11/27/2025
They waited all month for this. Three friends, three plates, three different laughs filling the living room like music. The “Happy Thanksgiving” banner hung a little crooked, the food took way longer than it was supposed to, and everyone ended up barefoot on the carpet before the first plate was even finished. But that’s what made the night feel real — simple, soft, peaceful, and exactly what all three of them needed.
They’ve been through a lot this year. Work stress, family stuff, days where life felt heavy on the chest. But tonight wasn’t about any of that. Tonight was about being together. No expectations. No judgment. Just warmth, food, and the kind of joy that only happens around people who understand your silence and your humor.
Janelle sat on the cushion by the coffee table, legs crossed, plate balanced perfectly in her hand like she’d done this every Thanksgiving of her life. She laughed at everything, even the parts that weren’t jokes, because she promised herself she was going to enjoy this holiday — really enjoy it, not just survive it like the last few years.
Toya took over the couch, one leg tucked under her, the other stretched out with her toes sinking into the carpet. She kept talking about how proud she was of her macaroni, even though everyone could see she was really proud of the peace in the room, the safety, the softness she hadn’t felt in months. Her smile said everything she didn’t.
And Keisha — the one always on her phone — kept scrolling between laughing and eating, not because she was distracted, but because she was already planning the next mission: Black Friday.
“Okay,” she said, after taking the last bite on her plate, “we need a game plan.”
That’s when the entire mood shifted into “girl talk mode.”
Suddenly they weren’t just three women having Thanksgiving.
They were three generals planning a tactical operation.
Janelle wanted a new laptop.
Toya wanted that big TV at Walmart—“the one they only have five of.”
And Keisha wanted everything. Clothes, candles, shoes, and whatever deal she wasn’t even thinking about yet.
They pulled out the laptop, sinking deeper into the carpet, screens glowing in their faces as they compared ads, argued about which store had the better sales, and laughed at how dramatic the commercials looked.
“You know they’re setting us up,” Toya said. “These deals look too good.”
“And we’re falling for every single one,” Keisha replied, already bookmarking her fourth store.
They stayed like that for hours — barefoot, full, relaxed, passing phones around like they were trading secrets. It wasn’t really about the sales. It was about the excitement. About looking forward to something. About remembering they deserved to treat themselves after everything they’d been carrying all year.
At one point, Janelle leaned back with her plate in her lap, wiggling her toes while she thought out loud. “You ever notice Thanksgiving hits different when you’re surrounded by people who bring you peace?”
Both of them nodded without hesitation.
Because they felt it too.
The warmth.
The softness.
The comfort of being around people who don’t drain you.
People who feed you — literally and emotionally.
By the end of the night, the food was almost gone, the plans were set, and the room felt lighter than it had all year. The world outside could wait. Tomorrow could wait. Tonight was theirs.
Three Black women, celebrating Thanksgiving barefoot in a living room filled with laughter, food, friendship, and the joy of knowing they’d meet the sunrise together — ready to fight crowds, chase deals, and make Black Friday their second holiday.
And honestly?
That’s the kind of Thanksgiving memory that stays with you.