this love, walker

001. love and loss

November 2019

"Okay. Tay, you are on sweet potato casserole, Randy, you've got apple pie, and Cody, you are on creamed corn. Which is super easy. Put it in the pot and warm it up."

"Why do I get corn?" Cody questions.

"Because you suck at cooking. You're lucky enough to get corn." Taylor quips.

"Shut up." He shoves her head.

"And, baby, you are--"

"On making sure the head chef doesn't lose her mind." Nick remarks.

"Hmm. You're funny." Cheyenne laughs, giving him a look.

"I know." He smiles, gently pecking her on the lips. "I'll take care of the turkey. Or you want that and I get mac and cheese?"

"You get turkey. I hate reaching up in those things." Cheyenne says making Nick quietly laugh.

+++

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit." Cheyenne runs a hand through her hair.

"What? What's wrong?" Nick asks.

"I forgot the seasoning for the stuffing and we don't have enough pumpkin puree for the pumpkin pie." Cheyenne says. "We-- that's it. Thanksgiving sucks."

"It-- it doesn't suck, baby." Nick chuckles. "It'll be okay. Hey. Store is, like, 10 minutes away. I will be there and back."

"No. No, baby, I really don't--"

"No. No, come on. It's no biggie." Nick promises. "Besides, what is Thanksgiving without proper stuffing or pumpkin pie?"

Cheyenne sighs.

"Well, if you're that persistent." She says.

"You know what you married into." Nick remarks making Cheyenne quietly laugh.

"Yeah." She laughs.

"I love you." He kisses her.

"I love you, too."

+++

Cheyenne takes the turkey out of the oven, putting it on the stove.

"Where's dad? He should be back by now." Cody groans.

"It's Thanksgiving. There's probably a bunch of traffic." Cheyenne says.

Her cell phone rings a moment later. She goes into the living room to grab it. She frowns at the unknown number, answering it.

"Hello?"

"Hi. Is this Cheyenne Lambert?"

"I-- ye-yeah. Who is--"

"My name's Holly. I'm a nurse at MUSC. You're the emergency contact for Nicholas Lambert."

"I-- ye-yeah. I'm his wife. What-- is he okay?" Cheyenne asks, biting on her thumbnail.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am." Holly says making Cheyenne frown. "Your husband was in a car accident and he-- he didn't make it. I'm so sorry, Mrs. Lambert."

Cheyenne feels the phone fall from her hand, the woman's breath becoming shaky.

"Mom?" The voice makes it seem like she's underwater.

Cheyenne lets out a loud sob as she falls to the floor, continuing to wail, tears streaming down her face. Taylor kneels next to her mom while Cody picks up the phone and talks to the person on the other line. Randy stays back, worriedly glancing between all three family members, his eyes pricking with tears at his mom's state.