Peter always felt bad for Megan on holidays. She insisted that he take the twins so they would have traditions and family memories. He felt guilty that she had somehow lost her family. He had lost the family he always wanted with her. They both lost and suffered.

He didn't have a big extended family, and neither did Megan. There weren't gatherings of thirty people with cousins and second cousins once removed, whatever that meant. There was no kids' table set aside so the adults could sit together and forget their child had poor table manners.

His family would be complete for the first time in many years. Not that Peter considered it complete, because Megan was always missing. Still, his sister Liz was visiting from Florida with her family.

Liz had run off to Florida with her loser boyfriend when Peter was in high school. She went to school to become a hairdresser and waitressed nights. She said that senior citizens were at every turn in Florida and didn't tip over fifteen percent, but vacationers left good tips. She liked to work at places that were loud, and trendy so the old folks would stay away.

Six months into her Florida adventure her boyfriend took off and instead of coming home defeated she stayed. She moved in with a girl from the restaurant, finished school and started working at a salon.

She was doing alright for a poor girl from Maine. She had friends and a job she liked. She dated, but wasn't looking for a freeloader.

Peter had heard the story many times. One day she was cutting a client's hair, but it didn't need cutting. He had just been in two weeks before. She thought he was a nice guy, but shy. He had a job he wore khakis and a nice shirt to, but she didn't know what it was.

Two weeks later, he was back in her chair for a haircut he didn't need. She looked him over and smiled at him. When he smiled back, she saw dimples and sparkling green eyes. He wasn't bad for the quiet type.

Just as she was finishing up with his hair and brushing all the little hairs off his neck she said, "You'd save a lot of money on haircuts you don't need if you just asked me out."

She could see him blush, but sure enough the shy guy asked her out. It turned out that optometrists wear khakis and nice shirts. In Florida, optometrists are busy and make decent money. Neither cared that he was twenty-eight to her twenty.

Liz and Adam were married with little fanfare a year later. She didn't want to get married in Maine and knew her family couldn't afford to go to Florida so they had a simple ceremony. Their son and daughter age eleven and nine were Nick and Sophie's only cousins.

She owned her own salon. When Liz came back to visit once a year, Peter always liked her to cut his hair.

"Nobody cuts it like you Liz." It was the evening before Thanksgiving.

"So I'll see your kids tomorrow?"

"Yep. They'll have fun with their cousins."

"So what's new with you?"

"Nothing. Just work and weekends with the kids. I turn up the excitement once a month for a poker game with friends."

"High school friends?"

"No, I don't hang out with them. Certain ones I don't have any use for."

"Like Sully."

"Yeah."

"When are you going to move on?"

"Move on to what?"

"A new relationship."

"I don't know. I'm fine, don't worry." He wanted a relationship, but not a new one.

"So how is she, anyway?"

"Who?" he asked, as if he didn't know.

"The reason you won't move on."

"Who?" he asked again, to annoy her.

"Your ex-wife that's who!"

"She's okay, I guess." He didn't want to tell her Megan's business.

On Thanksgiving Day, the twins dressed nicely were ready when he arrived.

"Any requests?" he asked her.

"Pumpkin pie. I even bought whipped cream!"

They had started a Thanksgiving tradition. Marie always loaded Peter up with leftovers and he brought some to Megan for her Thanksgiving dinner. If Marie knew he was feeding Megan, she wouldn't be happy.

A few years before, he offered her food because he had too much. Last year, he told her it was coming, and she asked him a little about the day while she was dishing out what she wanted. She never took much. He remembered that small conversation was the best part of his day.

Peter hoped to sit with her while she ate. He would take a step forward. Next year he would like to spend the day with her.

First stop was his family. The twins were shy with their cousins. They hadn't seen them in almost a year. He goofed around with them and eventually they warmed up to each other. The adults laughed calling him a big kid. He relaxed, because Liz was focusing her attention on Becka and her single status. He was hoping she wouldn't nag him as she had the day before.

Eventually he started rounding up his two and his mother said, "Take some food."

"I'm not going home yet, Ma."

"It's cold enough in the car. Take it. You need to eat."

"I eat plenty." He argued, but his mother hadn't forgotten.

"Can I have a piece of pumpkin pie in case Marie doesn't make one?"

As he drove up to Marie and Ed's house, he never lost that feeling of home. The house was impressive as always and in the fading light of the late November afternoon it was glowing with its warm lights. The tide was high. At some point he had become one with the ocean. He was aware of its moods; high or low, angry or playful. He was aware of the subtle differences between the seasons. The ocean was in his veins.

The house smelled wonderful, and the kitchen was already clean. The twins were standing hesitant at Marie's side. They didn't remember their Uncle Drew and had never met his girlfriend.

Walking in he smiled and the two men embraced and smacked each other's backs the way men do.

Drew made introductions to his girlfriend, Jenna. "These two have grown so much. They're like mini-mes."

"They are in looks, but their personalities aren't quite that way when you get to know them. You're looking good, man." Peter turned to the twins. "This is your Uncle Drew."

He wanted to say that he was mommy's brother, but he didn't. He wondered why the twins never asked more questions. They seemed to just accept that mommy didn't go to nanny's house. He knew Ed saw his daughter, but it was typically when he had the twins. There was a general understanding with his children that mommy wasn't friends with daddy or nanny. Maybe at six that made sense.

Peter listened to Drew talk about his work. He was living in Los Angeles. As a film editor he had worked on many blockbusters. He had even been nominated for an Academy Award twice, but hadn't won yet.

Peter learned that Jenna wasn't involved in movies at all. She was a physical therapist. They met when Drew was recovering from a knee injury.

"Do you still run?" Peter knew Drew ran track in high school.

"Yeah, but a bad knee held me back for a while. We run together. You?"

"Most mornings. I finally broke down and got a treadmill for winter. My landlord lets me keep it in the basement and I let him use it. I like running on The Point best."

"We should go for a run on the beach." Drew suggested and turned to his mother. "When's low?"

"Mid morning. You should know. You and your father just went for a walk this morning while we were cooking."

"Oh right. I wasn't thinking."

Peter suspected that they hadn't walked the beach at all, but went to visit Megan. He knew Ed did that often.

He smiled at the exchange as if to say, I'm onto you. "Maybe Saturday, if we can stay Friday night?"

He looked at Marie who agreed.

He had already made plans to bring his sister and her family for a walk on the beach on Friday. He suspected her sudden interest in visiting The Point had more to do with Megan. She claimed she wanted lobster rolls from The Landing, but they were too poor growing up to eat lobster. They never had one until he started working there. He teased her. "I can make you one. I know the ingredients." In fact, he knew why the ones he made at The Landing were so famous and the ones at Mario's were just like any other place.

Drew said, "We grabbed coffee so I could see Rick and Alice. They look good. Too bad Jen never comes home."

Peter listened to Drew explain to Jenna about The Landing and working there in the summer. "Peter worked there for years too."

"My last summer was the year the twins were born right before I finished school and got my job." And ruined his marriage.

Later Drew took Peter aside. "Jenna and I are gonna be out tomorrow night."

Peter nodded. He knew they would see Megan.

The twins grew restless and tired with just adults and he announced that they were leaving.

Marie jumped up. "Hold on. I know it's a lot, but you can freeze it."

Peter asked, "Can I take a piece of pie for later?"

"Take what you want, love."

She had been feeding him since he was seventeen. Back then he was always hungry and broke. Now he was neither.