A Thanksgiving to Remember
Thankful Thomas gazed out the window, his eyes fixed on the unexpected sight in their driveway. “We have to do something to help out our neighbor,” he said to his wife, Dorothy, his voice laced with concern.
Dorothy looked up from her kitchen table seat, her expression puzzled. “Why? I just saw Stella this morning. She was doing fine.”
Thankful Thomas’s gaze remained fixed on the driveway. “I don’t mean Stella. I mean…come take a look.”
Dorothy’s curiosity was piqued. She got up from the table and joined Thankful Thomas at the window. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of someone inside their RV that was parked in their driveway.
“Who is in our RV?” Dorothy asked. “What is going on?”
Thankful Thomas took Dorothy’s hand, his eyes shining with a mix of emotions. “Come take a look,” he repeated.
As they stepped out onto the driveway, Dorothy gasped. Someone was emerging from the RV. And then she saw the face, and her heart skipped a beat.
“Jocelyn!” Dorothy cried, her voice trembling with shock and joy. “I can’t believe it’s you!”
Jocelyn’s eyes locked onto her mother’s, and she smiled, tears streaming down her face.
“Mom!” she exclaimed. “It’s so good to see you.”
The reunion was 22 years in the making. Dorothy’s mind raced with questions, but all she could manage to say was, “It’s been 22 years! No phone calls, no letters, not a single word.”
Jocelyn’s expression turned solemn. “You didn’t tell her what happened, did you?” she asked her father.
Thankful Thomas shook his head. “I thought it best if it came from you.”
Jocelyn sat on the steps of the RV, motioning for Dorothy to join her. “Mom,” she began, her voice trembling. “This is the hardest conversation I’ve ever had. Do you know that I was abducted 22 years ago? I was forced to live in a cult. I was drugged by the cult leaders and had no idea who I was or where I lived. We were raided about a month ago, and I was finally set free. It wasn’t long after that that I was told who I was. I’m just starting to get my memory back.”
Dorothy listened, stunned, as Jocelyn shared her story. She felt a mix of emotions: shock, anger, sadness, and relief. All those years, she and Thankful Thomas had thought Jocelyn had simply run away.
As Jocelyn finished speaking, Dorothy opened her arms, and Jocelyn fell into them, tears streaming down both their faces.
“Do you remember your daughter, Quincey?” Thankful Thomas asked, his voice gentle.
Jocelyn’s eyes lit up. “I vaguely remember,” she said. “Isn’t that horrible?”
“It will take time to process everything,” Dorothy soothed.
“Tell me about Quincey.” said Jocelyn as her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“She just graduated from law school,” Thankful Thomas said. “She’s now working in a law firm.”
Jocelyn’s eyes widened. “Oh my! Where is she? Can I see her?”
“She’s coming tomorrow for Thanksgiving,” Thankful Thomas said, a smile spreading across his face.
Dorothy’s heart swelled with joy. “I have a feeling this is going to be the best Thanksgiving ever.”
Thankful Thomas nodded in agreement. “I agree.”
Moral of this Story:
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