november
The November air was cold and clear, and Zinnia was the first to arrive.
This was somewhat out of character; Zinnia was almost always late. She wandered through life at her own meandering pace, doing whatever she felt drawn to at the time, which often meant she had little to no time awareness. The only reason she was actually on time was because of Timothée.
Nova's house was exactly as guessed, large and grand, and it glowed invitingly against the blackening sky. Timothée and Zinnia made their way up the driveway, and as they did, Timothée's hand swum the distance between them and his fingers slipped between hers.
Zinnia rang the tinkling bell on the door, and almost instantaneously it swung open, revealing Nova's beaming face.
"Zin!" She cried, and Zinnia barely had time to grin back before Nova pulled her into a warm hug.
It was no secret that Nova gave the best hugs of the family. She was gentle as rain in the way she held you, and there was a certain safety in her arms that all of her children adored.
Zinnia wriggled free, laughing.
"Have you always been this tall?" Nova asked, drawing Timothée in too.
"Afraid I have." He smiled.
"Come in, come in, I missed you so!"
Nova ushered them into the stately foyer, and the room glowed golden. Chandeliers winked merrily down from the ceiling, light glimmering on the white marble that everything seemed to be made of, and despite it only being mid-November, the railings on the double staircase were entwined with festive wreaths and sparkling fairy lights.
"Christmas already, Mom?" Zinnia inquired at the sight.
"It's never too early!" Nova said, laughing infectiously.
Timothée and Zinnia trailed behind Nova as she led them through the house to the kitchen, their hands entwined again.
The kitchen had clean white marble countertops and wide, glass sliding doors that overlooked the now inky black garden.
Zinnia watched her mother flit over bubbling pots and pans on the stove and check the oven with a swelling admiration. Nova took everything with utmost importance when it came to the press and business deals, but around her family she let that demeanour slip and her childish, playful truth shone through, and that was something Zinnia cherished about her. That and her effortless ability to make anyone feel at place in the world.
The chimes of the doorbell sounded, and Nova rushed off to answer it, leaving the two sitting on stools at the kitchen island, Zinnia's head resting comfortably on Timothée's shoulder.
"You'll get home alright later, won't you?" Timothée murmured softly, his eyes half closed.
"Yeah, I'll probably go with Den and Cole." came the response.
"I'm sorry I have to leave early."
Zinnia moved so that she could look up at him.
"It's okay, you have a lot on for tomorrow. Though Lorelai is going to miss you."
Lorelai, Gigi and Andrew's five year old daughter, was a bubbly, charismatic child, who loved attention and being in the limelight almost as much as Francis, especially when it came from Timothée.
Timothée leant forwards and placed a delicate kiss on Zinnia's nose.
"Gross."
"Lorelai!"
Timothée swung the young girl above his head as he picked her up, and she giggled giddily.
"We were just talking about you!"
"Me?" the girl gasped dramatically, wrapping her short legs around Timothée as he balanced her on his hip.
"About how you're my favourite in the family." Timothée whispered jokingly.
"Hey! What about me?" Zinnia said, pretending to be hurt by his words.
"Nope, he likes me better." Lorelai stuck her tongue out.
"Lorry?"
One only had to observe the way that Giselle entered a room to note that she held herself with elegance and took everything she did rather seriously. She was tall and lean, with graceful posture, and she moved deliberately, as though each step had been carefully planned out. Her long, dark hair hung in feathery curtains around her shoulders and she still managed to look glamorous in a loose cable knit jumper.
She leant over to give Zinnia a brief hug and a polite kiss on the cheek.
"You look so cute!"
Cute was a word commonly used by Gigi in reference to Zinnia. She was 14 when Zinnia was born, so she had always been her little baby sister.
"How come you're not late today, Zin?" Andrew teased once everyone had hugged hello. Nova was back behind the stove and Lorelai was sitting on the floor with an ipad, tapping at it furiously.
Zinnia opened her mouth to protest and defend her time management, when she was distracted by a small figure hurtling into the room and colliding into her legs, babbling happily.
"Bowie?"
Juno's voice was soft and musical, fairylike in a way that reflected her caring nature. She was small and slight, and she skipped into the room with Froy on her arm with graceful ease, her curls bouncing happily.
"Hey, guys!"
Zinnia picked Bowie up and placed a kiss on the tip of his tiny nose, his wild hair tickling her as she did so.
Francis arrived alone- Florence was in London for a while- and when he got there the front door was already open. He pushed past it quietly, following the sounds of laughter. He felt his chest would split in two at the surge of happiness that bubbled up inside of him when he found the rest of the family gathered at the back of the house. Timothée sat on the sofa with Lorelai, trying to take a sip of water, but whenever he tried, Lorelai would twist the straw away and collapse into peals of giggles when he would miss. Zinnia sat on the floor by the coffee table playing with Bowie, and he shrieked incoherently in the way toddlers do; Juno and Gigi sat on the other sofa talking quietly, whilst Andrew and Froy helped Nova in the kitchen. Denmark, Cole, Sage and Bea had arrived before him, the four of them could be heard clattering about in the dining room, setting the table.
Zinnia was the first to glance up and notice him hovering in the doorway, observing the Norman Rockwell scene displayed in front of him.
"Francie!"
She flew across the room, throwing her arms around her brother's bony neck as he squeaked in surprise.
"Zinnie!"
She let go and grinned up at him. Zinnia saw a lot of Denmark and Sage, they lived so close, and she was always round at her mother's, and Juno and Giselle were hard not to see, but Francis was always up and away somewhere, always unavailable.
Choruses of delight at the sight of the redhead sounded throughout the room, and he received pats on the head and squeezes on the arm as they greeted him.
"Dinner is ready- oh Francis, darling, you're here!"
Nova gave him an affectionate peck on the cheek (she smelt sweet and floral, and Francis recognised her perfume as one she had used to wear when he was growing up) and asked if he would help her carry everything out to the dining table.
He nodded dutifully and followed her through to the kitchen, leaving the sounds of the others starting to get up to eat behind him.
♱
Nova had always been a wonderful cook, but Sage thought that she had really outdone herself this time.
The table was laden with steaming dishes of food, and each thing he tried was better than the last. He understood why she had gone all out though, it was an unofficial reunion and party in preparation for the filming of the next season of The Duponts. From now on, everyone would have less going on and be closer together, and he looked forward to that aspect of the show.
The air was cramped with chatter and overlapping conversation. Lorelai was standing on her chair, using a marker to draw scribbles on her father's face as he was trying to maintain the hushed talk he was having with Giselle. Cole and Zinnia were delighting in loud laughter, and the rest of the family (minus Bowie as he was asleep in the other room) were in a heated debate on whether it would be better to be either really small or really big- at Denmark's suggestion.
Nova sat at the head of the table, listening silently. She lived alone, and it was rarely that this room was put to use, so the sight of everyone she loved in one room together was slightly overwhelming for her. She tapped on her glass with a fork and a hush fell about the family.
"I just want to say, it's so lovely seeing you guys all together!" She spoke delicately, precisely. "Here's to season eleven!"
Everyone agreed noisily, raising their glasses as she did.
"And may I just say something?" Gigi asked permission to speak, exchanging a meaningful look with her husband.
Everyone turned to look at her, and for once, Giselle didn't seem her usual confident self. She looked nervous and fidgety, and if someone were to look under the table, they would see that Andrew was rubbing her hand soothingly.
"There's not much longer we can keep this a secret, so I'd better just tell you guys- I'm pregnant!"
Nova gasped excitedly. She had two grandchildren already, but she was very vocal in the fact that she felt that that wasn't nearly enough.
"Are you being serious?" She asked, her mouth still hanging open.
Gigi nodded, smiling shyly.
"That's amazing!"
"Congratulations!"
"I'm so excited!"
"How far along?"
"Five months!" Gigi said, trying to keep track of all the different voices.
"And that's not all..." Andrew trailed off teasingly. "It's twins!"
Nova burst into tears.
"Aww, Mom."
"I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes, "it's just so lovely." Her voice cracked.
Sage reached around and gave his mom a side hug. The kids were used to Nova crying when anything happened, and whilst they did make fun of her for it, they also recognised that it was a sweet trait.
"I think we should watch a Christmas film to calm down." Nova sniffled.
They rose from the table, leaving the plates (Nova would deal with them later) and talking amongst themselves, they migrated to the living room.
There were three plush sofas and a squashy armchair in the living room, made of a dark, wine coloured velvet that matched the curtains. It was dimly lit by multiple tall, cinnamon scented candles and a string of glowing golden fairy lights. Cole, Denmark, Bea and Sage squashed onto the sofa nearest to the window; Juno, Froy (who had a sleeping Bowie nestled on his chest) and Francis took up residence on the middle sofa- Francis feeling rather lonely- and Andrew, Gigi, and Nova took up the last sofa. Lorelai had insisted that she had the 'grown up chair', so she sat by herself in the wide armchair, her feet unable to touch the floor.
"Shoot." Timothée stopped in the doorway, Zinnia behind him. He was looking down at his watch, which read 9:58pm. "I have to go."
"I'll walk you out." Zinnia smiled, and after a quick goodbye, they left the room.
"Okay," Denmark had the remote control in her hand and was flicking through Netflix. "What do we want to watch?"
"Nightmare before Christmas." Sage said loudly.
"No, stupid, that's a Halloween film."
"No it's not!" The 23 year old sat up to argue with Denmark.
"Yes it is, it's set in Halloweentown."
"Then why does it have Christmas in the title?"
"Alright, guys, let's just watch something else." Nova interrupted. They had been adults for six years, and yet still squabbled like petty children.
"Eww," Sage said looking out the window, "now that is gross."
He was watching Timothée and Zinnia outside. Timothée was leaning against his car, Zinnia's arms around his neck and hands in his hair. They were kissing feverishly, moving together in the dark, the only light on them beaming down from the house.
"Don't be mean, and stop watching them, you pervert!" Bea tugged at Sage, and he turned away from the window and put his arm around her.
"Still gross." He grumbled under his breath.
"You're gross." Bea retorted, making him stick his tongue out at her.
Everyone was sleepy from the food and wine, and the flickering light of the candles didn't help. They had (unbelievably) agreed on a film to watch (though Sage, much to everyone's tired annoyance, had tried to argue against every suggestion) and the beginning of The Grinch played on the tv.
The bang of the front door sounded, and seconds later, Zinnia came in, flushed and glittering. She stopped in the hallway, looking through the crack in the door at the sight of her family, cosy and content, and her chest ballooned with an uncontrollable happiness.
a message from zig
i know this is a bit of a mess and not much happens, but i wanted a bit of an intro, and i promise it will start getting interesting soon (i have a whole timeline of what happens in the next few months for them)
sorry that i didn't get to go into full detail about some of the characters, they will be featured more in the next part
<3