Pictures that tell 1000 words

The Christmas down under

A/N Hey people!Sorry that I didn't upload anything last week. I felt as if I was going through a bit of a creative block, and decided that rather than just keep pushing and hoping for the best, I should just take a bit of time off for it. This chapter is a little different. rather than being a continuous story line, it takes segments from parts of their trip to Australia, spanning probably 4 or 5 days overall. Either way, I hope that you love it! xx

19th March 2034
"So... How was everyone's day?" Joe questioned as he applied a small measure of salt onto the meal before him. The soft aromas of spices filling his nostrils in a way he had been craving all day. The comforting bowl before him, allowing the man to relax properly for the first time in what had felt like hours.

"Yeah, not bad." Lily responded as she took a small sip of water. "I found out that I got a B on that maths test I had last week."

"Well done Lils, that's great news." Joe congratulated as he pressed a comforting hand onto his daughters shoulder - a wide smile exuding the young girls features in response.

It was a small thing. A small, almost unworthy thing to talk about. But for Joe and Dianne, that smile she shared, combining with a soft glint in her big blue eyes, was a relief to see. The recent weeks had been tough on their daughter. With the disappointment of the dance competition she had endured the other weekend, combined with the emotional trouble which she had been dealing with at school, it seemed as if that smile was fading away. So to see it again, even just for a moment or two, put both the parents a little more at ease.

"And Alex?" Joe questioned as he looked over to his son who was sat there humming to himself as he ate the meal before him. A habit which Dianne had known both Andrew and Brendon to do whenever they were really enjoying their food.

"It was good. I played football at lunch with the other boys and I scored the last goal!" He responded excitably before shovelling another forkful of his dinner into his mouth.

"That's great sweety, well done." The red head responded as she used her napkin to wipe away a smear of sauce from off of his cheek.

The four of them continued to share a conversation as they ate casually. It was one of the things that both Joe and Dianne cherished. Their individual lives often meant that the four of them weren't always together throughout the day. However, the simple tradition of sitting together every night to have dinner as a family, was one of the best rules which had been inputted into the house. Some nights they would talk about everything under the sun - having debates which only a six year old would come up with, like whether it would be better to have no ears or no feet - whilst other nights they didn't say much at all. Not because there was an issue, but simply because nothing needed to be said, and instead the company of being a family was enough.

"So, what do we want to do now?" Dianne questioned once dinner had been consumed and the plates had been neatly stacked into the dishwasher.

There was a subtle silence which followed. The indecisive minds of her husband and daughter being the main cause of silence as their eyes darted around the room. Both of them not so secretly hoping that one of the other two would have something to say.

"Umm..." Alex began, his mind rushing through several ideas of games they could play, films they could watch or something completely random which even he wasn't certain whether he wanted to do or not. That was until his eyes landed on the book resting on the kitchen work top. The cover which was at first a pristine beige, now slightly grubbier as it had been moved around the house from person to person. The pages were now a little folded and wobbly at the seems, as they had been flicked through and tampered with. A few scratches and tears now evident on the edges, as the once forgotten book had now begun going through the general calamity of life.