Chapter Text
Jo DeLuca didn’t go see family for the holidays. She hasn’t done a holiday with relatives in 30 years.
So when her niece from upstate New York showed up on her doorstep sobbing on a cold Saturday the week before Thanksgiving, Jo knew exactly what to do.
“Joey, they kicked me out. Mom and Dad, they kicked me out,” Ava sobbed, a duffle bag at her feet, she rubbed her eyes with the sleeves of her denim jacket. It was freezing out, the wind blew the dried fallen leaves around at their feet. Ava shivered.
Just because Jo didn’t do holidays with family, didn’t mean she never spoke to any of them. When Ava, now a high school senior, reached out to Jo in an email 3 years prior, after doing some digging on social media to find her, the two had connected quickly. Jo knew her brother had a family, and 3 kids. But Ava had never met Jo until last summer, when she took a Greyhound to New York City for two weeks to visit her aunt and experience the city. Jo was the first person Ava came out to, that summer during her visit.
Jo pulled Ava into a tight hug, “I’m glad you’re here.” Jo picked up the duffle bag and helped Ava inside, who was still sniffling, her eyes rubbed red. “We can talk about it, or we don’t have to. Either way, you can stay here as long as you’d like, what’s mine is yours.”
Ava settled on the couch, tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she closed them and leaned back into the cushions.
“What am I gonna do about school? And all my friends? I’m supposed to graduate. College applications are due in February.” Ava’s voice pitched up, frantic, she pressed her palms to her closed eyes.
Jo hurried in from the kitchen with a mug of hot tea. She settled on the couch next to Ava. “Here, drink this. Have you eaten anything today? We will figure school out, don’t stress about that now. With the holidays coming up, I can’t imagine there’s much left besides exams.” Ava sat hunched over, her hands wrapped around the mug. “Kiddo, we’ll figure it out. You’ll go to college. You’re so so smart, Ava Mae. We will figure it out.”
Ava sighed, her eyes welling up again.
“I’ll tell you what - anything goes today. We can watch a movie, I’ll order pizza. You can cry as much or as little as you want, we can shit talk your dad - one of my favorite past times, by the way - and then tomorrow, you’re gonna help me with some very important tasks, because this is a big week.”
“What’s happening this week?”
“I’m hosting Friendsgiving. We’re hosting Friendsgiving. I’ve been doing it for years, so you’re in the presence of a professional.”
Ava looked slightly surprised. “You host? Here?”
“Well of course! What do you think your Aunt Joey’s been doing while I’m not at family Thanksgiving? Sitting around by myself being sad? No way…I mean…yeah those first couple years, but now, NOW - oh Ava, it’s a party. And I’m thrilled you get to be a part of it.”
Ava’s attention was rapt as Jo talked her through the plan for the week, the errands they needed to run and some of the prep work. The guest list. The menu. How Greta and Carson would come in a few days early from Chicago to help. How Florence, Flo, would come in from Yonkers.
“She teaches up at Sarah Lawrence, the smartest woman I know. Besides you of course!”
“Oh! Is that…is that the woman you said about before?”
Jo blushed and nodded. “Yeah, we’ve been seeing each other for nearly a decade. Sometimes I think about moving up there, we’ve talked about it. We’ll see.” Jo had been looking at places there. They’d still live separately, have their own lives, their own habits. Things with Flo were so good and so steady.
“That would be cool, Aunt Joey. I’m excited to meet her.”
***
They stayed on the couch all evening, a box of pizza on the coffee table, cycling through a couple movies. Classics that Ava had never seen, When Harry Met Sally…13 Going on 30…Pretty Woman.
Ava turned to Jo, tossing a pizza crust into the box.
“Did you ever want to go back…did you ever wish you could?”
Jo reached for the remote, muting the sound, the soft glow of the TV was the only light in the room.
“I did, yeah. A lot at first. I didn’t have anywhere to go, Greta and I just kind of floated around. We made a lot of dumb choices, we didn’t have any adults looking out for us. But that went away over time. The wanting to go back, to be clear we made dumb choices for a while. I wrote to Nonna twice, and she never wrote back. Our mom wasn’t around, and your Dad and I never figured out how to talk to each other. Sometimes I wish we had. There’s a part of me that wishes I knew him as an adult. But we couldn’t figure it out, and he just stood there and watched when Nonna…when she…asked me to leave.” Jo watched the images change across the television, turning occasionally to see Ava’s face illuminated by the glow.
“She…she didn’t ask you to leave though…it was…not that nice.” Jo winced. Ava was perceptive. “Dad…he didn’t give me a choice. But it hurt him more than it hurt mom, I think. She was loud and harsh about it.” Ava watched the screen change too, the credits rolled across the screen.
“Can’t believe he watched it happen to me, and then did it himself to his own kid. The cycle repeats. What a dick.” Jo stewed, she was angry. Ava scooted closer on the couch, leaning into Jo.
“Yeah, but you said it earlier. We’ll figure it out. Fuck him.” Ava grinned, bumping her knees against Jo’s.
“Yeah, fuck him.”