November had just begun, but Tammy had already been through a month’s worth of incidents. By the second, she had to uproot her whole life in the bustling city of New Pork and move back home to her small town Turkeysee. Life here was much slower, especially compared to her busy life and job as a turkeynology services manager. She was forced to move back home when her mother, Tamera, fell ill with the bird flu. Now, Tammy was the only turkey standing between her family business, Turkeyget, and bankruptcy.

“Where have all the customers gone?” Tammy cried, stocking the already-full shelves for what felt like the millionth time. “Why won’t they shop here?!? I’ve even put everything to a 40% off sale! How will I pay my mother’s medical bills?”

Tommy heard her cries through the shop window. There she was, his high school crush, crying between the pre-made pies and the cans of corn. 

“Tammy?” he asked, walking into the store. “How have you been?”

“Oh, ha, fine!” she replied hurriedly, jumping up and straightening her feathers. 

“So, where have you been? I haven’t seen you since graduation… gosh, it’s been almost five years!” he said, shocked by how the time flew by. 

“Well, I was living in New Pork, but my moms ill and I had to come home and run the family business. Though, I won’t have to worry about that for long, since there is no business anyways! At least I’ll get to go back soon.” Tammy replied, frustrated.

“Who knows- maybe your luck will turn. You take care now!” 

As he walked home through the sidewalks lined with red and yellow autumn leaves, Tommy devised a plan to save Tammy’s business and keep his old sweetheart in town. As soon as he walked through the front door, he started texting his friends, boasting about the amazing sale at Turkeyget and how they should stock up for the holiday season. 

The next day, Tommy returned to the store just as it opened. 

“Back already?” Tammy asked, turning back to the can display she was stacking.

“I thought you might need some help,” Tommy retorted. 

“Help?!?” She questioned, turning around. “If you haven’t noticed, there’s no one-” her eyes widened and her mouth hung open, much like the entrance to her store. Dozens of customers filed in from across town, dashing around the market trying to grab the best deals before everyone else.

With teary eyes and a wide smile, she looked back at Tommy. “Did you do all this, for, for me?”

“Just helping out an old friend!” 

“How can I ever repay you? This means so much to me, to keep my mom’s business alive for her. Seriously, I am so grateful.”

“How about dinner tonight, 7:00?” He asked slyly. 

“I’d love to,” she said.

Later that evening, dressed in her prettiest pearls and pristinly crimped feathers, Tammy waits by her door for Tommy to arrive. He picks her up in the same old pickup truck he had when they were in high school, just with further faded paint and more rust. At the old Italian restaurant, Tammy tries to gauge how serious Tommy is about their future.

“Thank you so much again for inviting all those people to the store. It saved the business! And, now that my mom is better, I’m thinking about going back to New Pork… I don’t know if there’s any reason for me to stay here anymore…” she says, studying his reaction.

“Well, uh, that’s great! I know you’ve always really liked it there…” he replies, trying to act happy for her. 

“I was always a country girl, but New Porks got the best job opportunities. Would you ever move to a big city like that?” she questioned.

“I don’t think so… I love it here.”

“Oh,” she replied, disappointed that he seemed so uninterested in her leaving for good. 

As Tommy drives home after dropping her off, he feels like he missed his shot. After wallowing in self-pity, he calls his friend, Theo. Theo was a nurse at the hospital, where Tammy’s mom was staying. 

“I should have just told her I wanted her to stay! Now I might never see her again!” he exclaims in frustration. 

“Whatever you want to tell her, you need to do it fast,” Theo replied. “I overheard her flight leaves tomorrow at eight when she came to visit her mom… you don’t have very much time left.”

The next morning, Tammy wakes up bright and early for her flight. 

“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay for a little while? Help you get back on your feet?” she questioned her mother. 

“No, no dear. I’m fine, I promise. You go back to your life now, I’ll be fine here,” she replied.

“Well, I guess if nothing else is keeping me here, I’m off to the airport,” she said, depressed her and Tommy never hit it off. 

Tommy dashed to the airport, desprate to see Tammy one last time.

“Sir, you can’t go to a terminal without a ticket!” the TSA agent yelled.

“Okay, uh, just give me anything going to New Pork,” he blurted out, in a hurry to find Tammy.

“There’s only one first class seat left… that’ll be one-thousand pecans please.”

“Nothing’s too expensive for her… I’ll take it.”

Tommy snatched up his ticket and sprinted to her gate. They depart in ten minutes! Will I even make it in time?!? When he got to the right gate, he found no one was waiting there. Oh gobble, did I miss the plane!

“Last call for flight 123 to New Pork. Last call!” said the flight attendant over the intercom.

As Tommy waited at the gate, questioning whether to get on or leave Tammy in the past, he noticed some familiar feathers dashing towards him. 

“Please wait!” Tammy yelled, rushing to the gate to catch the plane. “Tom? What are you doing here?”

“I came to stop you. Please- I’ve always loved you. Don’t go, stay here, so we can be together.”

“I-I never knew you felt that way… I love you too.”

Tammy and Tommy left the airport feather in feather, and lived happily ever after.

The end.