The Inheritance (12)

Lisa stood up, excusing herself from the table in a low automatic voice.  There didn’t appear to be any acknowledgement from Lily or Mike as they continued talking.  In silence she moved around the end of the table picking up Tupperware covers and sealing containers beginning the chore of putting food away.  It had always been like this.  The two of them together plotting and having fun while she was left out, on her own and doing all the work.  Did she really expect her relationships with her siblings to be any different this time around?  Well, she was going to get their attention one way or another!

“Hey, who wants to go waterskiing?”  Tom asked the group in general.

A cacophony of voices responded as the younger family members expressed interest.  Matt and his cousin Loren looked over from where the game of Ladder Toss they were playing was set up before turning to look at each other.  Matt shrugged.  Loren smiled.  Without further comment they draped their Bolas over the top rung of the closest ladder and headed over to their uncle.

“We’ll go.”  Matt said.  “Maybe this time Loren will make it all the way around the lake.”  He ducked to the side as Loren made a playful jab at his shoulder. 

Tom led the group away from the picnic tables with Brad bringing up the rear.  Of all the children only Beth stayed behind.  She sat alone at one of the picnic tables, her head bowed, her left hand resting on her book closed on the table in front of her.  A short distance away her cousin Amanda, Lisa’s fourteen-year-old daughter stopped following the rest headed toward the dock and turned around to look at Beth before glancing at her mother.  Beth peered up through her hair, meeting her cousin’s eyes for the briefest moment before glancing toward her aunt. 

Lisa had her back to her daughter as she packed things back into the cooler seemingly unaware of the subtle interactions of the two girls.  She lifted a small amber colored ampule of liquid out of the cooler and shut the lid.

“I think I’m going to take a walk along the beach.  Anyone want to go with me?”  Lisa said without looking at anyone in particular.

“I’ll go with you Aunt Lisa.”

“Me too.”  Amanda said walking back toward the tables.

Dappled sunlight fell on the tabletops and ground creating patterns of shadow and light, altering the features on Lisa’s face giving her a minatory look.  She smiled dispelling the configuration and addressed her brother and sister.

“How about you two?  Stretch your legs a bit?”

Lily sat up straighter and stretched.  “I think, I’m going to head down to the dock and get some pictures of the kids skiing and keep an eye on Brad Jr.  He is a lot like his dad, jumping into things without much thought to possible consequences.”  She extricated herself from the picnic table bench and headed for the lake.

“I’m going to stretch out on one of these lawn chairs.  Take advantage of the opportunity to let my lunch settle.”  Mike said patting his abs.

“Then it’s just the three of us.  Come on girls, let’s see what we can find of interest.”

To Be Continued…

Family Time

The air turned chilly with the settling of the sun.  Around the fire pit people pulled on sweatshirts and jackets scooting their chairs a bit closer to the warmth.  The day had been filled with games, fun and food.  Most of the guests had left leaving a small close-knit group of family. 

Marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers were brought out and set on a stump.  Pronged skewers were loaded with the soft white puffs and presented to the glowing coals in anticipation of their cooking to a golden brown, their middles soft and gooey, just right for building a s’more.   

Storm

Waves crashed against the rocky shoreline spraying upward onto the orange streaked stone.  Rough vegetation struggled to keep a foothold in minute crevasses in the midst of wind and surf.  The call of a seagull searching for dinner rose above the din and broke upon the balcony door dispersing in a muted cry to the couple within.

“It looks cold and lonely out there.”  She said standing at the window.

“All the more reason to stay inside.”  He said, his arms around her.  She leaned back, letting herself get swept up in the wildness of the storm building around them.

The Inheritance (11)

Food had been consumed, burgers, brats, salads and fruits.  Everyone was sated and yet, when the brownies were brought out no one could resist the gooey, chocolaty richness of Lisa’s brownies, the same recipe their mother had made for them as children.

“Hmm, these are the best.  I haven’t had brownies this good since I moved away.”  Lily said, her eyes closed, a contented smile on her face.  She popped the final bit in her mouth savoring the velvet feel of the frosting mingling with the moist spongy almost cakelike brownie.

“They are good aren’t they?”  Mike said in agreement with his sister.  “Remember when we took a pan of them off the counter, where mom had set them to cool?”

“Yes, we climbed up into your tree house, ate the whole pan between us and spent the night taking turns in the bathroom.”  Lily replied with a laugh.

The years of separation slipped away as the two siblings recalled youthful exploits finding common ground to rebuild their estranged relationship.  Lisa, listening to her younger brother and older sister reminisce, sat quietly on the picnic table bench a space away from Lily.  Her memories from childhood reflected the same scene, Lily and Mike close as two drops of rain in the same puddle, swirling, mixing in a never-ending dance of give and take, support and opposition while she stood outside their realm alone in her thoughts and deeds.

To Be Continued…   

Fairy Princess

The screen door slammed shut behind Elizabeth, aged four, and her older brother David, aged ten.

“ Please don’t let the door slam, dear.”  Their mother said as she gave a pot on the stove a stir before squatting down to help her youngest with her jacket.  “Did you have fun in the yard?”

Elizabeth beamed up at her mother, her brown eyes bright with excitement.

“We rescued a fairy princess.  She was all wet and stuck in the mud.  David cleaned her up so she could fly away.”

“Well done, my little heroine.” Her mother said with a smile.