Thirteenth Prompt: Coffee and Tea

||∞'°••~•^°^••~Ω~••^°^•~••°’∞||

Susan had told her parents a long time ago. And now it was time to tell her siblings.

She thought of many ways to make it less hurtful. But this seemed like the best thing she could do.

When Lucy walked down the stairs she saw Susan working in the kitchen. On the table stood a cup of coffee and three of tea.

Lucy smelled peppermint tea, her favourite, and green tea, Peter's favourite.
And the last one smelled like rooibos, like Edmund's favourite.

Why was Susan making them their favourite kinds of tea?

„Morning Su“, she said.

Susan turned around and smiled. A little bit too bright.

„Good morning Lucy!“

„Why did you make tea?“, Lucy asked.

„Oh, I thought I give you a little pleasure“, Susan said and sat down.

Their parents were somewhere else, Susan couldn't remember where. So she thought it was an excellent moment to tell her siblings that she was moving out.

Peter came down the stairs and before he walked into the kitchen the two girls said:„Good morning Peter!“

„How'd you know it was me?“, he asked frustrated.

„Well, you kind of sound like an elephant when walking down the stairs“, Lucy said and rolled her eyes but smirked.

Peter sat down next to her and tried to shove her a bit off her chair. Lucy giggled and the two were quickly drawn into a little fight.

Susan smiled a little. Oh, how she'd miss them!

„Well, actually elephants walk pretty quietly “, Edmund said, while walking into the kitchen.

„No, they don't. Right, Su?“, Lucy asked, while trying to push Peter off his chair.

„Ed's right“, Susan said smiling.

Lucy sighed.
„Well, our Peter-elephant isn't quiet!“

Peter was so outraged, he stopped to fight against Lucy and fell down on the ground.

Edmund sat down too and Lucy exclaimed a triumphant call.

Susan stared sadly down at her cup of coffee.

How should she tell them?

„Is everything okay, Su?“, Peter asked suddenly.

Susan looked up.
„Yeah, of course. Everything's alright!“

She smiled.
„I just... need to tell you something.“

Everyone looked at her but Susan looked in the dark coffee.

„I'm... I'm moving out.“

She looked up in the shocked faces of her three siblings.

„You... What?“

„I'm moving out.“

„And...where?“, Lucy asked.

„In the centre of London“, Susan answered.

„Okay“, Peter said.

But Susan saw in their faces that it wasn't okay at all.

Susan went to a friend a little bit later, and when she came back, a broom stood in the kitchen, next to two shattered cups and puddles of tea.

Susan froze.

What had happened?

Lucy walked in.

„Oh, Susan“, she said, walked to the broom, and started to sweep up the broken pieces.

„What happened?“, Susan asked.

„Peter and Edmund got into an argument and the cups fell down“, Lucy said.

„They fell?“, Susan asked.

Lucy sighed and said:„Peter and Edmund threw them at each other.“

Susan sat down on one of the chairs.

„It was really bad this time“, Lucy whispered.

„Was it because of me?“, Susan asked.

She knew the answer.

„...Yes.“

Lucy cleaned puddles up and as she came back, she stood in the doorway, not knowing what to do.

„Will you...will you go talk to them?“, she asked.

„I guess I'll have to“, Susan said and got up.

„Good luck“, Lucy said.

Susan turned around and smiled.

„Thanks.“

When she climbed the stairs halfway, she stopped and came down again.

„Lucy?“

„Yeah?“

„What...what do you think about this thing with moving out?“

„I mean, I knew that it would happen“, Lucy said sadly. „I just didn't think there was so little time left.“

„So...is it okay to you or not?“

„I definitely don't like it, but if you need that to become happy, it's okay.“

She turned around and smiled.

„As long as you don't forget us!“

Susan smiled.

„I won't.“

And that was a promise she made for eternity.