Broken Home

3 | From the Dining Table

Charles helps set up the table for Alice. Hal keeps the girls occupied in the living room while Alice finishes up in the kitchen.

She can hear the girls giggling. They are now seven and six but their laughter is still as sweet as when they were babies.

"Mom," Charles walks into the room. Alice turns to look at him. "The table is set like you wanted."

"Thank you," Alice kisses his forehead. "Dinner is almost ready, can you tell the others to start taking their seats at the table?"

"Okay," Charles nods. He gets a whiff of the dessert she baked. "Did you make pie?"

"You bet," Alice smiles. "It's been a while."

"I love it. The one dad makes just isn't the same."

"He makes you pie?" Alice thinks it's sweet of him.

"He tries," Charles chuckles. "It's the thought that counts. Jughead loves it though. He eats anything and when I say anything, I mean anything."

"Speaking of Jughead, how are you and your brother doing with your new sister?" Alice is curious to know how it's going on the southside.

"Pretty well, I'd say. I already have two sisters so I'm used to it but Jughead is still adjusting to the fact that she isn't a boy. He was rooting for a brother but he'll come around."

"You eventually did," Alice recalls his reaction to Polly being born. He wanted a younger brother too. A year later Betty was born and he missed out on another chance for a brother. When Jughead was born a couple months after Betty he was ecstatic. He thanked his dad constantly when he brought him home.

"Well, it did take three tries."

Charles walks out of the kitchen to go look for Hal and his sisters. He finds them coloring together.

"It's time for dinner," Charles clears his throat.

Hal looks up from his drawing. "Thanks, we'll be right there." Charles nods and goes to take a seat at the table. "Come on, girls, we have to clean up so we can have dinner."

Alice brings the tray over to the dining table, placing it in the center. She takes a seat next to her son.

Hal carries the girls over and sits them in their seats before taking a seat himself. "It smells delicious, Alice."

"I want chicken, mommy." Betty eyes the cooked bird set in front of her.

"Me too," Polly licks her lips.

Alice cuts slices to put on the girls' plates. Hal serves himself mashed potatoes while he waits for the chicken to be unoccupied. Charles patiently waits for all of them to get food first.

Alice looks at her son. "Aren't you going to eat, sweetheart? You know the rule. No dessert without dinner."

"Yeah, I was just waiting, that's all." Charles reaches over for the chicken and serves himself dinner.

"So, Charles," Hal says. "How are you liking your new sister?"

"She's cool," Charles bites into his dinner. "I've been helping my dad a lot with her."

"That's very sweet of you," Alice smiles. "Your father and Gladys must be happy with you pitching in too."

"Yeah, dad's real happy."

"Does she eat a lot like Juggie? Juggie told the class she cries a lot for food." Betty asks.

Charles laughs. "She's a baby, so that's how she asks for food. And she's also a lot like my dad, so she's going to be eating a lot."

"You ate a lot at that age too." Alice tells Charles.

"Mommy, why can Juggie have a baby sister and I can't?" Betty is full of questions tonight.

"You have a big sister," Hal answers the question for her.

"But Polly isn't a baby," Betty crosses her arms and pouts.

"Eat your dinner, darling." Alice says.

Hal decides to change the subject. "How is school going? Is Riverdale High treating you right?"

"I guess," Charles shrugs. "I tried out for the JV football team. My dad helped me train with a few of his moves over the summer."

"I played football with your father in high school."

"You did?"

"Yeah, maybe I could teach you a couple of things, some time."

"Yeah," Charles nods. He keeps his eyes on his food.

"Did you join any clubs too? I know Hal and I worked for the school newspaper." Alice is curious to know if he is interested in other things too.

"No, not yet at least. I've been approached by the music club but I'm not feeling it."

"Music?" Betty gets excited. "Do you play the recorder too? That's what Ms. Crabapple lets us play in the music room at school."

"No, the guitar. I learned a little guitar from my dad." Charles surprises his mother. She didn't know her son could play the guitar.

"I didn't know you could play," Hal is just as surprised as her.

"I picked it up at home. Dad's always playing for Jellybean. It gets her down for her naps, sometimes for the night if he gets lucky."

Alice zones out. She remembers when FP used to do that with Charles.

"Maybe you can play us something sometime."

"I guess," Charles shrugs. He feels Hal's eyes on him and he tries not to look.

After dinner, Charles goes to his room. Alice goes up to check on him. He's laying in bed, tossing a ball up in the air.

She knocks on his door. He looks at her.

"Can I come in?" She asks. He nods and sits up. She takes a seat next to him. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like something is bothering you."

"There's nothing wrong."

"You can talk to me. Is it high school? I know it can be stressful."

"No, school's fine." He shakes his head. "I'm fine. Really, mom."

"Okay," Alice sighs. She kisses his temple and stands up. "We're all downstairs watching a movie if you want to join us."

He nods and she walks out of his room. He lays back down and simply stares up at the ceiling.