Fairytale?

Chapter 7- Eating Felt Taboo

But let me see you smiling
With the smile I know so well;
Forget the world of shadows,
And the empty broken shell.
-

"Stop it!" Sanya hissed, as she felt Edmund's hand on her knee. "Of all the places- and you know I'm having my-"

"I'm not about to finger you in front of my family, I'm just trying to still your knee!" Edmund rolled his eyes, thanking God internally that Sanya's hiss had been quite low. "You're making the whole table shake."

"Oh." His wife said, blinking. Why did that disappoint her? He obviously couldn't do anything while she was on her period- or while in front of company. "Sorry. Can't help it, it's-"

Then she went suddenly silent, as did his siblings, and Edmund knew that his parents had entered the dining room.

"Mum, Dad!" Peter said, blinking as his parents headed to their seats. He'd been late, too- he'd been staring at his acceptance to Victoria University of Manchester- but his parents had been even more late. "I thought you'd got lost or something."

"There was far too long a line at the bank." George said, shaking his head. "I, being a fool, thought it would be empty, since Tuesday is a weekday and most would be at work-"

"But, unfortunately, most had the same idea as your father, and took the afternoon off their jobs to get their bank work done." Helen completed, sitting down with a loud sigh. She looked at the dishes and cutlery spread out over the table, as well as the neat servings of the meals in different bowls and plates. "Susan, dear, you've outdone yourself."

"Thank you, Mum." Susan smiled, before adding, nodding to Sanya, "She helped with the arrangement of the dishes, actually. I was getting hopelessly confused."

That was a lie. Sanya had shown up late, with a comb stuck in her hair and sweating profusely because she had gone to the wrong street and thus had had to run to the right one. The only helpful thing she had done was to distract Edmund enough that he stopped annoying Susan with his inputs on where what should be.

"Isn't that lovely?" Helen's smile seemed about to fade, but she somehow kept it alive. "Thank you, S- so much."

"You're welcome." Sanya said quietly, her own attempt at a smile failing miserably.

"Still, regardless of the help you had from- from Ed's girlfriend, Susie, this is quite a commendable spread you've arranged." George said, reaching out to squeeze his daughter's hand. "I'm very proud."

Susan blushed, "Thanks, Father."

Peter began, "We're actually done with eating, though- you came really late-"

Lucy, who had half a plate of food left, began to eat faster.

"So we were thinking we could go out for a walk."

"It's very hot outside." George warned, though he had no intentions of refusing. Fresh air and nature always did good. "Best not wear coats- or hats."

"Oh, no." Edmund said drolly, knowing this last word was aimed at him. "But hats are my identity."

His parents laughed, and Helen said, "Go on, then, have fun, you four."