Paper love.
When Cecila snapped.
If Fran knew anything about what was going on, she didn't show it. But then again, she was a great actress. The rest of the family, though, seemed even more uptight than usual.
I guess I should have noticed that baby Tia wasn't there crying her eyes out and cousin Cecila wasn't there doing the same. Cecila always acted like a baby. Hell, she still was one.
Cecila had had Tia when she was only 16, she was just barely 17 now. Her boyfriend was William Harlett and he had impregnated her just over a year ago. It had been quite a big scandal, or atleast that's what my mother had always been blabbering on about on the phone while I had sat quietly, waiting for her to finish and to tell me that she had to go feed Tulu, the canary she had kept ever since I moved out and she had no one to take care of.
I only noticed that she and the baby were gone when we all sat at the table to feast. I gigantic turkey sat in the middle of the table with millions of other plates surrounding it and around this magnificent meal sat my whole family, minus Cecila and Tia. It was quite a sight.
It was when I was looking from face to face that I noticed who was missing. With a curious expression I turned to my mother who sat next to my father at the head of the table, "Where's Cecila and the baby?" As I said it the omnes sitting around me grew quiet and the silence quickly spread all the way through the room.
My mother looked shocked for a second as she gathered what I had just said. "Why, didn't you know?" she whispered, her eyes darting around the table as if to ask 'Who told Emery?' But everyone she made eye contact with only mirrored her features. 'What?' their eyes said, 'I didn't tell him, I thought you did!'
"Sweetheart," She answered, putting a hand over mine, "sweetheart,we'll talk in the pantry." She pushed in her chair and beckoned me to follow suit. I walked past all the staring faces of my family, my family that never bothered to tell me anything.
I sat at one of the few stolls that surrounded the island and placed my elbows on the cold, black marble. My mother was quick to shoo them off of counter, though. She walked up to one of the many cabinets and pulled out a bottle of wine, pouring herself a glass. "Want any?" She asked, motioning towards the bottle.
"No, can we just get on with this?" I pushed as she i watched her down the glass.
"Well, fine..." She sighed and pulled up a stool across from me and began to explain the story of what my family came to know as the tale of 'When Cecila snapped.'
By the end of my mother's explanation her makeup was in streams on her cheeks and I was standing by the window, as far away from her as I could get.
After a while of watching my mom try to pour herself another glass through her blurry tears, I left. I left and decided I was never going to come back.
Cecila had killed her own baby a week ago and the family was already acting like she didn't exist. It was sick.
I guess I should have noticed that baby Tia wasn't there crying her eyes out and cousin Cecila wasn't there doing the same. Cecila always acted like a baby. Hell, she still was one.
Cecila had had Tia when she was only 16, she was just barely 17 now. Her boyfriend was William Harlett and he had impregnated her just over a year ago. It had been quite a big scandal, or atleast that's what my mother had always been blabbering on about on the phone while I had sat quietly, waiting for her to finish and to tell me that she had to go feed Tulu, the canary she had kept ever since I moved out and she had no one to take care of.
I only noticed that she and the baby were gone when we all sat at the table to feast. I gigantic turkey sat in the middle of the table with millions of other plates surrounding it and around this magnificent meal sat my whole family, minus Cecila and Tia. It was quite a sight.
It was when I was looking from face to face that I noticed who was missing. With a curious expression I turned to my mother who sat next to my father at the head of the table, "Where's Cecila and the baby?" As I said it the omnes sitting around me grew quiet and the silence quickly spread all the way through the room.
My mother looked shocked for a second as she gathered what I had just said. "Why, didn't you know?" she whispered, her eyes darting around the table as if to ask 'Who told Emery?' But everyone she made eye contact with only mirrored her features. 'What?' their eyes said, 'I didn't tell him, I thought you did!'
"Sweetheart," She answered, putting a hand over mine, "sweetheart,we'll talk in the pantry." She pushed in her chair and beckoned me to follow suit. I walked past all the staring faces of my family, my family that never bothered to tell me anything.
I sat at one of the few stolls that surrounded the island and placed my elbows on the cold, black marble. My mother was quick to shoo them off of counter, though. She walked up to one of the many cabinets and pulled out a bottle of wine, pouring herself a glass. "Want any?" She asked, motioning towards the bottle.
"No, can we just get on with this?" I pushed as she i watched her down the glass.
"Well, fine..." She sighed and pulled up a stool across from me and began to explain the story of what my family came to know as the tale of 'When Cecila snapped.'
By the end of my mother's explanation her makeup was in streams on her cheeks and I was standing by the window, as far away from her as I could get.
After a while of watching my mom try to pour herself another glass through her blurry tears, I left. I left and decided I was never going to come back.
Cecila had killed her own baby a week ago and the family was already acting like she didn't exist. It was sick.