The Danish Delight (Mads Mikkelsen)

Chapter 32: "Subtle Scents"

Chapter 32: "Subtle Scents"

The previous evening was enough of a demented mess to drive me off the edge of my sanity, and it succeeded in forming itself into an immense migraine the next morning. Some conscious form of my mentality half-expected to be awakened by the delightful scent of freshly cooked eggs and baked croissants, but I was instead gifted with the strong aroma of my father's coffee and my mother's enthused, not-so-standardized cooking.

I hopped into the shower to try and rid myself of my aching head and consistent flashbacks, although the hot water only seemed to partially numb one of the two factors. After throwing on some clothes from my broken suitcase and tucking my wet hair back into a bun, I followed my parents' voices into the dining room where they were politely awaiting my arrival.

"Good morning, Elise." My father looked up at me.

"Did you sleep well?" My mother added directly after, triggering yet another flashback.

I swear, it's like they're doing this on purpose. Keep calm, Elise... you'll be fine.

"Yeah, yeah I did. I had a bit of a headache earlier, but I'm better now... Don't worry."

They remained silent, simply nodding their heads and distributing food onto their plates. My mother was courteous enough to make pancakes; they were burnt, but they were still pancakes nonetheless and the effort didn't go unnoticed.

After an endless five minutes of not so much as a single cough from either of them, I broke their silence. "You don't have to avoid the subject, you know. He cheated and lied to me about it... end of story."

"I don't think it is..." Dad muttered.

"Oh?" I widened my eyes sarcastically. "Because you know in detail exactly what happened?"

He has the serious gall to instigate these issues?

"I'm sure I know quite a hell of a lot more than that asshole's allowed you indecency of knowing."

Mom interjected in a flash. "Phil, now's not the time."

What?!

"No... No, I think that now is exactly when we should discuss this." My voice carried more and more curiosity. "Please, Dad, enlighten me about what you know."

He shook his head and shoved a mouthful of pancakes down his throat. "Just forget that I'd said anything."

"No! You did say something and I want you to finish your thought."

"Oh really? Now you want me to finish my thought? I tried, Elise! I tried right before you walked out the front door on your birthday... you had ceased to listen."

My birthday?

"What does my birthday have to do with any of this?"

"Phil, stop! I don't want to deal with this mess again." My mother smacked her hands against the table.

"I read the newspaper article, Elise. That bastard got another woman pregnant."

What?

"Wait, wait, wait.... you're telling me that you knew about this? You knew about this and you didn't directly bring it to my attention?"

Disregarding my presence altogether, my mother threw her hands into the air, nearly flipping over her silverware in the process. "Well, you're certainly one to talk, Phil."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Judi?!" He mimicked her behavior.

"IT MEANS YOU FUCKING IMPREGNATED YOUR MISTRESS. That's what it fucking means."

WHAT?! He impregnated the woman who tore our family apart?!

"Christ, how many times do I have to tell you?! That was her own damned choice to abort the baby, not mine."

ABORT THE BABY?!!

"Exactly!" She exclaimed with her infamously dry sarcasm. "Because if she had kept the baby, your ass sure as hell wouldn't be here now... with your original family, now would it?"

Oh my God!

"You promised me, Judi. You promised you weren't going to put Elise through this."

"Ha! And would ya look at her now?! She fell in love with a two-timing waste-of-space like you and was ultimately crushed in the end; just like you crushed me."

"Elise..." My father released a sorrowful regret from his eyes as he reached out for my hand. "I'm so sorry..I-"

Are you fucking kidding me?!

"No!!" My hands escaped in a flash from his kind reach. "I'm done with 'sorrys'; everyone's mobbed me into pure insanity with their useless, fucking 'sorrys'. I don't even know who or what to believe anymore! Not only did you lie to me about the article, and in result watch me break into a million pieces on my own, but you, too, got the woman you slept with pregnant and failed to ever mention it to me."

"And you, Mom..." I faced her, carrying despair in my voice. " You knew about this all along and didn't once bring it to my attention. No, instead you made some sort of pact with Dad never to speak of it. And I wonder, Mom, I wonder just how many instances that thought crossed your mind. I wonder how many years you hid behind your plastered, motherly smile and watched me grow into the doe-eyed idiot that I am now. I wonder how you looked blankly into the face of the innocent young girl I was and maliciously hid the fact that the man who cheated on you impregnated a complete stranger. And you know, granted I didn't know this 'woman' personally, she was still the bearer of my unborn half-sibling... the situation didn't just involve you and Dad, it involved me as well. Honestly, I don't even know where to turn anymore... I haven't the slightest clue! Because the one place I believed that I was forever welcome, the one place I called home, ended up being a decaying hellhole of lies and betrayal."

I hurried to grab my things and leave as they avidly slurred their speech like Porky Pig on Phencyclidine; they hadn't a coherent explanation for their actions. Once far enough down the block to call for a cab, I whistled out and escaped as far away from that house as I possibly could... ending up at my favorite coffee shop in the city. "Mon Café Bien-aimée", the one familiar place that never brought me hardship or loss, only fond memories of endless joy.

My nose was blessed with the intriguing scent of icy caramel macchiatos and warm herbal teas... scrumptious white-chocolate-mocha cappuccinos and soothing vanilla lattes. Sweet scents that brought memories of solitude and late-night study sessions... friendly gatherings and poetry nights... the simple flow of a pen to paper as my imagination could genuinely be unleashed. Scents that brought memories of the purity in life... the subtlety... the undeniable honesty.

"What can I get you, miss?" The teenage barista at the front counter asked a tad too enthusiastically.

She must be new.

"An iced blackberry tea, sweetened, and a banana-nut muffin as well please... my breakfast was cut a bit short this morning."

"I'm on it!" She gestured out toward the packed crowd of customers, listening in on the morning's reading by a local author. "Please, have a seat and we'll bring it out to you in a jiff!"

A familiar set of voices and shadows caught my attention as I searched for an open seat.

Who's that? Boy, they sure look friendly together; those sweethearts certainly aren't afraid of flaunting their PDA. It's funny, I could swear those two are....

Wait.

No... It couldn't be...

"Annabella and Sam?"