Eric trailed behind her. At least they could agree on keeping up appearances; Amber didn't know what she'd have done if he'd insisted on talking then and there, but whatever it was, it wouldn't have been pleasant. Nothing unforgiveable had happened-- yet. Amber caught her mom's sharp tone. Before she could glide into a smooth lie about going over the details of their latest, complex, and very important case, Eric was already speaking, talking about wine. Amber's eyes widened slightly-- that wasn't an invention that'd fly so well with her family. It'd only put pressure on her parents to pretend as if they knew anything about wine, when her mom was likely to buy the most expensive bottle of European she could afford than any other factor.
Her mom stiffened, squaring out her shoulders. "Thank you. I do try to keep an eye out for the best--" Was that her dad hiding a smirk? Oh, god, he better not laugh, otherwise they'd all be in trouble.
"Actually, I brought the Sauvignon you're drinking now," Geoffrey said with a light grin. "It was hard to pack with all of Madeleine's things, but I knew it'd be worth it." Madeleine, back between her parents on the sofa, stirred at the mention of her name, but a frown crossed her face as though she was pretty sure that wasn't a positive mention. She did get some things right.
"It's pretty good," Amber granted, taking Eric's hand as she sat down in their previous seats. "Very sophisticated," she said knowingly, though she had yet to take a single sip.
The hallway phone rang. Amber and, from the look of it, her mom, sat up, ready to go get it, but her dad beat them for once, rising slowly but with more conviction. He hadn’t gotten a five-minute break in the kitchen like Amber and Eric, and everyone else was more in their element, here in the living room exchanging small talk. "I’ll be back," he said, waving his hand above his head as he walked away.
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Amber caught her mom's sharp tone. Before she could glide into a smooth lie about going over the details of their latest, complex, and very important case, Eric was already speaking, talking about wine. Amber's eyes widened slightly-- that wasn't an invention that'd fly so well with her family. It'd only put pressure on her parents to pretend as if they knew anything about wine, when her mom was likely to buy the most expensive bottle of European she could afford than any other factor.
Her mom stiffened, squaring out her shoulders. "Thank you. I do try to keep an eye out for the best--" Was that her dad hiding a smirk? Oh, god, he better not laugh, otherwise they'd all be in trouble.
"Actually, I brought the Sauvignon you're drinking now," Geoffrey said with a light grin. "It was hard to pack with all of Madeleine's things, but I knew it'd be worth it." Madeleine, back between her parents on the sofa, stirred at the mention of her name, but a frown crossed her face as though she was pretty sure that wasn't a positive mention. She did get some things right.
"It's pretty good," Amber granted, taking Eric's hand as she sat down in their previous seats. "Very sophisticated," she said knowingly, though she had yet to take a single sip.
The hallway phone rang. Amber and, from the look of it, her mom, sat up, ready to go get it, but her dad beat them for once, rising slowly but with more conviction. He hadn’t gotten a five-minute break in the kitchen like Amber and Eric, and everyone else was more in their element, here in the living room exchanging small talk. "I’ll be back," he said, waving his hand above his head as he walked away.