The dinner and the don - II

As she stood by her father's side, letting the best profile of her face be shown off, Joyce had expected him to look at her.

But never once did he glance her away.

Even though she was the only one dressed in the spectacular white silver gown, she was not enough to hold his eyes. At the end of it, when Joyce decided to look at him himself, he was engaged with talking to a couple.

It was like she did not even exist in front of him. Even though she stood out the most in the room, Adrian Murphy was the one who did that in nothing but awfully familiar tux to everyone else.

"He is Not even looking at us, Killian." Her mother whispered to her father. "At this rate, what are we going to do?"

"Nothing." Her father muttered dryly in his response. Clearly, he was over the conversation already.

Declan lightly pushed his elbow out into the direction. "Let's take a walk my sisters?"

Discreetly looking over to her father, who nodded subtly, she smiled at her brother before taking his hand and letting him whisk her away.

With the snarky snide comments that her brother made on almost at everyone, Joyce did not have the time to look packet at Adrian Murphy because she found herself truly enjoying everything.

"Is that woman holding a hand fan? 3 o'clock, her brother pointed out and Joyce looked. Oh my God, she is. Did no one tell her that died with Marie Antoinette?"

Joyce choked on her laughter. "Shit, Dec, you can't say that!"

Her brother merely shrugged before moving on to find his next victim. Dark humour was definitely a weapon that her brother wielded stronger than he did with a gun. Declan knew exactly what to say to get a laugh out of anyone.

"Okay," she whispered and leaned into his side, "please let me into the direction of the washrooms or I might end up peeing my pants."

Declan snickered before changing their route towards the washrooms. He left her near the entrance before going over to the snack station once again. She was pretty sure he was going to get drunk before the night ended.

Relieving herself and after washing her hands, Joyce made her way out of the washroom. She found her brother right where He hd told her that he would be waiting for her.

"Hey," she smiled and reached for his elbow, "want to—"

"Father wants us to go back home." Declan cut her off and the serious expression on his face made her gulp. "Don't talk too much tonight, okay?"

Shit, her father was pissed off.

While working towards her parents, she whispered to her brother, "why?"

"Because he left. Without talking to father or looking at you even once." Declan sighed. "That was not good."

Drive back home was silent. Thankfully, their parents were in one car and they were in another. Her brother tried to uplift the mood by playing songs and joking around but nothing uplifted anything especially her mood.

Tonight was a disaster, a failure that her parents have definitely not banked on. The dress had failed to.

The house was silent by the time they made their way into it. Almost like it on the walls understood the temper of her father.

"Children."

The siblings stopped and their eyes went to their mother at the entrance of the kitchen, barely controlling the tears that were shining brightly in her eyes.

She cleared her throat. "Go to bed please. You all are going to have an early day tomorrow."

Pity was one of the first emotions she felt when she looked at her mother in the state but in the quick realisation came in that this was going to be here soon.

Instead, she decided to do something that was much better.

Walking over to her mother who was still standing on her spot, Joyce leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Love you, mama. Good night."

Brianna cracked a smile. "Love you too, child."

That was it. Sometimes, even a simple kiss could make a day a little brighter.