Thanks, Joe! Thank you so much!" And if Joe got a little teary eyed at the emotional display, well, he had just been chopping onions after all.