A Silver Lining

Chapter Twenty Three: Cliches & Fictions

Chapter 23: Cliches & Fictions

Whenever somebody brings up the topic of grandparents, I always imagined an elderly couple, walking with sticks. Grandma is dressed in a floral dress while Grandpa is in loose clothes. Because mamma's parents lived distant and barely visited us while papa's parents lived in another country, I didn't have much experience with grandparents material.

My theory of grandparents was pretty much-proven wrong when I found my siblings working on keeping the house neat and tidy. Even the helpers of the household works were punctuative on their duty. Not a leaf was there on the lawn. Or a spare dust. And my most siblings' rooms, which usually go by the city of Galton, Amazon, Age of Anarchy, and so on, were surprisingly turned into a perfect definition of perfection overnight.

I started to understand why Jenn of all people was warning me. I didn't have much to worry about my room, though my closet is not er- pretty much appeasable, but they wouldn't go through my clothes, would they?

And Laura did say not to worry about it much. Though I felt like I was the only one who took her words seriously. Even dad was wearing a suit and it wasn't a workday. He never wears them unless he has to go to work or have formal guests in our house. Jenn wore a dress which was not above her knees, Len brushed his hair backward which looked hilarious on him. Others tried their best to look approachable.

Well, I did work on my appearance, put my hair in a neat ponytail, but I didn't find any reason to wear something fancy at nine in the morning of the Christmas holidays. And who was right on their minds would wear a dress when it was almost thirty-four degrees Fahrenheit outside, especially when you live in an open mansion.

When they designed this house, they were pretty lucky that it was Washington where they built it. If it was in New York or Chicago, the people living here would have created an army for Olaf months ago. The lawns are protected with glass so we don't have much trouble walking around the mansion. But it's opening in the middle and let's just say it wasn't much fun living inside a semi-glass mansion.

To my utmost surprise, all of my siblings were lining up in a line in front of the main door when I came downstairs after Eva called me.

I stood last after Jenn.

"Is it the Royals coming?" I whispered to her. She didn't reply and kept her gaze ahead. But I noticed the corner of her mouth turned up.

Oh well, I can leave with that.

Not even a minute later, I heard steady footsteps approaching. "Yes, Sir- oh you well-what no! I mean-"

The sound of dad struggling with words got my best interest. I saw Len, who was in the front, adjusting his appearance, glancing down for the last time, before standing in ninety-degree. Others followed his suit. I also glanced down at my PJ with a hoodie covered body which I changed into after taking a shower.

I look pretty much like a hobo in front of all of them.

Well, the damage can't be undone. I shrugged off.

Feeling like a decade later four figures approached in our sight.

Laura was talking with a lady who seemed to be in her late sixties, but it would've been impossible to tell if it wasn't her wrinkles. The man with whom dad was talking and struggling with words in every five seconds, was wearing a familiar suit like his. His hair was all greyed yet the way both of them walked, people would've misunderstood them as British. No offense.

They stopped in front of Len as dad introduced him to them. As if they don't have their own grandson. Even I know who they are to me without any introduction.