A casual sort of day
The sun shines red as it rises on the horizon on dew-touched fields. A short sense of peace fell over the mansion in the early morning and Charles chose to drink his morning cup of tea in a bay window in one of the main rooms. The floorboards creak, interrupting the silence.
“Need any company?” the intruder asked.
“No one’s usually up this early?”
“You know I’m not one to sleep in.”
“We always did enjoy our early mornings together, Erik.”
He took a spot in a nearby armchair and followed Charle’s eyes out onto the expansive property.
“I’ve always loved how the dew sun dosses the whole world when it’s this early.”
“I’m sorry,” the words stumble out of Erik’s mouth
“What?”
“I’m sorry. For everything, for the fighting, for leaving, for everything that led up to it. I thought parting ways was the best move, we were just too different to continue. But, I was wrong. I miss this more often than not and I can never make up for lost time, but I want to try this again.”
“Erik, you left me all alone, I was left with no one, I had to rebuild myself from the beginning.”
“I know, and I can't apologize enough for how the pain I caused you. But I don’t know if I can wake up in this house every day knowing you’re never far, seeing what I lost.
“I never stopped loving you and I miss this too. But I can’t just move on overnight.”
“I understand that and I don’t want you to, all I want is for you to give me a chance.”
“Okay, let’s start small. There’s a small cafe in town I like.”
“It’s a date.”
Elsewhere in the mansion, the rest were starting to rise. One by one they all started their own sense of normalcy they had found since coming to the mansion. Alex, like always, finds his body clock waking him up early enough to get into the gym. He had been discharged from the service almost a year ago, but some things never changed. Jean was also up early, beginning her day with a new book before even getting out of bed. Hank didn’t even finish getting ready before he found himself in the lab investigating ways to protect the files of those who lived here. Raven, always up later, joins Charles and Erik for a cup of tea in the main room. Darwin and Angel follow, each taking their time getting ready before joining each other in the kitchen to make breakfast. Something they both bonded over after finding out they were taught by both of their mothers. Sean was last to wake, groggily throwing on some clothes and going to join Darwin and Angel to steal their ready-made food. There were others, of course, making their way around the mansion, finding a sense of home that they had lost long ago. And maybe that’s what made it all easier. Knowing everyone had one shared struggle of feeling misplaced. It was enough to bring them all together, despite their differences.
The calmness was kept throughout the day. The weather was perfect, the sun beamed down to warm the students’ faces, but the breeze kept it from getting too hot while adding a calming sound. The professor had insisted the students go outside before he and Erik left(which starts a spark of rumors through the grounds). A few played basketball while others spread out across the lawn on picnic blankets. A few of the adults were able to pull out two paddle boats from storage and a few were currently racing them across the lake. Missing from the group, however, was Raven, Jean, and Hank. The three disappeared into the mansion almost two hours ago and had not been seen since. The mystery was solved, however, when they called everyone into the main dining hall, twelve large pizzas were spread among the counters.
“Oh my gosh yes, I fucking love pizza,” a young bald man with an eye tattoo who went by Ink said.
“Dude, there’s kids around,” Darwin said, giving him the side-eye.
The kid managed a mumbled apology and went to stand next to his friends in line.
One by one the rest of the students filed in. Their faces lit up once laying eyes on the steaming piles of cheese and bread. Plates are passed out and the fifty or so kids find spots at the table, the counter, the floor, and anywhere they can find. It’s a tight fit, but they manage to all crowd into the room. Alex managed to snag a place next to the silent heroes.
“So, how’d you three manage to pull this off?”
“A lot of time, energy, and an old family recipe,” Raven laughed, nudging Jean.
“Homemade pizza was always a favorite in my house growing up.”
“I don’t blame you, this is delicious,” Alex added.
The sound of kids talking and laughing filled the hall long after the pizza had been cleared off plates. A true family meal wasn’t something most of the kids had experienced for a long while. They had to make up for it where they could. But, eventually, the numbers started dwindling as people left to prepare for bed. Hank and Alex offered to clean up leaving them both alone in the kitchen. Hank had just placed the last dish on the drying mat when Alex sparked a conversation.
“You’ve been awfully quiet since we’ve got here. At first, I thought it was just newby nerves. But you're telling me we still haven’t warmed our way into your heart.”
“I just don’t have a lot to say.”
“Well, don’t feel afraid to speak up. I know we properly seem all intimating and everything, but I promise we don’t bite.”
“Now is that right.”
“One hundred percent, bozo.”
“See, I keep thinking we’re bonding, and then you go and say things like that.”
“What can I say, teasing is my love language.”
It took the two of them about ten seconds to process what he said. The awkward silence that followed was deafening. The realization of what had just been said was evident in the blush on their cheeks. A light buzzing from Alex’s pocket interrupted both their thoughts. Here pulled his phone out of his pocket and made a light gesture that said, I better take this.
“Alex?”
“Yes, this is Alex Summers.”
“Oh thank god.”
“I’m sorry, who is this?”
“It’s, it’s Scott. Your brother?”
There was dead silence.
“Scott?”
“Yeah, yeah. Can you come pick me up? I'm scared.”
“Of course, where are you?”
“A bus stop outside Breckenridge, Colorado. That’s where we live now, you know.”
Alex smiled, “I’ll be there soon. Just, hang tight.”
Hank, who had just heard Alex’s part of the conversation, looked at him confused.
“I need to go pick up my brother.”