The Albrechts

Chapter 2

AN: Once again comment and give me your feed back! Thank you!

Rory's black, knee length skirt blew in the Kansas wind. She stood watching her grandmother being lower into the grave. She didn't cry for long. Rory knew death for the death of elderly could happen any minute, so she only accepted the fact that she was gone. "Now come on Rory let's head back home. We have family coming over." Rory nodded, and they were walking back to the truck. "Rory." A simply voice behind her called her name. She turned around and saw her Aunt Gracie. "You're awful quiet." Rory brown eyes met her Aunt's gray ones. "Sorry. I-I'm just processing it all..." She lied, she didn't want to be bothered with Aunt Gracie who was a liar at times. Gracie Helen Turner-Albrecht was 40 something year old with two boys names Tommy and Bobby. Bobby is the one who is currently in Iraq. Tommy is working on the farm with Davis in the summer and is currently a student at the University of Oklahoma. He was tall and lanky with freckles all over his face. Tommy was a writer and didn't like sports. He was a homebody. He was his mother's child throughout. Not one ounce of Albrecht got to him.

But his brother Bobby was not like his two family members. He was like his father William Albrecht, Davis eldest brother. A military man who didn't take shit from no one and always stood tall. He stood up for what was he thought was right and never back down. He was the man Bobby always admired. "I understand Rory. Granny was sick, and I knew her time was coming." Aunt Gracie places a hand on her shoulder. "It will be okay honey." She smirked and walked away to catch up with her son. Out the corner of Rory's eye, she caught a glimpse of two of uncles. The youngest one was Kenneth, he was just a 34 with no kids and lived in Chicago. He didn't care for the Kansas. He wanted his life in the big city of Chicago and became a top notch Lawyer. He walked alongside William up the hill and toward Rory. She watched diligently as the walked and talked together. Rory notices the new leanness her Uncle Kenny had on him. Much slimmer and his brown hair was now long a bit on top. Dark sunglass covered his eyes, and his black suit was fitted perfectly to him Just by observing these two by their suits, you could tell who had a higher paid check.

"Rory!" she quickly heard her father call to her and she rushed to the pickup truck that waited for her.

****

The food was sat around the table and muttered of some stories of Granny rang through everyone's ears. Rory sat next to Tommy they both said in silence listening to families stories. Their knees slightly touch due to the small space at the table, and Tommy's brushed against his cousin's bare thigh as he moved it up onto the table to help pass the food around. Rory crossed one leg behind while trying to make some room between the two. She looked over at the kitchen and saw her great Aunt Anna Mae pulling out the freshly baked apple pie. Her Aunt Hannah, Davis' sister, was walking out with the last of the meal and sat right between James Allen and her fiance Mark. James Allen is Aunt Anna Mae's only child. He was a tall, lean fellow with piercing blue eyes. His hair was a dark brown, and it contrasted so well with his pale skin tone. He was social to everyone. He was currently living in Oklahoma working with an energy company. Rory looked at James for a while longer, possible staring for too long. She was taken out of her trance when Anna Mae sat down at the head of the table. The mutter was slowly dying down, and Anna Mae clears her throat.

"Before we start this fest, let's bow our heads and pray." The family took hands together, and Anna began her prayer. "Lord, thank you for this blessing you had so graciously put upon us. Even in times of sorrow and pain, you give us hope with this food on this very table. Thank you, Lord, for your mighty works. Amen." They unclasped their hands and food was passed around the table. Rory took some of the casserole and the ham, little bit of the string beans and a tiny bit of corn bread. She placed on the china that was set before her and started to eat.

"That's it Roe?" Tommy looked at her plate. "Don't tell me now you are going on a diet?" Rory chuckled, "No Tommy I'm not. I just don't like it when food is piled on a plate." Tommy shrugged, "Well then good luck on getting seconds." He piled more food onto his plate, and Rory shook her head. "How'd you eat all of that?" She said while eating her green beans. Tommy's hazel green eyes locked with Rory's brown ones. "Simple." He took a bite of his food. "You just eat it!" They started to laugh. "Have some damn respect." A deep voice said. It was William. "You just lost your Granny, and now you think it's okay to start laughing?" The table went silent. Anna Mae spoke up," He's right now. This ain't no get together. Have some damn respect." She pointed her knife at Rory and Tommy.

"Sorry, ma'am." Rory and Tommy spoke in unison.

"Be ashamed of yourselves. Can't be fucking around like that." William hit his son on his shoulder.

"Common," Davis spoke up. "Will stop. You didn't need to swear right now." Williams' eyes narrowed to his brother. "Don't fucking bother me–" The argument started from across the small table, and yelling grew onward between Davis, William, and Anna Mae. Rory watched as her father became red in the face and William began to point his knife farther out. Gracie tried to calm down her husband, and Anna Mae was trying to tell the boys to be quiet. Across the table, James Allen had his head in his hands and Hannah was trying to consult her fiance. Rory watched in slow motion Uncle Kenny pick up his glass and tossed it onto the floor causing it to shatter into pieces.

"ALRIGHTY!" He stood up. "Mama didn't want this shit to happen! Y'all are complaining about two kids laughing. Really? How'd does that makes sense! Mama w-w-was right. This family was broken after everyone moved away. Everything went to shit when that happened. This isn't the first time this shit happened at the dinner table. I know this is early, but I know damn well you all need to hear it." Everyone had their eyes on Kenny. Out of his dark black blazer, he pulled out a letter. "Before Mama died she gave me her will." Murmur circled the table. No one knew about this will Kenneth was presenting. "I don't know what's in it, but she did tell me to use it when something like this happened." He ripped off one piece of the envelope and unfolded the letter that was inside. His eye opened wide, and Davis spoke up, "What's inside?"

"It just says 'Go to the Ozarks.'"

"That's it. Mama wants us to go the house in the Ozarks?" Hannah sat up straighter and ran fingers through her brown hair that was graying. "Fucks sakes." Will said rubbing his temple with his two fingers. "Did you two except money?" Davis questioned. "How fucking selfish." he started to chuckle and shake his head. And the yelling started once more. Rory stood up and walked out of the dining room and out the back door. She heard the crash of glass as she ran outside of the house and out to the Kansas night air. She walked over to a tree that was the farthest from the house and sat down. Hot tears ran down her face. It was something she couldn't hold. She hated yelling and arguing. It drove mad when people did that. All she longed for was some order in this house. The Albrecht had a roller coaster relationship with one another. There were good times and bad times, but after Granny is gone. It's out the door and nowhere to be found. Rory recalled the funeral earlier. Her father's siblings didn't talk much, and if they did, it was small talk. No hugs or kisses just blank stares at one another. She wanted something normal with this family, and sadly it will never be like that. Rory knew that. She came from a backward household. As she sat leaning on the tree, she heard footsteps approach from behind. She wiped her tears with the sleeve of her cardigan.

"Tommy?" she called out.

"No." She bit her lower lip.

"Go away." He chuckled. "I'm just checking up on ya." he sat down next to her and looked over at her.

"James..." She mumbled.

"Yessum?"

"Are we going to the Ozarks?" Rory leaned on his shoulder. "I think we might be." He wrapped an arm around her and held her tightly. "Don't you cry now. You don't have anything to worry about. Aunt Lizzy is watching over us." He kissed the top of her. "It's going to be okay."

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Author Notes:

Thank you for reading! The story will be more interesting once I get to chapter 3. The meat of the story will start coming out and will cause all the family drama to come out! So please stay tuned!

EG