Updated Feb 20, 2026 • ~5 min read
LUCIA
“I’m terrified,” I tell Paloma.
“It’s just Thanksgiving.”
“With his entire family. Who know I lied to them.”
“They’ve already forgiven you. You’ve been to family dinner before.”
“That was different. This is Thanksgiving. This is official.”
Paloma rolls her eyes.
“You’re overthinking it.”
Maybe.
Probably.
But I can’t help it.
WESTLEY
Mom is going all out.
Turkey. Stuffing. Three kinds of pie.
“You’re nervous,” she observes.
“What? No.”
“You’re rearranging the silverware. You only do that when you’re nervous.”
Damn.
She’s right.
“I just want everything to be perfect.”
“For Lucia?”
“Yeah.”
Mom smiles.
“You really love her.”
“I really do.”
“Then it will be perfect. Love makes everything perfect.”
“That’s very Hallmark of you, Mom.”
“Doesn’t make it less true.”
LUCIA
I bring pie.
Paloma insisted.
“Never show up empty-handed.”
Apple pie.
Homemade.
I burned the first one.
The second one is…acceptable.
West picks me up at two.
“You made pie?”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“I didn’t know you could bake.”
“I can’t. Hence the burnt edges.”
He laughs.
Kisses me.
“It’s perfect.”
WESTLEY
The whole family is there.
Mom. Dad. Jonah.
Aunt Linda. Uncle Frank.
Cousins I haven’t seen in months.
“Everyone, this is Lucia. My girlfriend.”
She waves shyly.
“Hi.”
They swarm her.
Hugs. Questions. Comments about how much she looks like Carmen.
She handles it gracefully.
I’m so proud of her.
JONAH
I pull Lucia aside while West is carving the turkey.
“How are you holding up?”
“Good. Everyone’s been really nice.”
“They like you.”
“Even though I lied?”
“Even though. People make mistakes. What matters is what you do after.”
“And what did I do after?”
“You apologized. Made amends. Loved my brother fiercely. That’s all anyone can ask.”
She smiles.
“Thanks, Jonah.”
“For what?”
“For giving me a chance. For not hating me.”
“I could never hate you. You make West happy. That’s enough for me.”
LUCIA
Dinner is chaotic.
Talking. Laughing. Passing dishes.
Family.
This is what I never had growing up.
Carmen and I were always just the two of us.
Mom worked constantly.
Dad left when we were young.
But this?
This is warmth.
Belonging.
Home.
I catch West’s eye across the table.
He smiles.
Mouths: You okay?
I nod.
More than okay.
WESTLEY
After dinner, we do dishes.
It’s tradition.
The younger generation cleans while the elders watch football.
Lucia, Jonah, and me.
Plus a few cousins.
Assembly line style.
“West tells me you’re a writer,” my cousin Maya says.
“Trying to be,” Lucia replies.
“What are you working on?”
Lucia hesitates.
“A romance novel. About second chances.”
“Sounds personal.”
Lucia laughs.
“You have no idea.”
LUCIA
After dishes, West and I escape to the back porch.
The same porch where we sat months ago.
When I was still pretending.
“Different this time,” West says, reading my mind.
“Very different.”
“Better?”
“Much better.”
He pulls me close.
We stand there, watching the sun set.
“I’m thankful for you,” he says quietly.
My throat tightens.
“West—”
“I mean it. This year has been insane. Painful. Complicated. But it brought me you. The real you. And I’m thankful.”
Tears stream down my face.
“I’m thankful for you too. For second chances. For forgiveness.”
“For love.”
“Yeah. For love.”
He kisses me.
Soft. Sweet.
Perfect.
WESTLEY
That night, I drive Lucia home.
Walk her to her door.
“Today was perfect,” she says.
“It really was.”
“Your family is amazing.”
“They loved you.”
“You think?”
“I know.”
She unlocks her door.
Turns back to me.
“Want to come in?”
There’s something in her voice.
An invitation.
A promise.
“Are you sure?”
She nods.
“I’m sure.”
LUCIA
We make love.
Real love.
Not stolen moments under false pretenses.
Real, honest, vulnerable love.
Afterward, we lie tangled together.
“That was—”
“Yeah.”
He traces patterns on my arm.
“Lucia?”
“Mm?”
“Move in with me.”
I freeze.
“What?”
“Move in with me. I know it’s fast. But I don’t want to spend another night without you.”
My heart is racing.
“West—”
“You don’t have to answer now. Think about it.”
“I don’t need to think about it.”
He looks worried.
“Is that a no?”
“It’s a yes. It’s absolutely a yes.”
He grins.
Kisses me.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
WESTLEY
She falls asleep in my arms.
I lie awake.
Thinking about the past few months.
How it started with lies.
How it almost ended in heartbreak.
How we fought our way back to each other.
It wasn’t easy.
It’s still not easy.
But it’s worth it.
She’s worth it.
I kiss her forehead.
Whisper into the dark:
“I love you, Lucia Santos.”
She stirs.
Mumbles: “Love you too.”
And I fall asleep.
The happiest I’ve been in years.
END OF ACT TWO
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