"Brace yourself..." Carmilla whispered to herself as she walked up the porch steps to her house. She stood on the welcome mat and gathered her courage in the process before moving all the grocery bags to one hand and turning her key in the lock. The doorknob felt cold against Carmilla's hand and she gently pushed the door open so as not to startle her elder housemate.

"What took you so long, darling?" a older grey-haired woman greeted her as she entered the house. Carmilla put on a brave face, as she was unsure of the woman's frame of mind, and shrugged innocently.

"Traffic," she sighed as she placed the grocery bags on the counter. The woman approached her with an apologetic expression.

"Oh I'm sorry, dear... I couldn't remember where you went for the life of me. Had I known you were coming home with groceries, I would've helped you carry them in..."

"It's okay. There aren't many," Carmilla assured her as she dropped the keys on the counter.

"Cal, your mother is coming by today," the woman told her with a smile. Carmilla's heart stopped and she felt herself grow cold and stiff. "She told me not to tell you, but I never was one to follow rules. Who is she to tell me what I can and cannot share with you?"

Carmilla smiled bitterly and slipped into that eerie role she often reverted to in order to make the woman's life easier.

"So, which setup shall we have this time? Is this really your house and I'm just visiting? Or would you like me to hide in my bedroom?" the woman chuckled as she hobbled over to Carmilla. "I'll hide if you wish. I won't feel bad."

"Actually, I'm going to meet with Mother elsewhere," Carmilla informed her as she set her hand on that cold doorknob behind herself. "I decided to take her out to lunch yesterday so I wouldn't have to put so much stress on you today. You just rest."

"Oh, that was an excellent idea," the woman nodded her approval. "But let me put the groceries away. It's the least I can do."

"But then you'll rest. Promise me?" Carmilla's eyes searched the woman's eyes.

"Yes, of course," she nodded before giving Carmilla a quick peck on the cheek, and Carmilla felt as if her feet were nailed to the floor. "Be safe, dear."

"I will," she promised. And with that, she made her exit, forcing herself to move and closing the door gently behind herself. She went out to her car and started it, raising her gaze up to the kitchen window, where the woman sat waving and ready to watch her leave. Carmilla waved back before turning the car around and speeding out of the driveway. She drove to a nearby restaurant and spotted a familiar car in a parking space close to the door. Carmilla parked across from it and walked into the restaurant to find its owner.

"Where are you supposed to be now?" Mattie asked as soon as Carmilla had settled into the booth and ordered her drink.

"Having lunch with Mother," Carmilla responded with guilt as she stared at the menu in front of her. She looked up at her older adoptive sister, Mattie, who snorted in response.

"Pleasant," she remarked without ever looking up. A pause. "And how is...?"

"Not so good," Carmilla sighed as she put the menu down. "This is the third lunch I've supposedly had with Mother this week."

"Hello, my name is Anna and I'm going to be your server today. Can I interest you in the soup of the day?"

"What is the soup of the day?" Mattie inquired.

"Roasted garlic soup with Parmesan cheese."

Mattie and Carmilla shared a look of disgust before Mattie shook her head and answered for the both of them.

"No, thank you."

"Very well then. Have you decided on what you'd like to order?"

The two of them placed their orders, and the waitress recorded them on her notepad before telling them that the food would be ready in about twenty minutes.

"No hurry," Carmilla told her before the waitress walked away.

"You have you tried telling her that Mother died years ago?" Mattie resumed.

"Yes. But she doesn't retain information anymore."

"How can you forget a death that major in the family?"

"I don't know, but she's managed to do it," Carmilla shrugged. "So I just placate her with stories of nonexistent conversations had with our dead mother. It's easier and probably better for her."

Mattie nodded silently.

"I'm sorry, Carmilla."

"Don't be. I brought it upon myself," Carmilla told her.

"Here are some breadsticks while you wait," the waitress informed them as she placed some plates and a small plastic basket on the table in front of them. "Enjoy!"

Mattie distributed the plates and took a breadstick; Carmilla followed suit.

"How's... Laura is it?" Mattie smirked as she took a bite of her bread.

"She's great."

"Did you two screw yet?"

"Mattie—" Carmilla's reply was cut off abruptly as Mattie began to choke and sputter. And while such an event would cause anyone to panic, Carmilla just burst out laughing.

"This is... This is... Garlic bread..." Mattie wheezed as she practically threw the bread back on the plate and coughed some more.

"Serves you right, dumbass..." Carmilla managed to get out. "In retrospect, an Italian place probably wasn't the best idea..."

"You think?" Mattie rasped.

"Want to leave?"

"Yeah," Mattie decided as she stood up. "Not that hungry anyway."

Carmilla hesitated and watched her sister leave before gingerly placing enough cash to cover two meals and a fifty percent tip. She left without another glance and caught up with her sister in the parking lot.

"And where were you and your bleeding heart? Generously tipping someone for nothing? With my money?"

"Should've left a one hundred percent tip..." Carmilla muttered. "And it's mine too."

"I don't understand you. You're supposed to tip people when they provide you a service. We didn't even order anything, so no service was provided."

"We had... breadsticks..." Carmilla lamely protested. "And we wasted her time and table space."

"Okay, but is that worth a seventy-five percent tip?"

"Fifty."

"Fifty percent tip?"

"She's just trying to make an honest living."

"So am I."

"Our finances aren't built upon honesty," Carmilla reminded her. "None of it is good money, might as well make it good when we can."

"If you drank as much blood as your heart bleeds, you might actually make a decent vampire," Mattie teased.

"Oh shut up."