The Flanagan family has a tradition: having dinner early and together no matter what.
According to Fiona, Dillon's sister, the one to thank for this tradition was the son of their great-grandfather's neighbor, Larry. He was a good kid, and after he had lost the only family he had to a nasty fire, the Flanagans took him in and raised him as their own. He didn't talk or respond to anyone, and every day at 6 pm sharp, he would go to the dining room, pull a chair and sit at the table. At first, Mary, the lady of the house at the time, would tell her children to sit down and keep him company, then she decided they should start making dinner early and setting the table to be ready at 6 pm for everyone to gather around and show their support to Larry. After few days, he finally broke his silence and spoke of his family tradition, and the Flanagans swore to uphold it too, for they were his family now, and his tradition was theirs too. From that day on, dinner would be served at 6 pm every day, and exceptionally at 8 pm in the summer.
The kids were not very enthusiastic about this so-called tradition as they grew up, but they understood its importance, granted they were given a few exemptions every now and then.
Fiona was an exceptional storyteller and a decorated writer. She lived with her wife's family, far away on the north side of the country, so her visits were few but long-lasting. She'd always bring a pile of books, one for each individual depending on their preferences, and during her time at her brother's house, everyone would gather around her after dinner and listen to her as they all sit on the black carpet covering the floor of the living room, next to the fireplace. The kids would ask her all sorts of questions about the family history, the lands, her wife, the north where she lived, and she'd always have answers for them, told in the most enchanting manner.
The last time Fiona was there was at the beginning of summer, and news of a family friend and business partner passing away along with his wife quickly reached them from the city, and the couple had to go for few days, leaving the house and the kids - the younger ones, especially - under her care.
They were back after a week, talked about the city and life there, asked the kids what they thought about moving...
The day before Fiona was to leave, Nairn would always prepare, with the unsolicited help of Ellery, big batches of brownies and macarons for his aunt to take with her to her other family, since her wife and her kids were said to like them very much. He'd also make her favorite dessert, matcha castella cake, which both of them would savor later that night after everyone went to sleep, sometimes accompanied by his parents.
"The cake is a delight as always. Thank you, Nairn" Said Fiona, enjoying her dessert.
His parents complimented him as well, and he simply nodded in response.
"To think Cory and Amy would leave us so suddenly," said Dillon, "sleeping in each other's arms. The romantics until the end."
"What will become of the store?" Asked Nairn.
"About that..." Started El, and the couple shared their plan.
Cory's children were all married and had jobs of their own so they couldn't take care of their parent's business. Garrett, his assistant, was left in charge of everything until they could find a buyer.
"You want to buy the store? How much are they asking for? Are you going to sell the farm?" Asked Fiona.
"Not just the store, we were thinking of buying the whole building" El answered.
The building was pretty big and had 3 floors, the store being in the first one and the house on the top two, a basement, and a lovely garden behind it all.
"It's quite expensive. We thought we could sell my share of land to Uncle, he's been offering to buy it for some time now. We don't want to sell the farm if we don't have to, or at least not all of it. Maybe give a part of it to El's brother Henry since he wants to expand, and Vernon could stay and help out." Explained Dillon.
The couple spoke of making a deal with Cory's children and maybe paying in installment, they were very nice people and wanted to keep their parent's business running as well.
"Laurent might not want to go" Said Nairn
"I know, Dahlia. Nothing is set in stone yet, we're just thinking about it. It'd be good for you and the twins. Better school, better education, better job opportunities... And a change is good sometimes."El answered.
"The twins will be thrilled. And I don't mind. Wherever you go, I go."
After Dillon patted his head, Nairn went back to the kitchen to clean up the mess he had made, while his parents and aunt continued their talk, deciding who to call first and what procedures they had to follow. Fiona wasn't going to leave until the afternoon the next day, so they could all stay up a little late.
Later that night, Nairn lay in bed, considering the change his mother spoke of earlier.
"The city, huh. What do you think, Nina?" He says, as his cat climbs on top of him, seeking warmth in the chilly night.
"Another announcement to be made soon. Looks like a festive dinner is on the way."
The only times they'd have a quiet and fast dinner was when Fiona was around since everyone was eager to finish quickly and move on to the storytelling session. Apart from that, there was always something to be said, something to be revealed which would stir up heated conversations or loud cheers, depending on the occasion. Of course, there are a couple of dinner stories that no one will ever forget about, and the night they announced the move to the city is definitely one of them.
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