THE THANKSGIVING PIE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING My name is Rachel, and I’m a paramedic. People hear paramedic and instantly picture flashing red lights, brave rescues, and adrenaline exploding like fireworks. They think it’s heroic, dramatic, powerful. But the real truth?It’s messy. It’s exhausting.And sometimes it breaks your heart in slow, quiet ways no one warns you about. Every shift is twelve hours that somehow turn into fourteen. You get blood on your sleeves, tears on your shoulder, and strangers’ tragedies dropped right into the center of your chest. You help

It was just past one in the morning when little Theo Bennett appeared at the sliding doors of St. Catherine’s Hospital in Vermont. He was small for his age—maybe seven—and his bare feet left faint wet prints on the shiny floor as he stepped inside. Clutched in his arms was a tiny baby wrapped in a thin yellow blanket, frayed and stained at the edges. A gust of icy air followed him in, sending shivers across the nurses at the front desk. For a long moment, no one spoke. The

I never imagined my very first Thanksgiving as a married woman would turn into a story my family would never stop talking about. Honestly, I thought it would be a peaceful day filled with food, laughter, and maybe a few compliments on my decorations. I had no idea that a perfect-looking turkey, our silly golden retriever Bella, and one panicked move from my husband would turn this day into a legendary family tale. Love really does surprise you in the funniest ways. Mark and I had only been married for