Humanity of the Broken [ Band of Brothers ] 2

EPILOGUE [2]

November 25, 2019

Amherst, New York, United States

It wasn't that Elle didn't enjoy visiting her grandparents. But being dragged north to Buffalo for Thanksgiving every single year was starting to get old. She had homework over break, she had tests to study for. Midterms would be coming up soon. And she felt that as a seventeen year old, she had earned the right not to sit at the Kids' Table.

Hunter was nineteen. He got to sit with the adults. She was only a year off from being an adult anyways. So why did she have to sit with the little kids? Her feet dragged as she followed Hunter and her parents up the driveway from the street. The house was old, too. Not ancient, but the brown and white siding screamed vintage. And not in a cool way.

Elle clutched at the book her arms. Between her phone and the new novel, she'd hopefully be able to stay to herself during this crazy get together. She knew Aunt Noëlle and Uncle Bob would be there, and her Uncle John Paul and Aunt Olivia. Then of course Melanie would be bringing the kids. That meant the Kids' Table.

"Smile, Elle," her mother ordered.

"I am!" she snapped.

With all the grace and poise she could muster, Elle waited at the door. Her dad had knocked. Now they waited. When it swung open a moment later, she found herself looking at her drop dead gorgeous cousin Melanie.

"Aunt Heather! Uncle Mike!" She grinned, moving away to let them in. With hugs for Elle's parents, Melanie then turned to her and her brother. "Hey Hunter! Elle, you look nice!"

She brightened up a bit at her cousin's compliment. Elle glanced down at herself. She'd put on a grey sweater dress and curled her dark hair so it bounced just below the shoulders. "Thanks, Melanie. You look good too, as usual."

They walked inside. The dark wooden staircase rose up on the right, leading to the upstairs. The brown bear she'd remembered since childhood, definite vintage, sat in a tiny rocking chair in the hall. Elle smiled. Maybe Thanksgiving wasn't so bad.

Screams from further in interrupted her pleasant thoughts. Hunter had gone off somewhere, probably to find Melanie's husband. They got along well. But the screeching twins and their younger brother echoed through the entire building. Elle groaned.

Before long she found herself standing alone in the foyer. To her left, an antique pink glass and crystal chandelier hung over the large table that had been set up for the adults. The couches were pushed to the side to make room. After venturing into the kitchen and giving quick hugs to everyone as she was expected to do, Elle managed to sneak back out.

She found a cushy armchair that had been left alone. Her phone buzzed with activity, likely her group project chat. Wanting to avoid schoolwork as much as she could while she couldn't do anything to help, she put her phone back in her lap. Instead she turned to the book she'd picked up from the store.

"Interesting book."

Elle looked up. Grandma Ettie had come into the family room. Her greying hair was short, permed. She stood fairly tall, about the same as Elle at five foot eight. Elle always thought she dressed well for her age. She smiled.

"Yeah, I picked it up a few days ago. Look interesting," she said. Elle turned it around and showed her grandmother.

"A Woman of No Importance. The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II.' Now that sounds like a good story," Grandma Ettie told her. With a smile, she pulled over a wooden dining chair and eased herself into it. "What's her name?"