Grandma and Teen She Accidentally Invited to Thanksgiving Reunite for Third Year Running

An Arizona grandmother who accidentally invited a stranger to Thanksgiving dinner in 2016 kept up their tradition and invited him back for the third year running. 

Two years ago, Jamal Hinton, then a high school senior, received a text message from a number he didn't recognize inviting him over for turkey and pie. It turned out to be from Wanda Dench, who was trying to invite her grandson to dinner, but had messaged the wrong number. 

Hinton quickly set the record straight, but asked for a plate anyways. 

“Of course you can,” Dench wrote back. “That’s what grandmas do … feed everyone.”

A screenshot of the conversation went viral online and Hinton ended up joining the family for Thanksgiving that year. 

But their friendship didn't end there. Hinton returned in 2017, and the two got to know each other better, out of the eye of the media. 

"We told him he's invited every year and I will reach out every time. He said he'd love to come," Dench told InsideEdition.com at the time. "He is our extended adopted grandson."

Looks like Hinton, now 19, plans on taking them up on that. On Thursday, he posted a picture of him and Dench together again, with the caption, "2016, 2017...... 2018," and a heart emoji. Like last year, he was joined by his girlfriend. 

2016, 2017...... 2018 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/0ZNA54uGAS

November 23, 2018

The pair hasn't limited their relationship to Thanksgiving day, however. 

“She sent me a couple gifts cards for Christmas,” Hinton told People magazine last year. “She also talked to me around my high school graduation, and we’ve been keeping in touch here and there.”

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