Bread and Butter on the Table

[Isadora Marston]

The Marston family rarely got an evening where they could all gather around the dining room table and share a meal together. Although Isadora had made some sort of tradition in having dinner every Sunday, there always seemed to be someone missing at the table. It saddened her a bit, but with all her children growing up, it became more and more difficult to pull off, but she understood, and all of her children knew very well that they were always welcomed home and at the dinner table. And that every Sunday, there would be a delicious feast prepared for them.

After all the farming chores were done in the morning, Isadora began cooking in the kitchen, putting together a feast for her children and anyone they wished to bring with them, if they so desired to. Despite not knowing who would be coming, she still never seemed to know how to cook for anything but a large crowd. The Marstons were a family of seven--so there was always a huge feast to be had. Her husband often teased her about needing to feed the world.

The house smelled of the roasted turkey dinner she had cooking, mixed with all the various side dishes: vegetables, potatoes, bread stuffing, fruits, cheeses, and of course, freshly baked bread. There was always bread. For dessert, Isadora had a couple of pies resting on the windowsill to cool.

Just as everything was about done, she cleaned her hands, dusted the flour off her face and dress, and started with setting the table as she waited for her guests to arrive.

[Atlas Marston]

Atlas tended to like Sundays, if only because Ma made a good dinner. Not that she didn’t make good dinner every other day of the week, but she always seemed to go all out for Sunday, and...Well Atlas really loved food, and nothing was better than food your Momma slaved over. The Farm was already getting busier with getting the fields ready, and Atlas and August Keller had been spending the day, trying to get their new plow horse, Rosie, acclimated to her new home, as well as letting her get to know her new colleague, Gus.

She was certainly a sweet thing, like Melena Hawthorne had told him, and she was a good working horse already. She’d do just fine among the Marston family. Atlas was walking up to the house from the barn. Heading on ahead of their farm hand August, who he always invited to dinner. The man wasn’t just his best friend, but like another brother to him, and if Ma was cooking, August had better be at the table too.

He didn’t realize how early he was until he came in the back door. Leaning off to the side a bit to look around the doorway to find the table was being set and a delicious aroma of food was wafting towards him. His stomach growled, indicating just how hungry he was, and he smiled softly as he straightened and made for the kitchen to wash his hands.

He eyed one of the pies that were on the counter, but was a good boy and didn’t touch it. He scrubbed his hands of the days work, making sure to clean under his fingernails as well before he found a hand towel and dried his hands off. He grabbed one of the bowls that had boiled potatoes in it, that hadn’t been set on the table yet, and came quietly into the dining room. Setting the bowl down on the table before he went to greet his mother. Coming up behind her he placed his hands on her shoulders and dipped his head and kissed her cheek. “Smells amazing Ma.” He said in his quiet, airy voice as he smiled softly at her. He released her shoulders then and looked at her handy work. “Why don’t you let me finish that?” He asked, moving to help her set the table. “You can take a seat, and rest.” He told her. She’d done enough already, clearly and Atlas wanted to be helpful.

[August Keller]

Although he had grown up on this farm, August couldn't help but always feel like he was intruding, regardless of whatever Marston invited him to dinner. Still, Isadora was always so kind as to welcome him into the fold...and it was very difficult to ignore a good home cooked meal.

As Atlas ran ahead, he took his time to make his way closer to the home, already smelling the delicious food as it wafted out the door, and his stomach immediately grumbled. Clearly his mind was questioning and telling him not to be a bother, but his mouth was nearly watering just thinking about the spread that was undoubtedly decorating the table.

Following his friend through the back door, Atlas was already making his way towards the dining room. He, too, would scrub his hands before stepping out from the kitchen, swearing that the entire household would be able to hear his stomach. But, as always, that was a compliment because everything smelled absolutely delicious.

August smiled warmly at Isadora, fidgeting a little as he always did. "I, um, hope I am not intruding, Mrs. Marston. Atlas dragged me here, but...I do not wish to be a bother at all," he spoke in that usual polite manner. Although he had often been invited to family gatherings, he never truly knew if it was simply the farmer dragging him along or it was at his mother's request.

[Persephone Marston]

Persephone brushed into the dining room past her brother and August, trailing the smell of honeysuckle behind her as she came in with a bundle of it in her arms and petals and pollen on her cheeks and in her hair.

"August Keller, you hold your tongue!" she scolded, though she was laughing as she did it. "If Lassie hadn't dragged you, one of the rest of us would have! We love having you here."

She leaned in to kiss her mother on the cheek as she passed her, then moved into the kitchen to find a vase for the flowers. She'd thought it would be nice to put them as the centerpiece--her way of contributing to the dinner. She'd helped a bit with the food too--chopping fruit for the pies and kneading the dough for bread, but this was something that was distinctly Persephone.

She found a pretty deep blue ceramic pitcher and decided that would work for a vase since it wasn't being used for dinner at the moment. She tucked the tall vines she'd clipped into the vase and carried it to the table, setting it in the center before slipping past Lassie again to gather up some silverware and help with setting the table.

"Do we know who all is coming tonight? Tavi's a mystery I know, but Daffy's around, right?"

[Daphne Marston]

Daphne rarely missed a Sunday dinner and on the rare occasions when she did miss it- she felt incredibly guilty. Isadora always put so much time and effort into preparing the family meal, the least her middle daughter felt she could do was show up. Having finished up in the fields, clearing the smaller rocks and stones from one of the fields so it would be ready for Atlas to plow tomorrow, Daphne had made it back to the little house with plenty of time to spare before dinner- and the young woman had had every intention of helping her mother prepare the feast for the family.

At least she had.

Carrying a bowl of steaming water to her room, Daphne had washed quickly- changed into a dress that was a little warmer and a lot less dusty- and then she had rested her eyes for just a few moments. Just a minute or two. She can’t have been asleep for long- only, now the scent of dinner was heavy in the air. Roasted turkey, fresh bread, and Daphne could swear she could pick out the smell of her favourite- apple pie- too.

All of which meant she had slept for far longer than he had planned- and Isadora Marston no longer needed the help that Daphne had hoped to give her. Oh no. The girl thought, bolting upright and dashing to the window, the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon- I can’t have missed it. In her haste, the blonde practically threw open her bedroom door, took the steps two at a time, and skidded into the dining room in stockinged feet.

Only to find she wasn’t quite the last one to the table. ”I’m sorry! I’m here! Slept!” Daphne blurted out, trying to flatten her hair as she rushed into the dining room. ”Hi Keller!” She shouldn’t have been surprised, Atlas’s friend was a regular at the Martson’s dinner table- but Daphne still felt a little awkward for bolting in with no shoes on her feet and her hair still messed up from sleep. With her siblings setting the table, Daphne looked around for something to do- disappearing into the kitchen in search of a task.

Unlike Atlas- Daphne didn’t quite have the restraint, and pinched off a piece of the pie-crust as she passed. Just a little piece. Popping it into her mouth and feeling the sweet pastry practically melt on her tongue as she helped with laying the table.

[Isadora Marston]

Isadora could hear sounds from the other room, but she assumed it was from one of her children coming in. But when she felt the hands on her shoulders and the kiss on her cheek, she grinned and turned to find her son, Atlas. “Oh, thank you, my love.” She handed him the stack of plates she still held and shook her head. “But you know me-- I can’t sit and rest until everything is done!” Her smile was genuine and bright.

Her bright blue eyes lifted as she heard August’s voice, which only made her smile grow wider. As she inhaled to begin speaking, Persephone’s voice filled the room, saying what she was about to say more or less. Isadora laughed and nodded firmly once. “Yes. Exactly.” As her daughter kissed her cheek, she turned her own face to kiss her cheek back. “Hello, my darling. Such beautiful flowers!”

Once Persephone walked away in search of a pitcher, she turned back to August and gave him a stern look, “Please get that idea out of your head, dear-- You are never an intruder here. You’re practically part of the family--I insist.”

Isadora went back to preparing things just before her daughter returned and set the vase of flowers on the center of the table. “Yes--quite lovely.” She smiled and winked at her. “Oh--I don’t know.” She said as she released a long breath. “I know your father and Castor are not here… And yes, Daffy is usually here for dinner.”

And just as the words left her mouth, Daphne came skidding into the room in a rush, blurting out a string of words. “And there she is!” She said in a sing-song voice. “Not to worry, darling. You are just in time.”

Once the table was set, Isadora stood back to admire it as she often did. “Alright-- I think we are just about ready here! Just need to finish getting the rest of the food out on the table!”