"Hello, Arabella."
Even though I've only ever heard that deep, calm voice over the phone, I would recognize it anywhere.
"Luca," I acknowledge as I meet the stunning, yet vicious gaze of my fiance.
"I would say it's lovely to finally meet you in p...
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Location: The Dunn home, New Jersey, USA
***
Awkward.
The one word I could use to describe the silence at the table during breakfast.
My mother had forced us all down to the dining room this morning. Apparently it was a good idea for us all to have breakfast together because interactions had been scarce since my father broke the news a few days ago.
What made the silence even more awkward was that three of us knew what would occur later, once my father left for his meeting.
"So... what have you girls been up to these last couple of days?" my mom asks, breaking the silence.
I continue to eat my bacon as if she hadn't spoken. I had nothing to say to her or my father.
Aiko spares her a glance before giving me a quick look, then returns her attention to her blueberry pancakes.
Her sister, being the most mature of the three of us, chooses to humor my mother.
"Not much. I've been practicing a new song," Naga says in reference to her piano playing.
Her parents had made her take classes since the tender age of three and now, almost sixteen years later, she was a master of the instrument.
"That's great. Have you been dancing too?" my mother questions further.
"Yes. I was at the studio on Tuesday," she answers politely.
My cousin was also a talented ballet dancer. It was another thing her parents had made her take as soon as she was old enough.
"That's good to hear. Your parents always loved how you excelled at both music and dancing," my father speaks up. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his decision to bring up her parents... and the fact that he was more or less shading me.
Unlike my cousin, I was unable to play any instruments and had never liked ballet, no matter how many times my parents had tried forcing me to take lessons. However, they did find comfort in the fact that I had been a decent gymnast and a great volleyball player.
Naga only smiles sadly in response to my father.
"And you, Aiko? Have you been dancing as well?" my mother asks my other cousin.
Aiko looks around awkwardly before replying with a curt, "No."
"Violin?" my mother tries again.
My cousin shakes her head before again replying with, "No". She then turns back to her food.
"Oh... well, that's sad to hear," my mother responds lamely.
Neither of my parents had realized that Aiko had stopped playing violin and dancing a long time ago. Like her sister, her parents had made her take music lessons and ballet as soon as she was capable. Where her sister had found a love for playing the piano, Aiko had found a hatred in playing the violin. However, she was quite a gifted violinist and thus, her parents never listened when she would ask to quit. As for ballet, she did not hate it, but she also had no real interest in it.
