You rubbed your temples violently back and forth. It was rare you spent time with the relatives from your home country, and you had forgotten how loud your cousins could be. Everyone was at your house for Thanksgiving and for a few moments you felt completely out of place.

“It’s so nice to see you again!” An aunt came towards you with outstretched arms, pulling you into a tight hug. You smiled, sharing sentiments between the two of you. Wincing, you turned around to the sound of a screeching cousin. Were they limited to one volume only? Feeling the onset of another headache, you walked back to the living room and fell heavily into an armchair. Everyone around you was familiar, yet you felt a vast disconnect between your life and theirs. They were family, the people you loved most, but the past few years of your life resided in another country and no amount of familiarity could hide the nagging sensation that something was missing.  

Your boyfriend had wanted to come with you for this holiday, but his schedule allowed no time for an international visit. Instead, you went home alone. It wasn’t that you weren’t capable of spending time away from him and his group. You loved the opportunity to see your family, to enjoy the elaborate dinner and catch up with people who you hadn’t seen for at least a few months. Despite their love and familiarity, home was somewhere else.

After an evening of laughter and visiting, you prepared yourself for bed. The ghost of a smile crossed your lips as you entered your bedroom. Aside from a few small changes, it was nearly identical to how you left it a few years ago. Pushing the sheets to the side, you crawled beneath heavy covers, falling asleep to sweet familiarity.

Deep laughter in the kitchen woke you up in the morning. You walked downstairs, smelling sweet cinnamon toasting in the oven. Mouth watering, you walked to the dining table with bright eyes and an equally radiant grin. Someone tall was sitting at the table, his back turned. The moment your eyes scanned his dark hair, you knew exactly who it was. You rubbed your eyes, mouth agape. He turned around with sparkles in his eyes.

“Hi there!” You grinned, running forward to wrap a choking hug around his neck.

“What are you doing here?” you asked excitedly. He laughed, and your father placed an affectionate hand on your shoulder.

“Somebody decided to pay you a surprise visit,” your father said, before returning to the kitchen to help with dinner. You smiled back at your boyfriend, planting a light kiss on his grinning lips.

“I was really sad I couldn’t come with you for Thanksgiving. My manager surprised me with a day off!” You smiled gratefully; mind still trying to grasp the amount of time he would spend in a plane to see you for this one holiday.

“Thank you so much,” you said, still hugging him tightly. “This means so much to me.” He laughed, placing a warm hand on top of yours.

“I wouldn’t think of missing it.”