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“What part of surprise do you not get?” Ollie says. “She’s going to come down for dinner anyway. Might as well surprise her then.”
I sniff. “What’s that smell?”
“What smell?” Ollie says defensively.
“When did you last shower?” I ask him.
“We don’t really need to shower as often during the winter, you know,” Ollie says defensively. I raise an eyebrow at him. “Fine, I’ll go do it now.”
“Good, because we don’t want Susan to faint from whatever you’re stinking of,” I say as Ollie walks away.
Ed takes charge of the main course, skillfully marinating and grilling his favorite steak to perfection. The aroma fills the air, making my mouth water. I wonder if Susan can smell it from upstairs.
Ollie focuses on the side dishes, whipping up creamy mashed potatoes and sautéing a medley of vegetables—bell peppers and potatoes to go with the steak.
As for me, I focus on creating a simple brownie, one of my favorite desserts, to end the meal on a sweet note.
We light some candles and set the table with our best dishes. Ed puts on some soft music and dims the light. Ollie arranges some flowers on the table, and we all take care to make everything look nice.
As the final touches come together, we step back and admire our work. Now, to wait for Susan.
My brothers and I have taken care to change into fresh clothes and combed our usually unruly hair to look presentable.
Susan descends the stairs, her eyes widening with surprise as she takes in the beautifully set table and the warm glow of the candles. Her lips part slightly, a mix of confusion and delight evident on her face.
I step forward, a gentle smile forming on my lips. “We wanted to do something special for you, Susan,” I say.
Susan’s gaze flickers between each of us, her expression softening as she takes in the effort we’ve put into this. Even though the lights are dimmed, I can clearly see the unshed tears in her eyes. She’s overwhelmed.
She clears her throat, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and appreciation. “Oh, wow. This is…unexpected,” she says, her words tinged with a touch of disbelief. “Thank you, guys. It’s really thoughtful of you.”
“We may not know exactly what you’re going through, Susan, but we want you to know that we’re here for you,” Ed says, his tone reassuring. “Whatever it is, you don’t have to face it alone.”
“I don’t?” Susan says. “How did you—”
“I know periods suck,” Ollie says. “And on top of that, you have that dreadful deadline of yours. No wonder you’re tense. We should have understood this earlier.” He leads her to the table and sits her down, and then massages her shoulders.
My gaze remains on Susan. I’m the only one who notices the way she kind of jolted when Ed told her we know about her predicament. Were we wrong in our assumptions? Is there really something else?
Susan sniffs the air. “Steak?” she guesses.
“Yes,” Ollie says excitedly, opening the platter for her. But Susan flinches. “Actually, I’m not really in the mood for it. The smell is kind of turning me off.”
“Oh,” Ollie says, stepping back.
“We can get you something else,” I offer. “We’ll order pizza from town.”
“Isn’t it a little late for people to come up?” Susan says. “I don’t want to be a bother.”
“You don’t have to worry about it,” I say, taking out my phone. “They even have an automatic delivery system now.”
“Artie,” Ed says as he removes the steak from the table. I can tell he’s a little hurt. Steak is one of his specialties, and he takes pride in preparing it. “Do you have a room freshener?” He gestures to Susan, who looks a little sick, probably from the smell of the steak.
“I think I have one in my bathroom,” I say distractedly as I keep looking up pizza options. I don’t want to make her accidentally sick again.
I notice Susan’s demeanor shift slightly. Her eyes dart around the table and a hint of unease tinges her expression. It’s clear that the attention and gestures of kindness, though well-intentioned, are making her uncomfortable.
“What is it?” I ask her.
