Searching for a Perfect Day

Day 2

Chapter Two: Thursday/Day Two

Elsa is sick of two things before lunchtime: the phone and the door.

She's not familiar with the stages of bereavement, but she makes a mental note that if she were to ever get any real friends (hah!) and if they ever have any loved ones die, she would leave them the hell alone in the first twenty four hours.

Before her is another couple—her father's friends if she's so inclined to remember. They greeted her with the same look the last person came through the door gave, and if her parents hadn't ingrained manners and courtesies so deftly as a child to her and her sister, her patience would've flown out of the window by hour one.

It sounds cold and callous, she knows. Some of these people really were close to her parents—she could see it from the genuine disparity displayed by some, but her patience…what's little of it, is dissipating. She and her sister has many things in their agenda that must be taken care of before Saturday; being kept in the house is counterproductive to this.

Surprisingly enough, or not surprising, now that she thinks about it, what keeps her tethered is the curve of Anna's arm around hers. The smaller girl maintains the same sympathetic, subdued smile to all visitors and it would seem the strain dripping from her composure is invisible to anyone, but the blonde.

"One o'clock at St. Peter's, yes?"

She nods and follows the elderly couple, Anna following her with slim fingers tightening over her forearm.

"Yes, one o'clock," she answers even though the point is moot.

They walk their guests to the door, Kai at the threshold keeping the entranceway open silently.

"We're sorry again for your loss," the female one of the two says just as they cross the barrier, her eyes lit in the same sympathetic half smile. "Alexander and Helene were wonderful people, and I see they have just as wonderful children."

Elsa's trained smile flits up her visage as she again bows in gratefulness, her sister following suit. They wait until the couple is situated in their car and halfway up the estate before Kai closes the door and Anna turns to her, forehead dropping heavily on her shoulder. The pitiful moan that comes out of her sister's throat only serves to make her laugh.

"When did the doorbell start ringing?"

The question leads her to how she woke up this morning: a bushy stack of fiery red hair tickling her face and intermittent snores filling her ears. She inwardly wished she could wake up daily like that, but it wasn't the tickling or the snoring that had woken her from her slumber.

When had the doorbell started ringing? Seven. Seven. In the morning.

"You know how it's illegal for telemarketers to call before and after nine?" Anna's muffled voice asks, eliciting another chuckle from the older sister. "That rule really should fall on everything." She pauses, and then continues, "And Kai, I know…I know they're being nice. But…how many guests have we—oh, for the love of god!"

"Hello, Andersen residence," a maid answers the phone shortly after the incessant ringing just began.

Elsa is suddenly glad she's asked one of the maids to forsake her daily duties and maintain at the phone's side. Just like the doorbell, it had been incessant at shrilling since…seven.

"We need to go," her sister pleads, and she's amused to see the imploring look laced desperately in bright green-blue eyes. "We need to get out of here before—

Ding-dong.

Both of them sigh simultaneously, Kai giving a small smile and shake of the head before opening the door.