by April Trice

Created on: November 23, 2008   Last Updated: November 26, 2008

Deondra had become quite adept at blending southern traditional Thanksgiving fare with Jewish Kosher tradition without angering God or offending Moses. Her ability to bring loud African-American southern Baptists under the same roof with Orthodox Jews (that is to say, quiet reserved white people), was nothing short of a miracle.

Thanksgiving morning started like any other morning for Tucker and Deondra Goldstein. Tucker rose 30 minutes before Deondra, careful not to disturb her until precisely 8 a.m. Any earlier would result in questions about his ancestry and accusations relative to his manhood. He secured his white robe with the blue pinstripes over his matching pajama ensemble and proceeded down the stairs, careful to avoid the sixth step from the top, so as not to disturb the sleeping Queen. As was his custom every morning, he made two pots of coffee. One decaf, which he poured into a white restaurant grade carafe (his), the other caffeinated and strong enough to grow hair on the chest of an eight year old (hers).

He placed the carafe on the kitchen table next to his seat, flavored his coffee with goat's milk, free of bovine hormones and other chemical impurities. He pulled out his chair and sat down to watch CNBC. The stock market crawl and reports from the overseas market were morning pleasures that he relished. He enjoyed this routine solitude until he heard the creaking of floor boards indicating Deondra's pending descent into the land of the living. At which point Tucker quickly flipped off the TV so that Deondra could listen to her music. She had taken an interest in the techno tunes of the Ananda Project (specifically their track, Moment Before Dreaming'), while visiting her sister in Atlanta over the summer. As she made her way down the stairs, Tucker would remove his cup and saucer and replace them with her favorite blue mug.

Tucker poured her first cup of coffee (black) and placed it in front of her chair at the table. He quietly made his way to the front door to retrieve the morning paper and avoid a potential run in. Deondra was not a morning person. That, and he refused to be present for the smoked, swine sacrifice about to commence in her cast iron skillet specially reserved for bacon and two eggs, over easy. Once he was sure she'd made it to her coffee, he would quietly make his way back up the stairs.

While Tucker took care of the morning necessities, Deondra slowly came to life. She knew the coffee was going to be too hot.

"Tucker! After eight

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