The Disastrous Love Lives of the Delaney Family

1.11 Amor Vincit Omnia

Dinner was an interesting hour and a half. For the most part, Spencer ignores me, only speaking to me when I'm part of the conversation, and never one-on-one. His main focus is on Joss but he's making an effort to win over Owen, too. He's even charmed most of the women around the table, bar Éliane, but she's suspicious of everyone so can't be counted on to give an honest opinion on any newcomer to this family until past the five-year mark. When Dashiell, her brother was born, it took her about seven years to stop calling him 'It'. Even now, she will sometimes ask her parents if there's any chance of returning him. 

"Éliane?" I nudge my cousin's elbow with my own just as a waiter starts to clear away the dessert bowls. When she whips her head around to face me, I notice the scowl etched on her features and almost decide not to bother disturbing her further. Instead, I tilt my head to the side gently and ask, "Are you ok? You haven't been yourself tonight and that's unusual. I'm used to you being, what's the word...?"

"A stroppy cow?" She offers, a small shrug of her shoulder indicating that this is how she's used to being described.

I shake my head. "No, I was going more for sullen. I'm used to you-"

"Sullen is a polite way to say moody," Joss offers from my left. I hadn't realised he was tuned into the conversation but now that he is, and he's offered his usual observational response to something he's deemed inaccurate, it's only a matter of time before everyone else at the table interferes.

Léa, for example, spoke up in under thirty seconds after Joss. "Who is moody and sullen?"

"You can't be both moody and sullen if they mean the same thing," Joss points out. "But I think we're talking about-"

"Vampyrum Spectrum's new album," Spencer hurriedly cuts off Joss's comment. He quickly inclines his head towards Éliane and smiles secretively, before continuing with, "Their new album, Megaderma, has this really dark, moody undertone to most of the tracks, with brooding, sort of sullen lyrics that capture the pain of a songwriter going through a personal life crisis."

Silence followed. I've vaguely heard of Vampyrum Spectrum before- they're a heavy metal rock band that Joss sometimes listens to, but even I know that Megaderma is a solid three-year-old album by this point. From the way Joss opens his mouth, I think he's about to voice the same sentiment as I am, only to be cut off by the arrival of our grandfather hovering over my left shoulder. 

Despite being ninety years of age, my daideó is as sprightly now as I ever remembered him to be. His once dark hair is now fully grey and whispy, his skin is slightly more transparent than before, but the glint in his blue eyes is ever-present, as is that handsome lopsided smile of his. He apologies softly for interrupting the conversation and introduces himself to the only 'new' face at our table, Spencer, who immediately stands up and shakes his hand gently. A quick, 'Pleasure to meet you' was exchanged before my daideó holds out his hand to me and motions to the dance floor.