Fairytale?

Chapter 15- Ease Never Came

And why I pray should you refuse
To go this year the same?
The way's as plain, the road's as smooth,
-

"Freedom from Finbar's." Sanya said, rather happily, as she wheeled her case out of the Finchley station. "At least for a few months."

"For ever for me." Susan responded, even happier as she walked out beside her. "Even though my future ahead is horrendously unknown, at least I'm free from school."

"Ah, that's my optimist of a sister." Peter said with a grin, walking up to them and hearing this last bit.
He leaned in to hug Susan, who accepted it gladly- she had missed her big brother, though she wouldn't say it out loud- and then he held his hand out to Sanya.

"You know me." She smiled, taking the hand and shaking it. It wasn't that she didn't want to hug him- but physical affection, never an easy thing for her. Ease never came for her- in anything, really. "You may peck me on the cheek."

He stuck his tongue out at her, "I don't need your permission, oh bitchy one."
But he did lean in to press a brotherly kiss to her cheek, which she smiled wider at.
"Where's the love of your life and the sunshine of the family?"

"Just say 'where's Ed and Lu?'." She rolled her eyes, the smile disappearing. "Why make all that effort?"

The blond gave her a look, "I forget asking you questions yields nothing."
Then he turned to Susan, who was chuckling under her breath at their interaction, to ask her the same- but then along with the next crowd coming out of the station, his brother and sister came out, too.

Edmund was carrying too many bags, and Lucy was carrying none, and Peter couldn't help a grin. Oh, he had missed them so.

"Peter!" Lucy jumped ahead and flung her arms around him, making him teeter dangerously off-balance. "I missed you!"

"One hot chocolate that one of them cries." Edmund muttered to Susan and Sanya.

"You're on." Susan muttered back- Peter and Lucy, though admittedly more outgoing and emotional than she and Ed, were definitely not cry-babies. "And you best add marshmallows to mine."

He made a face at her, before looking at Sanya- she wasn't looking at him, but at Peter and Lucy, still hugging, with a faint smile on her face. He felt sudden anxiety roll up in his throat, and he pushed it down. Why would he feel nervous about looking at his own wife?
"Sanya? Taking the bet?"

"Huh? Oh-" She blinked quickly, remembering what he'd been saying, "uh, no. I don't like hot chocolate."
Shouldn't he know that? He did know that- and that she didn't really like betting. Playing cards was the only gambling-related activity that she enjoyed. She liked gossiping- but not betting.
"Sorry." She added, feeling rather weird. Was this even something to apologise for?

"We can bet with something else." Susan suggested. "Something all three of us like."

"Like what? Books?" Edmund rolled his eyes. "See, this is why I say we should just play for money."

"Not everyone's as good at saving money as you." His sister scowled at him. The allowance her parents gave her usually disappeared within a week. "And Sanya has boatloads of money, so it's not fair."

"Actually, Sanya won't have boatloads of money until she's eighteen." Sanya clarified. "Which is practically forever from now."
She wasn't even sixteen- she would be, in a month and two days.

Sixteen. The age everything had changed.

Even more so than thirteen.

"But you've money saved up, Moonshine." The brunet remarked, his brows furrowed. "You always were very frugal."