The thin slash of light peeking in beneath the door is the only sign it’s daytime when you groggily open your eyes. Turning over and climbing out of bed, you see Rudy has already left, and finding the bathroom unoccupied, you take your morning shower before heading out towards the kitchen in search of breakfast.
Your mother was there, washing up after the rest of the family had seemingly already eaten, the sun bright in the sky and shining through the windows as you’d apparently slept in through much of the morning already.
“There are some left over eggs and biscuits on the stove Max,” your uncle James offers from his seat at the table off to the side of the kitchen where he sits typing away on his laptop. Uncle James was apparently some sort of marketing savant, his commercials and ads bringing in revenues by the wheelbarrow for his employers and keeping him far more safely employed than most males. But it kept him busy; no matter how good he might be, his employers were wealthy vorish women, one, and all, used to devouring any male that displeased them. They would not react well to being inconvenienced because James 'was on vacation’.
“Rudy went hiking with Aunt Hannah and Aunt Kari and most of your cousins. Madelyn and Carrie and Aunt Sofie are still here” your mother continues, as you pile cold eggs and biscuits onto a plate “and Harvey and Freddy are off playing video games in the basement. Oh, and Oliver volunteered to spend the day running errands. Probably doesn’t want to hang around the rest of us too much right now~” your mother finished, chuckling.
“Why not?” you ask, confused, eating off your plate as you leaned against the countertop opposite the sink.
“I thought Madelyn said you already knew? She’s divorcing Ben tonight. Carrie and I are getting everything ready for her ‘dinner’ and there will be some games later in the afternoon once everyone gets back from their hike.”
“Oh… yeah, Madelyn mentioned that last night… I forgot.” Taking a few more bites full of cold egg, you gently broach the other topic you’re reminded of, “So… today is Mira’s birthday…”
