Family Matters

Reunion

"Daniel!" Alison said with surprise. "What a pleasure to see you, my dear."

"Yeah, yeah. Cut the slack will you Hope?" He replied aggressively, stepping inside the great hall of the Mansion. A massive stairwell made of stone ruled the interior of the room, adequately lit by a chandelier in the centre. The walls were full of windows and paintings of old family members. Aunts, uncles, nieces, grand-mothers and grand-fathers of the Montgomery family were standing still inside the lifeless paintings. On the top of the stairs, there was a potent portrait, much bigger than the others and with much details. Nicholas Montgomery was standing there, keeping an eye on his creation. Daniel looked around the room. He felt home and like it always belonged in that place. But at the same time, he felt angry and disgusted to be there.

"Where is he?" He asked Alison. "Where is the old man?"

"I am right here, Daniel," Gerald answered from the top of the stairs. He looked much older than Daniel remembered. He walked slowly down the stairs to meet him.

"Hello, my son. It is a pleasure to see you again." Gerald said with a smile trying to hug him.

"I wish it could be a pleasure for me as well, Gerald," Daniel replied, walking backwards to avoid his father's hug.

"Shall I take your luggage to your room?" Alison intervened.

"Do as you wish Hope."

He continued to look around the house without looking at his father. "Nothing changed here, old man."

"I like to keep the things to the past, as everything should be," Gerald replied, getting close to him. He was happy to see his son because he always thought that he should be the one to own the company. Daniel had the potential but lacked the passion and humanity.

Daniel smiled with arrogance and started to walk around the hall.

The door ring bell sounded again, and Alison rushed towards it. Two women entered the house. One was taller with blonder hair. She looked young and beautiful. Linda Montgomery entered first. A famous top model in her late 20s. She wore a big hat to cover her from the sun, a long and stretched out dress accompanied with heels and purse of the same colour. Linda walked towards Daniel with a royal posture. She hugged him hard.

"It is good to see your brother." She said. "Hi, father." She hugged him as well.

"Hello, Linda," Gerald replied while Daniel stayed silent. "I hope your journey from Los Angeles was good for you."

"Could've been a better father. I hope this does not last long. I have a show to present in the next following weeks." She replied. She gave her purse and luggage to Alison.

Following Linda, there was Meredith Montgomery. An older woman in her late 30s with red hair and green eyes; her mother's eyes. On the contrary of her sister, Meredith was very elegant and formal, wearing a black lady suit along with a big business suitcase and dark sunglasses. She slowly walked towards her father.

"Hello, father. What a pleasure to see you again." She said with a small smile and a note of sarcasm in her voice. She hugged Alison with force and looked over where Daniel and Linda stood. "Daniel, Linda; I hope your journey was peaceful."

"The same goes to you, Meredith. Last time I heard from you; you were living in Russia am I wrong?" Daniel asked, analysing her from feet to head.

"Yes, Daniel." She replied. "As you may be aware of, I've been living with our mother in Russia since our parents went on separated ways."

"You mean since this man had an affair with the secretary and brought our mother to craziness," Daniel shouted.

"Daniel, please." Alison tried to calm him.

"No, Ms Hope. Do not worry. Daniel has the right to think what he wants, and we cannot blame him." Gerald replied calmly.

"Whatever old man. I know what the truth is." He replied.

All heard strong poundings on the door. Alison rushed again and opened it for them to see who lied beyond. Stephan Montgomery stepped inside the Mansion. He was the youngest of the family and the shortest. He had a long black beard and wore a dark-grey beanie that was hiding his bald scalp. As soon as he entered the hall, they all could smell alcohol and weed inside the whole Mansion.

"Good afternoon Stephan, are you okay?" Gerald asked him.

"Yes, I am good. I think the taxi driver robbed me from getting here." He replied. He walked towards his siblings, barely keeping his balance. "It is a pleasure to see you all. It has been a long time."

"Hello Stephan, I can see you have not changed at all," Linda replied, taking her sunglasses off.

"Great!" Gerald said. "Now that you all are here, you can have a rest, and you can join me for dinner in a few hours." He started walking with effort on the stairs. "I am delighted that you all are here after all the things that happened. Alison will guide you to your rooms."

Gerald left in a corridor on the first floor while Alison slowly took all four to each one's room. Daniel had the biggest one as usual. Both Meredith and Linda shared the same room while Stephan went inside the small one next to the library of the Mansion; a place that he always loved.

"I am going to take a shower, Meredith. This place makes me smell of old." Linda said while getting out of the room.

Meredith started to unpack her stuff slowly and picked up a small black box from her luggage. She opened it slowly and looked at the gun that she brought home. For a long time, she dreamed of the moment when revenge would arrive, and now finally, she had the chance to kill her father once and for all.

Meredith closed the box and hid it inside the wardrobe where no one could've found it.