Family

Lubic took the long way home, rather angry that the attractive blonde was a quack, and that she’d made him late for his family dinner. Of course, driving the long way home would make him later, and his grandmother even more upset with him, but he thought it wise to calm down a bit first.

He finally pulled into his driveway, leaving room for his brother’s Del Sol and his sister-in-law’s ML63 to get by his lowly Protégé. Lubic could almost smell the scent of lilacs before he got out of his car. His grandmother had planted a number of trees in the front yard years ago. The trees were large enough now to obscure the house itself; when they were in bloom, like now, it was difficult to tell what colour the bricks were underneath the mask of violet and green.

During the heat of summer, the front yard was an even wilder array of colour thanks to the extensive flower beds Mary planted every year. Though Lubic hadn’t the heart to tell her, he was convinced his grandmother must be colour blind; her selection of colour seemed even more outlandish with each passing year.

He entered the front door and kicked off his boots. “Hi everyone, sorry I’m –”

“Where have you been?” his grandmother yelled at him as she came around the corner. “You know tonight’s our family supper! And being late because of some blonde hussy!”

“Look, I’m sorry,” Lubic kissed her cheek, mollifying her temper a little bit.

“I’ve warned you about pretty blondes before, Lubic!” they stepped into the dining room where the rest of the family was seated, pretending not to listen. “Your father fell in love with one, and look what happened to him! She left him and he passed away from a broken heart!”

“Well, you don’t have to worry, grandma,” Lubic assured her. “This one was a quack who I hope I never see again!”

Mary seemed in better spirits after this declaration, so the family settled down to eat. Lubic caught Ryan’s eye; Ryan shot him an apologetic look. He’d obviously tried to reason with their grandmother, but she’d been livid when he mentioned that the woman who had detained her younger grandson was a blonde.

Just after Ryan’s mother had passed away, their father had met and fallen in love with a beautiful blonde woman. She became pregnant not long after they met, but mysteriously disappeared after Lubic was born. Their father passed away from a twice broken heart not long after. And so it had fallen to Mary to raise the newborn Lubic and his five year old brother.

Their family had been just the three of them, until Ryan married Alyssa, who had taken his heart by storm. The fiery red head had been a welcome addition to their family, as was their son, Jason. But despite all of their happiness, Mary was still a bitter woman, obsessed with the loss of her son.

Luckily for everyone, Mary seemed in better spirits, at least until she answered the door about an hour later. She hadn’t even said a word, just slammed the door and returned to her seat, tight-lipped and obviously angry with whatever she had seen. Everyone else wisely changed the topic.

*

Mikala stood stunned after the old hag had slammed the door in her face.

What is wrong with these people? She was about to knock on the door again, but thought better of it, remembering the hateful look on the other woman’s face. Perhaps it’s time to try something else.