Rabbit Hole Carnival: Gobble Bobble

You’ll be seeing this small intro for a fair of the next few posts. Due to a more locked down schedule, and just feeling better over all with the help of therapy and friends. And just an overall love of Rabbit Hole, and all the love it’s gotten I’ll be trying to post something every Sunday. Most of my traffic comes in on the Sunday people know I post, so I recommend you all scroll a bit further down this time round. You might have missed one.
---
“One for Ray. One for Daddy” Renee said, as she put 2 drinks on the table. “I’m gonna go get mine.”
Ray slips his drink “Oh. If I may, Nicholas? You undersold her skills.”

“Call me, Nick, but I agree.” Nick replied. “Seems she improved more than I thought. But where an idea like this came from… I have no idea.”

“Would you believe me if I said it was Thanksgiving themed?” Renee said, coming in with her own drinking. “We were talking about it a little via text, Ray.”

“I can tell.” Raymund replied. “Though if your word is anything to go by, it’s improved quite a lot since then.”

“You two have been talking?” Nick asked.

“Oh! Um… yeah, you finally found one I kind of like, okay?” Renee replied.

“I think it's a good match as well.” Ray said. “And you were right to try, Nick, she’s holding in more than she lets on.”

“There really is always an ace up your sleeve, eh?” Nick said.

“You better believe it.” Renee winked.

“You said would you believe me if I said it was Thanksgiving themed?” Ray asked. “Weren’t you working on this for months?”

“We’re a bar, Ray.” Renee replied. “And it takes forever to make a custom drink like this. Which is why a menu doesn't update. At least until now.

Nicholas took one more big swig. “Then this is what I think it is?”

“Pumpkin cider mixed up with some apples and a little bit of carrot to balance out the pitch of cinnamon” Renee said. “I’ll teach ya how to make it later.”

“That has some special meaning?” Ray asked.

“Everyone always commented on the difference in our favorite drink.” Renee replied. “Daddy's is the Planted Beanstalk, which is a ton of vegetables in a solid, smooth brew. And mine has the one I made. An apple cider with some cinnamon. The legendary ‘Shocking Apple’ I figured I’d tried to mix them together.”

“I’ll add it to the menu tomorrow, but I don’t wanna learn how to make it just yet” Nick said.

“Don’t you like it?” Renee asked. “I’ll be a little disappointed if it’s like the Shocking Apple, but I’ll understand.”

“Do you remember why I told you I’d never serve a Shocking Apple when you’re gone?” Nick asked.

“You don’t?” Ray asked. “I must admit I find myself a little curious here.”

“Every other drink on this menu is daddy's,” Renee replied. "And Shocking Apple was more than just a drink I made for the menu.  It was a project that held a lot of importance to me. With a taste that he hates.”

“But I could tell she put her heart and soul into it. It was one of the first signs to me that she was getting better.” Nick finished.

“But that drink was for her, and this drink is for both of you.” Ray replied. “If I may be so bold, this isn’t a drink you can take from her, it’s one that she is giving.”

“That’s pretty close, at the very least” Renee took a side look at Ray before nodding to Nick. “I didn’t make this one for me. I didn’t even make it for us. I made it for you.”

“But that old comment must bug you.” Nick said. “Because we hear ‘your drink choices are so separate, but you two are so close’ all the time.”

“And I rolls my eyes every time and take a deep sigh, but it hurts you so much more every time.” Renee replied. “And I always feel like that’s, because you feel like I'm not as thankful as I am for you. So here ya go,” Renee finished her drink in one last glop. “Whenever you want me to be the only one who knows how to make it, or not. You have a drink that proves I’m thankful for you.”