Cottage Dreams- A New Beginning

Chapter 5- New friends

Barbara stood around the dinner table stressing out "table set- check, potato's- check, salad- check, sauces- check, main dish- check, desert- check, jui-" her husband quickly cut her off and wrapped his arms around her.
"Shh, calm Barbara.. everything is perfect. You're perfect." Adam whispers in her ear, kissing her gently.
She pulled away rolling her eyes "real smooth." Barbara teased before letting out a big sigh "I know, I just want it all to go..smoothly and this helps me not stress. As much." She looked up at him.

"Barbara! Adam!" Suddenly a young girls voice called out knocking at the door.
Barbara gasped "they're here!" The woman raced to the door and breathlessly said "hi, hello, come in, come in!" She allowed everyone to walk through passed her, into the dinning room.

"Wow! Look, Charles, plants!" Delia exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement as she pointed to the hundreds of plants that filled the house. The sunlight streamed through the windows, highlighting the vibrant greens and colorful blooms. Delia was a tall, beautiful woman, her striking red hair nearly secured in an abstract bun, accentuated by her stylish heels and fancy dresses. She had a passion for crystals, which sparkled around her like little treasures.

"Yes, dear, very nice," Charles replied, his tone more reserved. He was a tall businessman, dressed sharply in a tailored suit, his demeanor professional yet affectionate as he took Delia's hand and helped her to sit at the table, ensuring she was comfortable.

Lydia, Charles's gothic daughter, observed the scene with a frown of disgust. Her dark clothing and makeup contrasted sharply with Delia's bright and cheerful presence, making her feel even more out of place in this lively atmosphere. As everyone settled into their seats, Lydia couldn't help but roll her eyes at the contrast between her father's polished world and her own unique style. The table was set with an array of colorful dishes, and the chatter filled the air, but Lydia felt like an outsider looking in, her thoughts swirling with a mix of annoyance and curiosity.

Adam set out all the food for everyone and then sat himself down. "This is amazing," Lydia stated, her eyes lighting up at the spread before her. "Thank you. It's all fresh; most of it we made from scratch," Adam replied, pushing his glasses up with a proud smile.

After dinner and dessert, the families started to chat, the atmosphere warm and inviting. "So, how long have you two been together?" Delia asked the Maitlands, her curiosity evident as she leaned slightly forward, eager to hear their story. The conversation flowed easily, laughter mixing with the clinking of glasses, creating a cozy ambiance that wrapped around them like a comforting blanket.

"Um- we got together when I was seventeen, im thirty two now, so... fifteen years together. Oh wow.. that's a while." Barbaras eyes went wide and Adam rubbed her back.
"So, how about a board game?" Adam suggested moving Everyone into the living room. Lydia quickly helped Barbara put the dirty dishes in the sink, before following Adam.

The game was simple, you rolled, you moved, and attempted to reach the end first but there were challenges on the way. "Barbara, why don't you get a white and red wine and a few glasses whilst I set the game up? Lydia, you can help." Adam smiled lovingly at his wife, which she did in return.

Barbara and Lydia both went to the kitchen. Lydia brought glasses in and Barbara the wine.
"Lydia what do you want to drink? I have fresh lemonade."
"I wanted wine." She frowned.
"I don't think you'll be allowed that. Let bring the lemonade just incase." Barbara laughed.

As the hours went by, the adults were slightly tipsy and the Karaoke was on. Barbara and Delia were surprisingly bonding over the music they listened to in the 90s and 2000s.

Eventually, it was two in the morning. Lydia was half asleep and Adam had put a blanket over her. The men were sat with two beers now and the women were still up dancing whilst drinking their wine.

Once finished his beer, Charles stood up "right, well it's been a lovely night but I think we should head home. Lydia looks exhausted.
"Oh, I wanna stay!" Delia whined and then hugged her little friend Barbara.
"Bye bye." Barbara waved them off as Charles walked with his asleep daughter in his arms and his soon to be wife Delia who was walking in some zig zag way, next to him.

"I had fun." Barb smiled.
"Yeah, I can tell misses. Now, let's get you off to bed so you're not so ill tomorrow." He rubbed her back and took her to their room so she could sleep.

Everyone was home safely, and sleeping well but the next day a few people definitely weren't feeling their best but it's clear to say they had some new friends for life.