Family is all we have in the end
Tuesday, December 5th 1871
I wake up to a silent house, no little brother whining for me to get up, no people slamming around down stairs, and no voices in the hallway. I lay in bed only for a few moments before silently sitting up and looking around the dark room. No light comes from the window; it is still night, either that or it is very early in the morning. I walk from my room into the hallway, my bare feet padding along the cold floor. I don’t even bother checking the clock in the hall; instead I head downstairs and make myself a cup of tea.
Only when I’ve finished making the pot of tea does my sister with her fiery hair walk down the stairs. There is an orange glow in the kitchen and it is calming and comforting. Her messed her is down, the way she likes it and her blue-green eyes look sad but as smiles a fragile smile. She doesn’t say anything as she walks into the kitchen, and I grab another cup without even asking her if she’d like a cup of tea. I pour two cups filled with tea from an old teapot that used to belong to my mother. I push the mug towards Anna, smiling at her. She takes it and sips it slowly, as do I. Neither of us speak. Neither of us need to say anything at all. We silently sit drinking the tea, in each other’s quiet company. The stairs creak and a familiar tall man stares at us, with a guilty, apologetic smile. He walks into the kitchen where we both sit still drinking the tea. He looks at the teapot and breaks the silence.
“May I,” he gestures his hands towards the tea that we are drinking. “May I have some?” Anna and I still remain silent as I grab one more cup and fill it to the top with some tea from the pot. Lucian doesn’t speak again; he just nods quietly in thanks as I give him the tea. He drinks it quickly, and while Anna and I are still finished our tea, he is already done. All three of us sit in silence. Lucian mostly looks towards the floor but sometimes he flashes his blue eyes up to Anna and me.
When Michael comes down, I pour his tea before he even makes it to the kitchen. I’m guessing he wants some and if he doesn’t I know that he’ll take it anyways. As he walked he looks like a different person, his once straight posture is slouched and his confident face looked younger and unsure, like a child. He gratefully takes the cup and drinks some of the tea in it. He chews the inside of his cheek as if her were nervous and stays silent. Although, he looks like he wants to say something. The teapot isn’t empty yet, it holds usually enough tea for five people, but there is no fifth person coming down the stairs. This is all of us now. No mother, no father, no Gabriel.
Anna speaks first, although I was expecting Michael to speak. The break in the silence is almost a relief at this point. She doesn’t say anything about Gabe, nothing about how it was no one’s fault, or how we shouldn’t be upset, no, she only says one thing. The same thing that made me come back when I was considering leaving, the only thing that seems appropriate at this time. A tear runs down her cheek and she smiles.
“Family is all we have in the end.”
Only when I’ve finished making the pot of tea does my sister with her fiery hair walk down the stairs. There is an orange glow in the kitchen and it is calming and comforting. Her messed her is down, the way she likes it and her blue-green eyes look sad but as smiles a fragile smile. She doesn’t say anything as she walks into the kitchen, and I grab another cup without even asking her if she’d like a cup of tea. I pour two cups filled with tea from an old teapot that used to belong to my mother. I push the mug towards Anna, smiling at her. She takes it and sips it slowly, as do I. Neither of us speak. Neither of us need to say anything at all. We silently sit drinking the tea, in each other’s quiet company. The stairs creak and a familiar tall man stares at us, with a guilty, apologetic smile. He walks into the kitchen where we both sit still drinking the tea. He looks at the teapot and breaks the silence.
“May I,” he gestures his hands towards the tea that we are drinking. “May I have some?” Anna and I still remain silent as I grab one more cup and fill it to the top with some tea from the pot. Lucian doesn’t speak again; he just nods quietly in thanks as I give him the tea. He drinks it quickly, and while Anna and I are still finished our tea, he is already done. All three of us sit in silence. Lucian mostly looks towards the floor but sometimes he flashes his blue eyes up to Anna and me.
When Michael comes down, I pour his tea before he even makes it to the kitchen. I’m guessing he wants some and if he doesn’t I know that he’ll take it anyways. As he walked he looks like a different person, his once straight posture is slouched and his confident face looked younger and unsure, like a child. He gratefully takes the cup and drinks some of the tea in it. He chews the inside of his cheek as if her were nervous and stays silent. Although, he looks like he wants to say something. The teapot isn’t empty yet, it holds usually enough tea for five people, but there is no fifth person coming down the stairs. This is all of us now. No mother, no father, no Gabriel.
Anna speaks first, although I was expecting Michael to speak. The break in the silence is almost a relief at this point. She doesn’t say anything about Gabe, nothing about how it was no one’s fault, or how we shouldn’t be upset, no, she only says one thing. The same thing that made me come back when I was considering leaving, the only thing that seems appropriate at this time. A tear runs down her cheek and she smiles.
“Family is all we have in the end.”