Kendall glances across the table at her brother. It had been years since she had last seen him and she still was getting re-accustomed to seeing him. There he smiled and passed the green beans to their Mum after seven years of her deciding him to be long gone, dead in some dark, unforgiving alley. And yet, here he is. Green eyes, tossed hair, half-rimmed glasses and all.
"Kendall, stop staring at Lionel and eat before your food is cold."
She smiles at her Mum. "Oh, right, sorry." She looks at her plate and moves the ham along with the tip of her fork.
"Love, that's not eating."
Kendall rolls her eyes and finally takes a bite of her ham. It was good ham, but she just isn't hungry. Her gaze migrates back to Lionel as she slowly eats her dinner.
"Yes, Kenny?" He asks, looking back at her.
She shakes her head and takes a large bite of bread.
"Obviously you want to ask me something or you wouldn't be staring so much."
Kendall glares at him then. "Oh? You can't even take the effort to guess?" She snorts. "But then, I guess twinepathy must die with distance and lack of use." She glares at him. "
"Kendall..."
"No, no 'Kendall.' You don't know what we have had to go through since you ran off. While you were out in some bloody mafia, we were having lives! And where were you? Not here!" She crosses her arms.
"Kendall Louise Bell, you will not talk like this to your brother at the table." Her Mum glares at her.
"Mum, no, it's fine. We have to have this talk sooner or later." He sighs and gets up. "But I say we will finish it later. Now, does anyone else want a slice of cake?"
Kendall nods but her mother cuts her off. "Kendall, as long as you're in this house you finish eating before you have dessert."
"Okay a slice for Kendall and myself, got it." Lionel chuckles and steps out to the kitchen.
"Fine, but she can't eat it yet."
Kendall rolls her eyes again. Here she was, twenty-four and her mother still treated her like a child. She glances under the table and sneakily hands a stalk of broccoli to the dog below.
"Eva, dear, I think Kendall is old enough that she can choose what she eats." Her Dad sighs as he wipes his mouth. "They are, after all, twenty-four."
"She's not an adult until after she is married."
"Your mother was married at eighteen, I don't consider your argument very valid, dear. There's no use rushing her to some strange man just so she can have a piece of cake before she's finished her dinner. Maybe she won't ever marry, Eva! Maybe she's one of those new fangled asexuals!"
"I'll have you know I have a boyfriend." Kendall snorts was she gets the cake from Lionel.
This catches her mother's interest. "Oh? Where is he then?"
"With his family no doubt having a similar conversation."
"Really? What's his name? Do we know him?"
"You kind of know him, yes..." Kendall gives a sideways nod as she now plays with the cake icing. "I mean, you met him that time you came by work and I talk about him constantly." She chuckles awkwardly.
"You're dating your employer?" Her Dad now stares her down. "That Gregory Harris? I thought I knew you better than that."
"Dad, it's not like that!"
"No, it's not." Lionel chimes in. "It's an actual, respectful relationship. I've seen them together. It's not how you're imagining, Dad."
"Who cares! He comes from a wealthy background. This is fantastic!" Her mum exclaims. "Just don't drive him off, and you'll be set for life, love. Set for life!"
Kendall rolls her eyes and eats a bite of her cake. "I don't care about that. I'll be with him even if his father cuts him off for dating me." She says.
Her mother stares at her in shock.
Kendall only shrugs. "It's a possibility at least, but money doesn't matter, right? Isn't that what you've always said? It's not their wallet, it's their heart and character that counts?"
"Yes..." Her mum sighs. "But a fat wallet always helps where their heart or character falters..."
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