Abby sits on the train thinking of all the things she needs to do when she gets home.

Thanksgiving prep was going to be in high gear and she was the queen of baking sweet treats for her family.

This year her goal was to create the most elegant display of individual personal sized home made apple pies. Complete with a whipped cream inspired dressing and a little dollop of vanilla ice cream for an added special touch.

Apple pie a la mode, but fancier and cuter.

Abby hears the conductor’s voice over the loud speaker, her stop is next.

She gets up and makes her way to the doors. Upon doing so she bumps into a young man.

“Oh I’m so sorry,” Abby says.

She turns and her eyes meet with the stranger’s.

The gentleman smiles.

“That’s okay. No harm done.”

Abby’s heart slightly flutters.

His eyes a piercing, yet crystal blue, and his skin a slight sun kissed tan. His smile glistens of pearly white.

Abby is almost at a loss for words.

Move along, you don’t even know him,  she thinks, mentally rolling her eyes at herself.

Abby smiles politely and stands in front of the train doors as she awaits her stop, the train doors open and she steps off.

The weather in New York had just started to inflict the chill of November and winter would soon be following. Abby tightens her thick burgundy scarf around her neck, as she briskly sets to walking her trail home.

She comes upon her neighborhood coffee shop, and walks in holding the door for the person behind her.

Her soul was in need of a pumpkin flavored latte, she knew she would need the boost of energy to get her through the nightly duties of baking.

Abby waits on line, just a few people in front of her.

She turns noticing a familiar face behind her.

She does a double take.

“If I didn’t know better I’d say you were following me,” the man says.

Oh gosh, it’s the mysterious train man, she thinks.

Abby laughs nervously.

“Well considering I’m standing in line, in front of you, I’d say you were following me.”

Wow, that was kind of smooth, go me, she thinks.

The man smirks

“Touché,” he says.

Abby smiles. The cashier calls for the next customer.

Abby walks up to the counter.

“I’ll have a small hot chocolate please,” she says.

The young man walks up beside her, Abby notices slightly thrown off guard.

“Make that a medium hot chocolate for the young lady, and a medium regular coffee for me,” he says handing the cashier a $20 bill.

“That’s really unnecessary…”Abby begins to say.

“It’s on me,” he says with a sweet, yet sexy smile.

“I couldn’t let you…”

“I’m not really taking no for an answer,” he says smirking, his eyes sparkling with a kindness she’s never seen.

“Well aren’t you a little bossy.”

“Hey it’s for a good cause, right?” he says.

“Yes. And Thank you,” she smiles brightly at him.

“You know, you’ve got something about you, that I just, I felt the need to talk to you.”

“Oh wow, well I’m glad you did. Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you again.”

“Your very welcome,” he says nodding politely with a smile.

Abby takes her hot chocolate and walks past the man, heading for the door.

He watches and looks away before going after her.

Abby turns around quickly causing them to collide.

“Whoa, I guess it’s  my turn to be sorry,” he laughs.

“We can’t keep bumping into each other like this,” she mocks, laughing along with him.

“I was just curious…what’s your name? It’d be nice to have a name to go with the story of meeting a beautiful stranger,” he says his eyes trying to read her.

“It’s Abby…” she smiles.

The man smiles and extends his hand, “Well Abby, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Shane.”

“Well it was a pleasant bumping into you , several times today Shane,” she smiles.

“Well maybe we could do it again sometime, on purpose,” he says, his eyes questioning with hope.

“Maybe,” she says looking down at her hot chocolate avoiding his intense glare.

“I know this is totally weird, and I’m a complete stranger. But I just feel like sometimes in life, people are just meant to meet. I think in some strange way, I’ve been waiting a long time for you.”

“You believe in that kind of stuff? Destiny? Fate?” she asks.

“Love at first sight?” he adds.

Abby’s eyes shoot up.

“I um…”

“Happy Thanksgiving Abby,” he smiles noticing her nervous reaction Shane takes that as his cue to leave.

“Wait…” she says.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find you again, after all, things that are meant to be, just casually happen.”

Abby looks at him, puzzled.

“I’ll be seeing you soon, gorgeous,” he smiles walking out of the coffee shop.

What the hell just happened? she thinks walking home dumbfounded.

Abby spends the rest of her night pondering her bizarre yet somehow magical run-in with Shane.  As she baked her treats for Thanksgiving day, Abby realizes she’s never felt these kind of butterflies before. There was just a strange spark, and instant connection between she and him. And she couldn’t understand how he was ever going to find her again, in this great big world, is there really only one person meant for you?

Abby slept on it and tossed and turned and dreamed.

The next day Abby stands outside her Grandmother’s door, she knocks.

“Hi honey, you’re early!” Grandma Jean says with a big smile as she opens the door.

“Hi Gram, I thought you could use some help?” Abby says, her hands full of dessert treats.

“Oh bless your heart, come in, come in.”

Abby walks in as her Grandmother leads her into the kitchen.

Placing her containers of goodies on the kitchen counter, Abby notices a man standing by the sink washing dishes.

“Abby you finally get to meet my sweetheart of a neighbor, this is Shane, he’s been giving me a hand around the house since Grandpa Bill passed.”

Shane turns around and sees Abby standing there.

They both laugh.

“Grandma we actually met, on the train last night,” Abby recalls with a smile.

“Really?”

“And again in the coffee shop nearby,” Shane adds.

“Oh well what a small world,” Grandma Jean says with a bright smile.

“Yup,” Abby says, the butterflies forming in her stomach.

“It’s really nice to see you again,” Shane says.

“Well I guess you were right about finding me again, I have to say, this is kind of freaky though,” she laughs.

“Freaky in a bad way?”

“No, in a magical way,” Abby says smiling.

“Good,” Shane replies.

“Are you joining the family for dinner?”

“Um…I don’t want to impose.”

“Grandma Jean will insist. And so will I.”

“Well aren’t you a little bossy,” Shane says smiling flirtatiously.

“Hey it’s for a good cause, right?” she says smiling back.

“Definitely.”

Abby takes a bottle of red wine from the fridge, and two classes from the cabinet as she sets them down to pour. She hands one to Shane. And sips the other.

“Ok so here’s the run down. The kids will ask you a million questions each, and there’s about 7 of them. My Aunt Mary is kind of blunt and says the craziest things you’ll ever hear, but you’ll laugh your ass off and love it, and my mother and well let’s be honest the rest of my entire family will probably think you’re my boyfriend because you’re the only new face around and everyone else is paired off, so…”

“Hey that doesn’t sound like a bad thing, I wouldn’t mind playing along,” he winks.

“Remind me to give you my number when all of this is over…I mean that is if you make it through the night with my crazy family.”

“I think I can handle it,” Shane smiles, sipping his wine as his eyes peer over at Abby.

The bell rings, signally company has arrived.

“Uh oh, it’s go time,” Abby smiles.

“Cheers to the first of many.”

Shane smiles raising his glass to Abby’s, as they smile at each other and family comes flooding in to celebrate the holiday.

-The End-

Happy Thanksgiving!

-<3-

*I do not take credit for any images used within my crappy edits ;)*