Brunch

There was certainly enough determination to think about the proposal, but all such determination vanished in the face of a comfortable bed. And by the time I woke up, the mansion had been turned upside down.

Incessant knocking could be heard from the door, forcing me to reach for the remote door lock. With the hoarse voice of someone who's just woken up, I asked, "What's going on?"

Surprisingly, it was my mother, followed by our elated nanny. It would've been fine had it not been for the confused look that my mother was sporting.

It was a Saturday, and save for the usual family brunch; I'm not sure what could've made such a ruckus this early.

"We've got visitors for brunch." Mom said.

That alone was enough to drive away any remaining sleepiness. Given my luck, I wouldn't be surprised to see a troop of baboons outside.

Scrambling off the bed, I rushed to make myself presentable, for if left on their own devices, these people would be rushing into the room now.

Today, they seemed to have settled down in the sunroom. Large glass windows illuminated the area, which was surrounded by a manicured garden that Mom particularly liked. The sunroom was perfect for brunch, but I don't think I could hold down my breakfast.

As I approached, the chattering intensified, and excited gasps littered the room. Just then, I managed to spot Alexa. What a way to start my morning!

Dressed to the nines, she screamed trouble at this hour. And as if instinctual, she immediately latched onto my arm to mark the beginning of her act.

"Eli! You're finally here! We've been waiting for you!" With intense, malicious excitement, Alexa ensured that even the neighbors could hear.

"Well, good morning to you, too," I mumbled, remembering to plaster on a smile.

Disentangling my arm from her octopus grip proved challenging, and I couldn't believe how difficult it was to reach my seat. But skipping dinner proved detrimental, so even Alexa and her insecurities could wait.

I was unable to wait for everyone to settle down, so I started munching on fruits. It would've been a peaceful breakfast without the need for such ceremonies had it been just us in the house. I sighed to myself while attacking the grapes.

"Auntie," said Alexa as I watched her approach my mom.

Graceful and unbothered amidst all the sudden attention, I aspired to be like my mom. She has always known that Alexa had it out for me, but she was great at keeping calm even while being intentionally provoked. So I wonder what Alexa's planning that has her poking at the calmest person in our family.

"You see, I just wanted to ask if you'd heard the good news?" As if they have the same definition of "good."

At the mention of "good news," even those standing around stopped chatting, seemingly hanging onto Alexa's question.

"Good news?" Mom asked, clearly used to the pattern.

"Yeah!" Short of bouncing from where she's standing, she even factored in a dramatic pause. "The last time we saw Eli, she mentioned having a boyfriend." 

What boyfriend?! I never said anything about a boyfriend! Inwardly hysterical, I can already tell what she's cooking up.

"Eli's boyfriend?" Caught off-guard, it was obvious that she had no idea, and Alexa couldn't help but sneer.

She nodded, looking even more excited. "You see, Auntie, we actually didn't want to ask for more details because it seemed like we'd put too much pressure on her. After all, Eli has never been big on relationships." And whose fault was that?

"But yesterday, Jasper unexpectedly encountered Eli and her boyfriend, who had come to Summit." Clenching my hands while trying to stop myself from slapping her proved difficult. But even more challenging was trying to keep a calm face as my parents looked towards me.

"But that's not all of it. Even better is the fact that we all know him!" Some distant relatives started chattering and shrugging, curious to learn of this mystery boyfriend. Even my mom's curiosity has been peeked, and I know full well that Dad's nearing his limit.

Her spiel has been going on for a while, but I've only remembered to look at Grandpa now. 

His brows furrowed and his back always taut; he knew that Alexa must be up to something again. And just as he was about to stop it, Alexa quickly added, "It's Lucian. Lucian Sinclair."

Nearly biting off the inside of my cheek, I tried counting backward to calm down. Was she thinking of humiliating me? 

In the depths of it all, I'm partially thankful for having told Lucian about this demented witch. Because had he not known about it, I would be sweating buckets right now. My parents were clearly stunned, and I was too pissed to decipher the chatter around me.

All I could see was Alexa's smug look as if she had succeeded in this.

I was just about to correct her when my mother's phone rang, breaking me out of stupor. Initially, I thought the call would help break the atmosphere, but Alexa's growing smirk said otherwise.

It looked like my mom wanted to reject the call, but Alexa called it out first. "Oh my! Isn't that Aunt Serena calling? How timely!" This little shit.

Unsure of what to do, my mom just gave Alexa a polite smile, but she just won't let up. "Auntie, what about asking them to join us? Don't they live close by?" Alexa urged my mom to answer the call as if she didn't know that they lived next door. Was she planning on barging next door if Auntie didn't call?

I could easily hear the loud thumping of my chest. And despite knowing that I could clear up the situation by pointing out Alexa's assumptions, my nerves were frayed. I may have unknowingly been scared of encountering something like this. Maybe it's the combination of being so over it and the impending embarrassment, but I suddenly felt numb all over.

By the time my mom answered the call, I'd managed to accept what was to come.

"Hello?" Mom cautiously greeted, calmly waiting for Auntie to finish whatever it was that she called about. We couldn't hear anything but Mom's curt responses, so I thought that we'd managed to stall Alexa. But the gall of this girl was just different, for she still managed to ask to speak to Aunt Serena.

Alexa didn't waste her golden chance and immediately asked if she could put her on speakerphone. Her eyes locked onto my reactions discreetly.

She practically flew through all the necessary pleasantries, immediately zeroing in on inviting them over, "Auntie, I wonder if you and your family would be free to join us for brunch today? I figured that since we're going to be a family soon, it would be a shame not to have you here." 

Despite clearly being confused, Aunt Serena just graciously accepted. Slightly disappointed at Auntie's lack of questions, Alexa's face cracked a bit. And with that alone I've vowed to give Auntie an even better gift this Christmas. 

"Mom, could you ask if I could speak to Eli?" said Lucian from the background. 

I responded calmly, "Yeah?"

My brain felt chaotic all morning, but nothing beat this moment before I heard him speak again.

"Babe, do you want me to bring Chester over?" I felt like crying. Hearing him call me "babe" surely sent a shudder of ick everywhere, but I had to admit that it also granted immediate vindication. 

"Yes, please. And bring over some dog treats, just in case. I don't think we have them in stock," I replied, resisting the strong urge to immediately look at Alexa's crumbling face.

I handed the phone back after ending the call, returning to my seat while ignoring all the surprised looks. I could feel my dad's intense gaze from where he sat, but I would like to momentarily celebrate Alexa's failure.

I knew that my joy was short-lived. For the moment I responded "yes" to his question, I had signed myself over.