Fall, Chapter 1

As daylight finally began to creep into the corner of the room, it slowly awakened every part of the office it touched. Revealing countless boxes stacked on top of each other, empty nails in the walls where family pictures once rested and lifting the chill that had been set in this space by months of no movement.

"This was not what I had in mind," Zoe protested. "Coming to our dead father's office is not relaxing, nor does it bring me comfort Lea." Although two years younger than her sister, Zoe was much more the dominant of the two. Her red heels leading them both down the dark tile-lined walkway, to the front door of their father's office. Each of her footsteps tapped louder than the next, drowning out silence and running out any chill that was left.

Lea was more calm, noticing everything she was passing, taking in the beige walls and antique paintings that her father adored. The two of them hadn't been in their father's manor for months and hadn't stepped near his office in years. "Damn, slow down," Lea huffed, as she stopped her pursuit of her little sister and bent down next to an empty pot in the hallway.

Lea was earthy, very relaxed and dressed to fit that. Her hair flowed down to her shoulder, which she usually kept up and out her way and was full, streaming with curls. "Dad always kept the key to this office here," she said, lifting up the plant and picking up the dusty key. "I never understood why he kept this thing locked anyway. It's not like this office wasn't already inside of our house."

Zoe shifted her handbag from the inside of her left forearm to her right hand and proceeded to remove her oversized shades from her face. Zoe was much different from her sister. Always very put together, every outfit thought out and planned, with not a strand of her long, thick black hair out of place.

"Just because my business is located inside of my home, I have to do a little extra. I have to ensure that when people come to me, they know that I take this serious. This is a business back here," Zoe mimicked her father. "That's why we never played back here or even came near the hall. This was his business and we were his kids, who stayed in his home!" 

She rubbed her hand across the gold plated tag by the door. "Manning Law, you remember when he super glued this damn thing to the wall," Zoe laughed as she questioned her sister.

Lea unlocked the door and slowly begin to open it, reaching for the light as soon as she entered.

"Yes, and after mom cursed him out about it, she got someone else to come and take it off and put it up properly," Lea chipped in. "You know, if it's going to be done that she wants it done right. Appearances baby. You two are so alike in that way, yet you can barely be in a room together."

Zoe sat her bag and shades down on the first box she passed entering. She untied her black trench coat, revealing her little black dress and rested on the desk in front of her. "Eh, I 'm not sure her and I are alike at all sweetheart. I put myself together, so I can actually BE together. Not just appear to be," she projected. "Y-OUR mother could give a damn about actually being well put together on the inside or behind closed doors. She just needs to not look a mess."

As Zoe finishes what she would consider a valuable teaching moment between the two sisters, another set of heels enter the office. 

"You never grow tired of that constant gripe against our mother, do you doll," Mya said as she walked in, setting her briefcase next to Zoe's handbag. "How long have you two been in the manor and you couldn't cut on the lights out front?"

Mya was the oldest of these three but not the oldest of all four sisters. She was always in a hurry and usually always in a pantsuit. Much to the annoyance of her youngest sister.

"MY gripe with our mother stems from MY issues with her, DOLL," Zoe said, smiling. "We came in through the back, My. Not seeing either of our cars parked in the front should've told you we were back here."

Mya took off her jacket, walked over to hug Lea and then turned to Zoe. "Because, we're always on time when we say we're going to be, aren't we, Zo," she said, reaching in to embrace her baby sister. 

Zoe smiled through her teeth and leaned into her sister, with only one shoulder.

-

The Manning family is one of the most prominent and well known in the city. Their parents both practicing law, had been at the forefront of rebuilding the city after the storm.

Fitzgerald Manning was tall and fair skinned, he commanded every room and worked them accordingly. Managing to make every person around feel as though he knew them all, he could interact like no other. That trait was one that came in handy when he practiced law.

Their mother however, was quite the opposite. Quite cold and less embracing, Lyn was still powerful and had a presence about herself.

She stood tall, but shorter than her husband, Lyn had tanned, caramel skin and kept her hair short. She preferred to not have the issue of deciding on styles in the mornings.

The family raised their daughters in what many called, Manning Manor. The manor also housed Fitzgerald's practice and was tall, encased fully in deep amber bricks.

The First family of that black community if ever there was one.

Along with Lyn, he climbed social ranks within their own community and even made a presence with his white counterparts.

-

"Ladies, I have twins who need 48 cupcakes in their class in forty-five minutes. The shade can wait," Francis belts, as she stumbles into the office.

The last sister to arrive, Francis is the oldest of the Manning daughters and the only to be named by her father.

She is very beautiful, and usually has on nothing more than a white t-shirt and jeans. Designer only. Her long brown hair, the longest of her sisters, is pulled back into a bun and she places her oversized handbag on the office floor next to her feet.

Zoe cringes.

"I am all for making this as quick as possible. I was supposed to be headed shopping," Zoe snaps at Lea.

"Well since we're not here for each other's company, I guess I'll start," Mya declares, opening her briefcase and spreading a few files and papers out on her father's desk. "I'm leaving my firm and was hoping that my sisters we're interested in supporting ."

Mya took up the trait of practicing law. She was as enthusiastic as her father about learning and moved through law school at a commendable pace.

Graduating at the top of her class, she began working quite fast and had been at her firm for the last 10 years.

"I'm broke," says Zoe. She grabs her coat and heads toward her purse.

"We both know I'm not after your money, most of which is attributed to our father's work ethic and his untimely death," Mya snarls at Zoe.

"My, please don't go there. Just finish," scoffs Lea.

Francis walks past Zoe and over to the wooden desk. She sifts through the papers and releases a sigh of astonishment.

"She wants us to sign over this house to her," Francis says to Lea, but turning to Zoe. Just to ensure that she knew this included her as well.

Mya rolled her eyes in annoyance and snatched the papers from her older sister.

"I don't want you to sign anything over to me. If you can thoroughly read, I'm offering you payment. I would like to turn the manor into my practice," Mya interjects.

"It's not like any of you girls even come by this house. I keep it up, I pay the light bills. It's practically already mine. I can save a lot of money with not having rent for my firm," she says as she paces the floor.

There's nothing but silence.

"Also, let's not forget that you will instantly benefit from our father's work ethic and untimely death," Zoe burst, as she mocks Mya. "You move your business here and you ride the credibility of Manning Law, not to mention the trust of everyone in the neighborhood because it's at the manor."

She puts on her trench coat and pulls her hair out from the inside and it falls down her back. "We could've done this through text. No."

Zoe nods her head towards Mya, grabs her shades and throws her purse on her arm.

"Zo," Lea grabs Zoe's hand and turns toward Mya. "I don't think presenting us with the paperwork right off was warm. Look, you couldn't have expected this decision right off."

The two girls, who usually travel together, gathered their things and proceeded to exit through the door.

"Dinner soon," Zoe yells as she heads down the hall.

Reviews

[Quinn W]

I love the idea and the story but I do have a few bits of advice. You might want to make the font a little bigger, it's kind of long so it would be easier to read that way. The dialogue is a little too thought out. I feel like the dialogue needs to be a little more relaxed, it just seems like when you can tell someone's a bad actor and it sound like they're reading off the script. Otherwise, I have no more criticism. Love the story!

[Madison]

I love the overall idea of this book, it hasn't been overdone. My only note would be to make the dialogue more relaxed and in the moment instead of so carefully thought out. Hope I could help.