Closed Family Values

[Acedia Vero]

Acedia looked down at Sade, watching as the baby started to slowly close her eyes, fighting sleep. Her daughter was still not sleeping through the night, and as the sun rose, she was hoping her youngest would go back to sleep for just a few more hours until the nanny was on duty.

The house was quiet as Dia waited for three of her children to awaken. She closed the door to the twins room, surprised by how quickly they were able to make it look as if two little girls had never lived there. It needed a fresh coat of paint, but after that, it would become someone's else space, as to not to allude to what felt like a tomb.

The matriarch sat at their dining room table, thanking Inessa for her tea as the woman went back to the kitchen to finish breakfast. She knew even breakfast would be different this morning for her children. Acedia had asked Inessa to make ricotta pancakes, a favorite from her own childhood that she'd never been able to share. She watched the clock tick away and drank from her cup of tea, waiting for her children to arrive at the table.

 

[Lorenzo Vero]

Lorenzo usually enjoyed his visits home. His younger siblings grew up so much in the time he was gone, and after he and Tempest returned this time, they were welcomed by a new baby sister. He had been trying to assist with his other siblings, taking them outside to play and on adventures. He had even been reading them books. Their home was isolated on the coast, but there were still a good amount of forest surrounding their home. Within the walls provided by the trees, he and his siblings had built their own fort a few years ago. It wasn't necessarily well constructed, some cloths draped over tree branches, crudely sewn together by children, but it was their haven away from the rules and structures of the house. He was able to take his siblings, specifically Kat, Riz, and Effie, to play in the fort, and as he discovered new ones, read stories from the books he was finding at school. It was also the safest place to hide the books from his parents.

The Slytherin opened his eyes, surprised by how much sun was hitting his face. It took him a moment to realize where he was, asleep on the floor of the fort, book in his band. There was a blanket on top of him, and he wondered which of his siblings had been kind of enough to keep him warm. He sat up and closed the book, moving a board to find a hidden compartment, which he quickly placed the book in before covering it. Enzo wasn't sure what time it was, but he hoped it was early enough he could sneak back in without being noticed, which seemed unlikely.

The walk back to their house was warm, and Enzo entered through a side door, hoping not to wake his parents. The door led into the kitchen, where he smelled the makings of breakfast. Realizing he would be expected soon, Enzo quickly ran into his room, expecting to find Thad in his bed and was met no bed at all. The brothers had shared a room since Lorenzo was eight, and suddenly, the only things left in the room belonged to him. Enzo wondered what exactly had happened in the night. However, he knew better than to go ask his parents before cleaning up.

After taking a quick shower, Enzo threw on corduroy pants and a button up under his wizard robes before walking into the dining room. "Buondì, Mama," he greeted, walking over to his mother and placing a kiss on her cheek. He walked over to his seat at the opposite side of the table. He did appreciate this structure, knowing where to sit, what times meals were, even during their break. It gave him a sense of comfort. "Is Papa joining us?" he asked, noting his absence from the table as Inessa brought him a glass of water.

"Buondì" - "Good morning" in Italian

 

[Tempest Vero]

Tempest groaned as she rolled over in bed, watching as her three year old little sister lined up her dolls, loudly. "Persephoneeeee," she whined as she pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes as she eyed the clock next to her. She was surprised her mother hadn't tried to wake her yet, seeing as breakfast would be soon. Tempest threw herself back on the bed, enjoying a few more moments of peace. She wouldn't say she was enjoying her break. They weren't doing much, per usual, and Tempest had become accustomed to a little more freedom than she had at home. She could even go to Brightstone Village and window shop, unlike here.

Here, she had to follow even more rules than school, and while there were moments of reprive, it was mostly Tempest constantly being reprimanded for her demeanor, the way she smiled, her clothing choices, the way she chose to study, the fact that she didn't study without prompting. It was an endless world of criticism, and Tempest felt like she couldn't live up to it. At the very least, here, there were no official grades.

A bell rang, and Tempest knew that meant 20 minutes until breakfast. She swung her feet around to hit the floor, accidentally knocking down another apparent row of toys Persephone had decided to line up right against Tempest's bed. Trying to take a deep breath, she kicked them out of the way, upsetting her sister, as she quickly grabbed some clothes for herself and the toddler. "Don't you want to go eat some pears? You love pears," she said as she dressed her sister, trying to placate the onset of a tantrum. Once she'd successfully adjusted the little one's hair, they made their way out to the dining room. Tempest noticed her brother, and just her brother. "Mama," she greeted, giving her a kiss on the cheek before helping Persephone into her own chair. "Is everyone asleep this morning?" she asked, feeling like she was normally the one rushing to make breakfast on time. The nanny should have taken care of the twins, at the very least, and where was her father?

 

[Acedia Vero]

Acedia gave each of her children a smile as they sat down in their chairs, trying not to frown at Tempest's choice of clothing for Persephone this morning. It was not appropriate breakfast attire, but today was not the day to harp on her daughter's shortcomings. She knew it would be difficult for all, and as the breakfast dishes Inessa sent out landed in front of everyone, her children continued to look at her, waiting for an answer to her eldest daughter's question.

"Let us eat," she instructed to the children, picking up her spoon. She didn't know the last time she'd had a meal without Afanasiy, but this would be their new practice, and once they acquired a new table, it would be as if this is the way it always had been. As she reached for her tea, she could see Tempest, hesistant to take a bite as she looked up at her mother. Dia titled her head down towards the plate, as to gesture that she did indeed need to eat. "My grandmother used to make these for me every year on my birthday. It was something I would look forward to for days," she started, placing her spoon down on the table. "I wanted to share them with you. A birthday is a day to start fresh. A new year, a new beginning. And that is what we are doing today."

Dia took a pause and could see the confusion in Lorenzo's eyes and the panic in Tempest. She knew that there would be questions, and for now, she didn't have answers. "There has been another threat against our family. To keep you safe, your father has taken your brother and the twins somewhere else. And they won't be coming back." Acedia wasn't sure how to make the announcement anymore delicately, but it had to be said. The idea of splitting up the children had not been easy, but with Enzo and Tempest in school, it would look as if Acedia only had two small children most of the time, and her other three were going to live with relatives while Afanasiy found his way into hiding for the time being. Their past had caught up with them, and for now, they needed to do what they could to keep the children safe.