Chapter 28 #5
"Why is it that you never want to ask for help?" she asked calmly, her voice entirely free of judgment. "You'd rather wrestle with a takeout box until your hands cramp than simply hand it over."
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Elowyn paused, finally letting go of the container to shoot Seraphina a slightly defensive look. "Because I only ask for help if it's actually necessary. I don't need to be asking for help with every little thing."
"Except right now," she stared down at the macaroni and cheese, frustration clear on her face. "Can you open this, please?" She mumbled, clearly embarrassed for having to ask.
Seraphina reached across the table and took the container from her, hooking her fingers beneath the edge of the stubborn lid.
It resisted her first pull, the plastic bending slightly in her hand, but a second, firmer tug broke the seal with a sharp pop.
Despite how tightly Elowyn had struggled with it, Seraphina had it open within seconds.
"There you are," she said, handing it back.
Elowyn smiled as she took it. "Thank you." She immediately returned her attention to her macaroni and cheese, while Seraphina picked up her fork and William continued happily devouring his meal.
After a little while, William nudged Elowyn lightly with his elbow. She turned toward him with a confused look, waiting for an explanation.
Elowyn blinked, turning her head to find William giving her a significant look paired with an exaggerated nod toward the woman across from them.
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"What?" she whispered, completely missing whatever cue he was trying to send.
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"Start a conversation," William muttered back out of the corner of his mouth, gesturing vaguely with his fork.
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Right. Small talk.
?Clearing her throat, Elowyn adopted a stiff, overly formal posture. "So, tell us about yourself, Seraphina," she recited carefully, as if reading from a cue card she'd memorized seconds prior.
A soft smile touched the corners of the woman's mouth. The question had so clearly been rehearsed, right down to the way Elowyn delivered it. "Hmm," she hummed, resting her chin on her hand with an expression of mild, affectionate amusement. "What is it you'd like to know, sweetheart?"
"Umm," Elowyn thought, only to come to the realization she hardly knew anything about the woman. "Anything, I guess," she shrugged. "I don't know much about you other than your job, your age and that you have two best friends. And one of them is kind of weird."
She's definitely talking about Scarlett. Seraphina smirked at the thought.
"Actually, do you have siblings?"
"I do."
"Brother or sister?" Elowyn asked, now very curious.
"One sister and one brother. Both are younger than me," Seraphina put down her fork. "Veronica is younger by one year and Callum is by three."
"So thirty one and twenty nine?"
"Thirty one and thirty. I'll be turning thirty three in November."
"I knew you were a scorpio," William chimed in.
"Do you actually believe in all that nonsense?" Seraphina rolled her eyes before she picked her fork back up to start eating once again.
"Yes. Do you not," he mocked the woman's expression by rolling his eyes as well, only his was more exaggerated.
"Do you have both your parents?" Elowyn changed the subject, eager to learn more about the woman.
"What do you mean?"
"Like is one dead or did one leave... stuff like that," Elowyn clarified.
"Ellie-" Will began to scold her lightly.
"Yes, Elowyn," Seraphina chuckled, "I have both my parents."
"Wait. Does all your family work in the building or decorating... whatever it is you do?" William questioned.
"Whatever it is I do?" Seraphina raised a brow in judgment. "I thought you already googled me Mr. Bennett."
"I... well- I forgot what it is exactly okay," he felt his face heat up at the fact that Seraphina had just called him out.
"Interior design. And no, none of them are in the same business. My father was a surgeon and my mother was a radiologist, they're both retired now. My sister teaches at a university and my brother is a pilot."
"Damn," William whispered. "So all of y'all just happen to be super smart."
Feeling like Seraphina was revealing quite a bit about her family, Elowyn decided to reveal some information about her own as a thank you.
"William is going to cosmetology school," Elowyn revealed. "He does my nails," she looked down at her temporarily bare nails and smiled.
"Yes, I'm aware," smiled, glancing down at the girl's hands. "I've done my own research, remember?"
"Did you background check me Seraphina!" William gasped in disbelief.
"Yes," she answered plainly, making him gasp again.
"How dare you! How very dare you!" He stood up suddenly. "I can't believe- actually no, I can believe that you would do something like that," he sat down very calmly. "Continue," he gestured with his hand.
"Um... I volunteer at Miss Loretta's and the animal shelter occasionally. My dad is a repair man... obviously," Elowyn giggled. "My grandparents live in Puerto Rico, they own a colmado over there."
"What is that?" Seraphina asked, not understanding what a "colmado" was.
"A colmado?" Elowyn tilted her head. "It's like a small corner store."
"Ah. So have you ever visited them over there?" The woman smiled warmly.
"Nope," Elowyn shook her head. "I've never been on a plane before, I'm kind of scared to. But they come to visit me occasionally when they save up enough."
"Are they your grandparents from your fathers side or your mothers? If you don't mind me asking."
"My moms. My dads parent's passed away before I was born."
A small, but brief flicker of surprise flashed across Seraphina's features. She hadn't expected that answer. The girl's mother has been a mystery to say the least, and to say Seraphina was curious was an understatement.
"So," Seraphina started, deciding to probe a little. "Are your grandparents close with your mother?"
"No."
That was it.
Elowyn didn't elaborate and Seraphina didn't push any further.
"And your grandparents?" The girl asked. "Are you close with them?"
"Yes," Seraphina smiled thinking about them. "I'm quite close to all my immediate family."
"What about you?" Seraphina turned to William.
"Me?" He smiled, trying not to get excited. "Are you asking about me?"
"No, I just asked the question while staring at you for no reason," she deadpanned.
"Ohh," William ruffled his hair, "This is so exciting," he clasped his hands together. "Hi, my name is William Bennett, I'm twenty-one years old-"
"Okay, that's enough," Seraphina sighed, grabbing her glass of water.
"No, wait. I'll be serious, I promise!" He rushed out. "Okay, so as you know from your "research", I'm a cosmetology student. I'm an only child, praise the Lord," he raised his hand in "praise. " " I don't think I would be able to share the spotlight with another semen demon-"
Elowyn and Seraphina continued eating their lunch as they listened to William explain every single thing about his life in great detail. Year. By. Year.
"- that brings us to year sixteen. Ah, what a year. Ellie knows this story already, but this was the year I lost my virginity- "
"We've heard enough," Seraphina rebuked just as Elowyn groaned and said, "I don't want to hear this story again!"
"Okay, fine... well then that brings us to year seventeen. Senior year. The year I decided I decided that I wanted to go to cosmetology school. Did you know I actually wanted to be a police man for a while? But I decided against it. I'm too cute to be an officer.
Everyone would probably be purposefully committing crime just so I could be the one putting them in handcuffs," he cackled.
"Oh, but get this. This was the year that actually- "
Wiliam continued talking for another fifteen minutes. Elowyn didn't mind. After seventeen years of friendship, she was used to the man and his blabbering.
Seraphina was clearly not.
"All I asked was if he's close to his grandparents," Seraphina mumbled to herself, clearly regretting including him in the conversation.
William, too lost in his stories to notice her regret, continued his talking for another few minutes before finally reaching the end of whatever tangent he'd wandered into.
By then, everyone's containers were empty, and Elowyn had already begun gathering them from the table.
William helped collect the remaining dishes and napkins while Seraphina carried the glasses into the kitchen.
The three of them cleaned up together, throwing away the trash and clearing the table before Elowyn and William returned to the living room, leaving Seraphina who refused help in washing the glasses.
"All right. Where were we?" William looked down at the project and rubbed his hands together.
Elowyn lowered herself onto the floor beside the coat rack, immediately looking over the pieces they had already assembled. "I think we just need to put these together."
"That's it?" He squatted down. "Damn we're good."
"Okay, I'll hold it up since it's a bit heavy and you screw it in. Yes or yes?" Will smiled.
"Yes."
"Alright. Let's show mommy Monroe that we did it!" He snickered.
"What did you just call me?" Seraphina sneered, as she made her way into the living room.
A high pitched, girlish scream rang out in the house. And it didn't come from Elowyn.
"Geez, why do you just pop up like that?" William placed a hand over his heart.
"I could hear you from the kitchen, you're not exactly quiet Mr. Bennett," Seraphina replied, the couch dipping under her weight as she sat down.
"Anyway, let's finish this Ellie," he changed the subject, hoping Seraphina wouldn't demand an answer.
And she didn't. She didn't feel like hearing him speak anymore.
The two returned to the task at hand, with William holding the frame steady while Elowyn worked on the final piece. It took her another few careful turns before everything was finally secured.
?"And... done," she muttered, letting out a quiet breath of relief as she stepped back.