Dee + Merena - a candid question
Who: Dee and Merena
When: Early December sometime?
Where: Sweet Dee's
Rating & Warnings: G. Merena chickens out of asking super awkward questions.
Merena had promised to visit Belladea at her bakery, and so she would. Curiosity was part of it, but it was only proper to check up on her sister-in-law. Even though she knew both Diya and Belladea both had ulterior motives for their marriage, it didn't stop her from letting them go through with it. That was her goal, and as long as they weren't fervently hating each other, she would accept it.
Sweet Dee's was the name, if she was informed correctly. The exterior looked nice enough; perhaps the interior would be even more quaint. She had to wonder, though, did Belladea really know how to run a business? Looking at the door for a few more moments and tugging at her hat to cover the left side of her head, she walked in, grateful for the warmth a bakery brought in the face of oncoming winter. "Hello?"
There were a few customers floating around; Dee waved and greeted her sister-in-law with cheer, but waited until she'd finished accepting payment for a bun before moving around the counter with a smile. "Hello!"
With Diya's money and social position, honestly she should have been paying someone else to bake and sell and work in the shop. But still, she found herself happy to do it herself, at peace kneading bread and dealing with customers. Diya could wallow in misery and have his affairs all he wanted; she was happy, right now.
"Good afternoon, my lady! How can I help you?"
Merena watched quietly as Dee handled the customers with a small smile. Even if it was technically beneath her station now, the older woman looked at home behind the counter, heading this bakery.
"Good afternoon." Maybe when there were fewer customers around, she would tell Dee that she could just call her Merena. As awkward and dysfunctional as they were, they were family now. "I just wanted to see what your bakery was like. I did say I would visit. Can I have a sample of something?"
If it'd been anyone else, Dee would have wagged her finger at them. Her father had always taught her that taking samples from the shop meant losing profit, to always pay for what was taken. But Merena probably had never run a shop at shop level. Even if it meant wincing internally and going against the few prudences her father had taught her, Dee sliced some bread and handed it over the counter to her sister-in-law with a bright expression. "Enjoy."
Merena didn't think much of it because whatever coin she'd be using was her family's coin, which Dee had access to already. If she would end up taking more, she'd likely go through the motions of paying even if she thought it was a little on the pointless side. She accepted the bread with a smile, gently taking a bite out of it. "It's delicious. Thank you."
She took a closer look around the bakery as she ate and watched as the rest of the customers left. It seemed like Belladea enjoyed her place here, but was that fact? Merena knew how to keep a good face on for business. "Do you enjoy this, Belladea? You're content with this?" Having married Diya, the former guard didn't even need to have her own business. She wondered if her brother mentioned it at all to their father.
Dee looked up with surprise at the candid questioning. "Yes, I do."
She did. Dealing with Diya was easy enough now they were married. She even regarded him fondly sometimes, when she was out of the house and there was at least a mile between them and he wasn't on the ledgers. It was the business though, that more than anything else made her happy.
Belladea sounded sincere. That was a little surprising. Perhaps, since she had gone into the marriage for financial security and had received it, that was all there was to it. Merena knew that it was guilt that drove Diya to marry and nothing else, which only made her feel guilty. She felt guilty, but she didn't regret it.
"I'm glad to hear that. I'd feel bad if you didn't." How.... No, the other questions she wanted to ask weren't proper to ask in this kind of place. "Diya says that you two haven't been arguing as much lately. Is that true?"
"Oh, yes!" Mostly, she avoided him. There were conversations they'd have to have at some point together, like 'why is Elia living here' or 'why won't this red head stop crying' or 'are treating our house like an inn', but they could wait until he was in a good mood. "It's quite calm, at our house."
Calm? Was that an understatement? She couldn't imagine any household with Diya in it as calm. Did they avoid each other that much? No, she shouldn't be surprised.
Keeping most of the surprise off her face, she nodded. "I'm glad to hear that, too. If you ever have any trouble with him, please tell me. I'd like to know." It really did seem like Belladea was genuine. Merena didn't know her very well, but she didn't think she had bad judgment of character. Hesitating, she said, "This may seem abrupt," if not awkward, "but I was wondering if I could... watch you work one day. Baking," she clarified.
"You got it!" It seemed unfair for Merena to constantly be her brother's keeper. Some of that should fall to Dee now, given that she was his wife. Next time, she decided, she'd take responsibility for Diya's mistakes. Well, maybe not...next time. She'd pick her battles.
The next question took Dee completely by surprise. "Of course! I always bake a good few batches early in the morning, then again after lunch. Which is better for you?"
"I can come in the morning," she said. This was something new Merena wanted to witness, experience, and then maybe try. She had taken all the lessons her father had given her, but she hadn't done much more. At least, not since before her brother had been sent away during adolescence.
"Are you sure coming won't be a bother?" Even if this was something that she wanted to try, imposing was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Of course not!" Dee grinned widely. She did like her sister-in-law. She was pleasant and lovely to speak to. It'd be nice to have someone around during the early shift, besides. "It'll be good, having company."
"I'll come bright and early tomorrow."
Looking over at her sister-in-law, Merena hesitated before confirming that it was neither the right time or place to ask (more) uncomfortable questions. It wasn't like she couldn't wait another day. Smiling to cover her awkward pause, she added, "I'll let you work now. I'm sure more customers will come soon."
When: Early December sometime?
Where: Sweet Dee's
Rating & Warnings: G. Merena chickens out of asking super awkward questions.
Merena had promised to visit Belladea at her bakery, and so she would. Curiosity was part of it, but it was only proper to check up on her sister-in-law. Even though she knew both Diya and Belladea both had ulterior motives for their marriage, it didn't stop her from letting them go through with it. That was her goal, and as long as they weren't fervently hating each other, she would accept it.
Sweet Dee's was the name, if she was informed correctly. The exterior looked nice enough; perhaps the interior would be even more quaint. She had to wonder, though, did Belladea really know how to run a business? Looking at the door for a few more moments and tugging at her hat to cover the left side of her head, she walked in, grateful for the warmth a bakery brought in the face of oncoming winter. "Hello?"
There were a few customers floating around; Dee waved and greeted her sister-in-law with cheer, but waited until she'd finished accepting payment for a bun before moving around the counter with a smile. "Hello!"
With Diya's money and social position, honestly she should have been paying someone else to bake and sell and work in the shop. But still, she found herself happy to do it herself, at peace kneading bread and dealing with customers. Diya could wallow in misery and have his affairs all he wanted; she was happy, right now.
"Good afternoon, my lady! How can I help you?"
Merena watched quietly as Dee handled the customers with a small smile. Even if it was technically beneath her station now, the older woman looked at home behind the counter, heading this bakery.
"Good afternoon." Maybe when there were fewer customers around, she would tell Dee that she could just call her Merena. As awkward and dysfunctional as they were, they were family now. "I just wanted to see what your bakery was like. I did say I would visit. Can I have a sample of something?"
If it'd been anyone else, Dee would have wagged her finger at them. Her father had always taught her that taking samples from the shop meant losing profit, to always pay for what was taken. But Merena probably had never run a shop at shop level. Even if it meant wincing internally and going against the few prudences her father had taught her, Dee sliced some bread and handed it over the counter to her sister-in-law with a bright expression. "Enjoy."
Merena didn't think much of it because whatever coin she'd be using was her family's coin, which Dee had access to already. If she would end up taking more, she'd likely go through the motions of paying even if she thought it was a little on the pointless side. She accepted the bread with a smile, gently taking a bite out of it. "It's delicious. Thank you."
She took a closer look around the bakery as she ate and watched as the rest of the customers left. It seemed like Belladea enjoyed her place here, but was that fact? Merena knew how to keep a good face on for business. "Do you enjoy this, Belladea? You're content with this?" Having married Diya, the former guard didn't even need to have her own business. She wondered if her brother mentioned it at all to their father.
Dee looked up with surprise at the candid questioning. "Yes, I do."
She did. Dealing with Diya was easy enough now they were married. She even regarded him fondly sometimes, when she was out of the house and there was at least a mile between them and he wasn't on the ledgers. It was the business though, that more than anything else made her happy.
Belladea sounded sincere. That was a little surprising. Perhaps, since she had gone into the marriage for financial security and had received it, that was all there was to it. Merena knew that it was guilt that drove Diya to marry and nothing else, which only made her feel guilty. She felt guilty, but she didn't regret it.
"I'm glad to hear that. I'd feel bad if you didn't." How.... No, the other questions she wanted to ask weren't proper to ask in this kind of place. "Diya says that you two haven't been arguing as much lately. Is that true?"
"Oh, yes!" Mostly, she avoided him. There were conversations they'd have to have at some point together, like 'why is Elia living here' or 'why won't this red head stop crying' or 'are treating our house like an inn', but they could wait until he was in a good mood. "It's quite calm, at our house."
Calm? Was that an understatement? She couldn't imagine any household with Diya in it as calm. Did they avoid each other that much? No, she shouldn't be surprised.
Keeping most of the surprise off her face, she nodded. "I'm glad to hear that, too. If you ever have any trouble with him, please tell me. I'd like to know." It really did seem like Belladea was genuine. Merena didn't know her very well, but she didn't think she had bad judgment of character. Hesitating, she said, "This may seem abrupt," if not awkward, "but I was wondering if I could... watch you work one day. Baking," she clarified.
"You got it!" It seemed unfair for Merena to constantly be her brother's keeper. Some of that should fall to Dee now, given that she was his wife. Next time, she decided, she'd take responsibility for Diya's mistakes. Well, maybe not...next time. She'd pick her battles.
The next question took Dee completely by surprise. "Of course! I always bake a good few batches early in the morning, then again after lunch. Which is better for you?"
"I can come in the morning," she said. This was something new Merena wanted to witness, experience, and then maybe try. She had taken all the lessons her father had given her, but she hadn't done much more. At least, not since before her brother had been sent away during adolescence.
"Are you sure coming won't be a bother?" Even if this was something that she wanted to try, imposing was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Of course not!" Dee grinned widely. She did like her sister-in-law. She was pleasant and lovely to speak to. It'd be nice to have someone around during the early shift, besides. "It'll be good, having company."
"I'll come bright and early tomorrow."
Looking over at her sister-in-law, Merena hesitated before confirming that it was neither the right time or place to ask (more) uncomfortable questions. It wasn't like she couldn't wait another day. Smiling to cover her awkward pause, she added, "I'll let you work now. I'm sure more customers will come soon."