In Fair Verona

IV

"Wake up."

I open my eyes to my dark room. Light leaks in from the door slightly open. Auguste's stands there.

"We let you sleep in but you gotta wake up."

I groan and turn around.

"Kiddo you better get used to waking up early. That's how things run in this family."

I turn back around.

"One, don't call me kiddo. Two, I don't give a crap."

I'm most miserable when 1. I'm hungry or 2. Tired. On days when I'm hungry and tired I'm a mess.

He mumbles something in french but I don't catch it because I don't know french and I've got a pillow on my head.

I notice the light get brighter and someone rips my pillow away.

"Madeleine and Edgar will be here soon with the kids so get dressed."

"Fine whatever but get out."

"So nice," he says sarcastically as he leaves.

I hear the door click shut and I roll over onto my back and stare at the ceiling.

Oh how much I don't want to be socializing with anybody today.

I get out of bed ten minutes later, change, then open my blinds to let light in.

I walk downstairs to where everyone is dressed for the day and busying them self with something.

"Casey," Phoebe says grabbing my attention. Her voice is quiet and secretive. "Rule around here is if your not up by nine you make yourself breakfast. We have pancakes or whatever with fruit every morning. I saved you some but don't tell maman, she's pretty strict."

"Thanks," I say and Phoebe smiles.

"It's in my room. I'll grab the maple syrup and meet you up there. Good?"

"Yeah," I say. I turn around and almost run into Gwen. She looks at me and doesn't bother smiling, she simply just walks around me and starts barking orders at Auguste who's reading on the couch. I understand nothing she says.

Grace is in the front room also reading.

I walk up the steps and wait in Phoebe's room.

She soon returns and pulls the maple syrup out from under her sweater.

"Smuggled fresh maple syrup to you. That's a thing people do too," she laughs. "We get this super good maple syrup from this farm maman goes to. Almost weekly she drops by because we go through this small thing so much."

The bottle is a bit bigger then her hand.

"The farmers market is every Tuesday and two or more of us will walk down and buy fruits and whatever they have. Some days they have really good pierogis."

She hands me the maple syrup and I pour it over the pancakes.

"How'd you manage to get me these?"

"I offered to cook breakfast this morning. Made couple extra."

The doorbell goes off and I can hear shuffling down stairs.

"Okay quicken up your pace we gotta go greet them."

"Phoebe descend!" Gwen calls out.

I look to Phoebe.

"We have to go downstairs."

"Je sais maman!" Phoebe calls back.

"I'm going to have to learn a bit of french at some point, won't I?"