The Last Epistle

1. The Tin Box and the Attic

Easter dinner for the Leinster's was a serious affair, with all of the extended family piling into their south Cambridgeshire family home. It'd seen its days surging two world wars and existed now as a farmhouse where the Leinter's often found themselves celebrating family affairs or spending quiet summer afternoon's, except the Lienster's never did anything quietly.

As Diane and her fiance Steve made their way up the creaky stairs that lead to the front door, they had no idea of the soft shift that was to take place in their story. How miniscule things would lead to discovery of things beyond any of their expectations.

Diane ran her fingers through her slightly puffy hair, its what the movie stars are doing with theirs or so her best friend had affirmed before she'd fluffed Diane's hair to hell. She had never been more satisfied with a hairstyle deflating before. Then again she never had to 'deflate' any hairstyle either.

A soft sigh left her lips and then there was the soft, warm feeling of Steve's fingers lacing with her hands and the gentle note of encouragement and the promise of enduring her loud family with her that finally made her raise a fist and knock three times.

Diane loved her family there was no doubt in that, but they had a habit of being a little...excessive sometimes. She could do without her 15 family members screaming in her ear and covering her in kisses and too-tight hugs.

Especially since they'd given them the news of her engagement on first of January. Steve had chosen to propose her on New year. Right as the clock struck twelve.

The happy couple had spent the few months enveloped in their own little lives, but it was time to step out of that cocoon and Diane was less than ready.

The door opened abruptly as Diane's mother Louise Heathcote neè Leinster gasped a little too theatrically than necessary and tried pulling both of them in a singular hug, as best as she could being the small framed woman she was, Diane shot Steve a helpless look from one shoulder while Steve shook his head affectionately from the other shoulder

And then there were other similar reactions filling the air, a wave of gasps and squeals and then Diane was giving out hugs left and right while Steve did the same, and somewhere in the mess of limbs she found herself smiling a little more than before and feeling a little more free than she had before too.

They'd made their way to the huge family dinner table, revelling the different casseroles as each one of her aunts showed their speciality, Diane had stayed humble with her brownies made by her mom's recipie of course.

They talked of the wedding that was to take place sometime in August and what they intended to do for the rest of the holidays after this mini family holiday ends.

They sat and listened to each other's stories from work and neighbourhood alike while Diane and Steve held hands under the table like they were teenagers again.

As soon as they were done with their lunch Diane was whisked away by her mother. "I think you should look at the attic, there were some things from your childhood there, I kept those aside, thought you'd like a walk down the memory lane" she said, giving her daughter a wink and all she could do was smile back

"Okay I'll go look during the Easter hunt" she told her mother, who simply nodded and they both continued cleaning up the table while her other aunt's did the same.

Diane swiftly made her way away but not before cheekily requesting her mother to save a chocolate egg for her too, earning her an affectionate shake of the head.

She met Steve by the staircase, very immersed in his conversation with her uncle Arthur about some sports team, so she pressed a nonchalant kiss to the nape of his neck and made her way up to the attic.