Family Brunch

Emile hated family brunch. 

He wasn’t too fond of his own family nor the family he had married into. Though he himself could also be pretentious and judgemental, he felt they were all much worse than he was.

Sienna was one of three children that Bruno and Sally Peterson had. All girls. Emile’s wife was the youngest and it was very clear whenever they got together as a family. Sienna could be whiny and her parents fully doted on her. 

It clearly bothered her sisters: Sonia and Sadie. Emile always found it kind of narcissistic to give your daughters names that had the same letter as yours. 

Emile himself only had one sister, Carrie. He and his sister got along great. Emile was sure if they were the same gender, they would have been pit against each other growing up by their parents. Instead they had very specific roles. Emile was expected to take over the company and Carrie was expected to be exceptional at something and yet still marry a rich man.

They both had succeeded.

And both were miserable with certain aspects of their roles. 

Of course Malcolm and Patricia Astor would never know their children felt that way, because they would never tell them. 

“God I’m so sick of these,” Carrie whispered to Emile as she sat down.

“Me too, I have much better things to be doing.”

“Like what?”

“None of your business, nosy.” He chuckled as he glanced down at his phone.

He hadn’t heard from Iris since Friday night. He was sure she was upset with him for canceling. He understood, but it made him nervous when Iris didn’t talk to him. 

“Daddy, where was it that we stayed when we went to Paris that one time?” Sienna asked. “Emile and I are planning a trip there.”

“We are?” Emile asked. 

“Of course we are. We haven’t gone anywhere in months! We need a trip just for us, don’t you think?” 

Emile didn’t think that at all. Instead he was thinking of being away from Iris that long. He wasn’t sure if he could stand such a distance. How would she feel being away from him while he was on a romantic getaway with his wife?

This was all too much. 

“Um, sure, babe.”

“Well that doesn’t sound very enthusiastic, Emile,” Malcolm frowned. 

“It’s just that work is so busy right now,”

“I didn’t even say what date we’d be going,” Sienna pointed out. 

“Right…just let me know and I’ll move around my work schedule.” Emile forced a smile.

“Good boy,” Patricia smiled.

“Yes, good boy,” Carrie whispered. “Sit, roll over.”

“Carrie, honey, where is Jason?”

“He had to work this morning unfortunately.”

Emile wished he had lied about working this morning so that he didn't have to be here. A thought occurred to him. Was Jason cheating on his sister? Carrie didn’t seem upset about his absence.

“Where is he for real?” Emile breathed. 

“Work,” Carrie answered. “I dropped him off and everything. We have things to do later. Don’t worry, he’s not like you.”

Emile was taken aback by her comment. Did Carrie know of his infidelity? 

“Daddy, when do you think the best time to go to Paris is?” Sienna questioned. 

Emile loathed on every level the way Sienna called her father ‘Daddy’, It made her sound like a child. Sienna loved being treated like a princess and since Emile no longer did that for her, she had to seek such attention elsewhere. 

Sienna had lied. She hadn’t been planning a Paris trip, but now she will. It was just what her marriage needed. Time away from that tramp taking up all of Emile’s time. She was sure it would rekindle their love like it always did.

“Well, Sissy, I think you should go next month!” Bruno smiled at his youngest daughter. “Paris is beautiful in spring!”

Emile also hated the way Bruno called Sienna ‘Sissy’. It was strange and uncomfortable for him to hear his wife be called that. 

“I should just book the trip now,” Sienna stated. 

“I think Paris is overrated,” Ryan spoke up almost haughtily. “There are cheaper places with much better views.”

“Please enlighten us about these places, Ryan,” Emile said dully.

“For one the Florida Keys are immaculate! I mean the beaches-”

“There are no real beaches in The Florida Keys!” Sienna laughed. “Paris is much better than that, I assure you, Ryan.”

“Don’t be so rude,” Sadie hissed. “You always do this!”

“Do what?”

“You make my husband feel stupid.”

“Does he really need Sienna to help do that?” Emile blurted out. 

Sonia chuckled into her glass. No one in the family was particularly fond of Ryan except for his wife. Sadie was mostly with him to bother her parents. Being the middle child she felt she had to do things to stand out.

Marrying Ryan Corwin was a way to do that. Of course, all it did was make her parents and sisters roll their eyes. He definitely didn’t fit into their family. 

“Don’t be a jerk, Emile,” Sadie glared at him. 

“I apologize Ryan,” Emile stated. “I don’t think you’re stupid on purpose.”

Carrie elbowed him as she forced down a laugh. “I personally enjoyed The Florida Keys. I’ll never go back, but…it was quite fine.”

“Weren’t you there as punishment?” Emile questioned before grunting.

Sienna had kicked him under the table. Still there was a ghost of a smile on her face. He knew his wife was amused by his behavior.

***

“So who is she?” Carrie whispered she finally got her brother alone.

“Who?”

“The woman who actually has your attention.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Come on Emile, I know you better than anyone else. You are so distracted and you keep glancing down at your phone. And…you have a mark on your neck I don’t think your wife gave you.”

Emile nervously pulled up the collar of his shit. He should have stopped Iris that night but it felt so good. 

He knew he could trust his sister, but he didn’t want her to see him as a horrible person for being unfaithful.

“Um…Iris,” Emile whispered. 

“Do you love her?” Carrie questioned. He nodded. “So…you’re leaving that wench Sienna then?”

“In eight months.”

“Right, after your cute little contract ends. She’s gonna lose her mind, you know? She’s an insane woman.”

“I know, but I can’t stand being unhappy anymore,” Emile sighed. “Iris makes me…feel alive.”

“And you’re sure it’s not about sex?”

“It’s so much more than that, I swear. I see a real future with this girl…I just have to end things with Sienna and I will.”

“I don’t agree with cheating, but it would be nice to see you happy again,” Carrie smiled slightly. “This girl better be worth all the mess that you divorcing is going to cause though.”

“Oh she definitely is.”

Across the room, Sienna was talking to her mother. 

“Honey, is something going on with you and Emile?” Sally questioned. 

Sienna bit her lower lip. “What do I do if Emile is…distracted?”

“In what way?”

“By another woman.”

Sally nodded slowly. She blinked her blue eyes a few times as though trying to think of the right thing to say to her youngest daughter.

“Well, I’d say you need to make sure he’s not distracted anymore. That’s what I did with your father.”

“Wait, Daddy?” Sienna whispered. “I never realized.”

“Because I was good at bringing him back. All you have to do is get rid of this new mistress. She’s not the first I imagine.”

“She’s not, but she’s the longest.”

“So…did you get rid of the others?”

Sienna bit her lip. “Yes, I did.”

“So just do the same with this new one. You have to do everything to hold on to your man, Sissy. Sure he’ll get distracted and stray, but at the end of the day, he’s yours. Never forget that.”

A smile came across her face as she looked over at Emile. 

“I won’t.”