The morning of the gala was like any other morning, Troye was nestled tightly under Jacob's arm and his legs were straddling him. They laid there, intertwined and overall just happy to be there with the other as Linda's voice could be heard downstairs talking to Wanda, not yet loud enough to wake the two sleeping beauties.
Linda looked at Wanda who was cooking up a wonderfully large breakfast and started to pile up questions in her head as Wanda looked at her with an all knowing look.
"If you have questions my child feel free to ask."
Linda smiled and played with the hem of her shirt, picking at it while Wanda cracked enough eggs for an entire military unit.
"Who were Jacob's parents?"
Wanda stirred the eggs slowly at first but picked up speed as she spoke.
"They were lovely people when I first started working for them, new money, glistening gowns and smiles that warmed your heart and of course a brand new baby boy to bond them together. But my dear girl this was no fantasy family with no happily ever after."
Wanda circled around the kitchen in search for her next ingredient as Linda leaned forward.
"So what happened?"
Wanda grabbed the flour out of the shining cupboard and placed it next to her bowls upon bowls.
"Money is the most dangerous thing in the world. It breaks people and oh the glistening smiles faded and Jacob grew up and he wasn't a new and exciting adventure, he was a chore. All those two worried about was their precious jobs and whose check has more zeros at the end. It was a pity and an absolute shock to poor Jacob's system. He wasn't always this happy, he was a cold boy, never letting anyone in for more than a few moments but your brother my dear is a burning fire made for much more than his small body allows."
Linda smiled at the compliment to her brother. Wanda added more ingredients that Linda never really saw and she turned to peer at Linda who was well dressed for a girl who apparently was poor.
"May I ask you the same question in return, if that is not intruding?"
Linda smiled and leaned on the counter while Wanda worked around her.
"My parents were British, heavy accents and the idea that they were going to move Troye and I to a better life. They purchased the Motel with whatever money they had left in their pockets and it was well for a while and it was almost fun growing up in a motel, a new adventure everyday in the lobby all that type of stuff but they both eventually fell ill, something that seemed to be happening to a lot of people in our small little town and well they both ended up dying. Mom was first, she was rather small and delicate, much like Troye and our dad lasted not much longer leaving me alone with Troye and the motel."
Wanda hummed a sad hum and turned to Linda, thumbing at her cheek like a mother thumbed away tears.
"You are a brave girl who grew up all too fast. How old are you?"
"Twenty five."
Wanda threw her hands up with glee and opened the preheated oven to put things inside for later.
"A wonderful age my dear. When was the last time you got all dressed up and went on a date?"
Linda blushed thinking about the last date she went on, it felt like a million years ago.
"I must have been no older than fifteen. I've only ever been on two dates."
Wanda seemed to perk up even more when she heard how long it was since Linda had been on a date.
