November 24th, 2022.

  18:34:05 (6:34:05 P.M.)

  Ahem. “What’s up, it’s Tricky! A.k.a. “Your Porcupine From Northern District”! Back at it again with-”

  “Tricky! The food is going to burn if you don’t watch it!” His mom yells out, and the young porcupine immediately abandons the video, leaving his phone recording the incident.

  “HOLY SH-”

  Snatch. “Hey, it’s me, Solid. Uhh… My brother is going to burn the apple pie. Like, I’m being serious, look at this.” He flips the camera and shows the oven on fire, producing smoke; it reveals the extent of the disaster this is becoming for them. “... You need help-?!”

  “SHUT YOUR BLABBERING MOUTH UP, FURBALL!!!” The porcupine tries everything to control the mess, but everything is a disaster, forcing their mother to intervene.

  “Solid, help your brother!”

  “Alright! Alright!” The phone drops to the ground, where the voices processed how bad the situation really is.

  19:04:46 (7:04:46 P.M.)

  “Let’s forget that happened. So… how’s our Thanksgiving table lookinggggggg?” The porcupine moves the phone around, highlighting the food around their dining table.

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  “... Where’s the apple pie, Tricky?”

  “Say one more word about my mistake, and you’ll be starving for the entire dinner.” Tricky sets his phone down, showing off his obvious glare at his brother. “I know you’re joking, but be for real.”

  Although their mom quickly settles them down, despite what happened prior, she remains in her calm demeanor. “C’mon, you two. This is Thanksgiving—no need to let a video ruin your holiday. Okay?”

  Sigh… “Yes, mom.” He eventually puts the phone on a stand where he records their moment, showcasing the entire family and their dinner right in front of their eyes. “Hopefully, the food is good for all of us, because we deserve it.”

  Eventually, Tricky takes his time to showcase how much he cares for his family, remembering that today is Thanksgiving night. He probably also doesn’t want to embarrass himself on camera, unlike what had happened prior.

  “Mom, I thank you for taking care of us and doing your best to keep us financially supported. You’re the best mother in this entire world. No cap. Especially when I don’t have a dad.” He shows off a reassuring smile to his mother, to which she also responds with a reassuring smile, making Tricky proud.

  “Solid, I thank you for being a supportive brother to me. Allowing me to get a job while I’m suffering in college… Unlike you, Solid… You part-time electrical engineer smartass-”

  Snickering. The brothers' playful conversation ultimately turns into laughter, and it always amuses their mom, which works every time. “Yeah, I admit being a smartass. It’s probably—no, definitely my fault that I decided to do calculus and know such a thing as a Taylor Series. At least my stint ended with Calc III, but what matters. I’m grateful where you are right now, and you’re about to graduate, so… yeah. Happy to be there with you.” Solid reminiscing about how far they’ve gone, it’s been more than a decade since he was adopted into this family.

  “God… I love you two. Can I just…?” Tricky gets up from the chair and approaches his mom for a passionate hug. Then he goes up to his brother to also hug him, but teasingly grabs his shoulders and pulls him down to the floor, where the hedgehog doesn’t do anything but let him be. “I still despise the fact that the Racers are losing on a Thanksgiving night, you damn mutt.”

  Once the porcupine walks back to the chair, Solid calmly puts the chair back up and sits on it. “Call me a mutt. It’s not like a dog named Woofa is here.” He looks at the TV to have a slight glimpse at how bad the Thanksgiving football game really is. “Too bad we have our moments of misery. But what matters? We’re still alive and living in the moment. Right, mom?”

  “Of course! I’m just glad that my sons are alive and well. You two mean a lot to me, and that’s what I love the most! Just a Thanksgiving dinner that’ll mean a lot for us as a family. And for the future.” The family eventually eats their dinner, enjoying the moment of a holiday about them as a family.