The clinking of glasses as the drinks were filled and the sound of voices from the subtle conversations filled Sandra’s ears. The dinner table was softly lit up and Aunt Rosabella dished the glistening pork sitting nearest to her. Uncle Roan tapped the table with his knife. Cousin Helena sat without a word. Next to her, Cousin Freddie was talking to his grandfather. A tension delicately held in the air until Helena suddenly started hacking into her napkin, brimming with tears. Uncle Roan cleared his throat, setting down his knife. Freddie tugged at his collar uncomfortably. Rosabella turned red. Grandfather’s shaking hands slammed down onto the table and he turned to Sandra with the look of betrayal. Sandra didn’t understand and gaped in disbelief as everyone else turned their heads, eyes bulging in their pain. 

The coughing continued, getting louder and out of control. Sandra screamed when Rosabella’s nails tore at the wood on the table as she struggled to stay upright. When she lost the will to fight it any longer she dropped to the floor. 

Freddie’s face dropped to his plate. Helena, Roan, and Grandfather stopped moving one by one. A cup had fallen over and the liquid spilled crept towards Sandra while she stared at it, horrified. She was pulled out of the daydream and found herself back in the kitchen. Relieved that it wasn’t real, she smiled calmly as she drizzled the poison into the drinks that would be served for tonight’s family reunion.