Feast

"Oh, yes, there's always lots and lots of family," Kae responded, trapped in the tedium of being asked about the holiday feast for the umpteenth time, "although the definition of "family" can vary." She had heard through the grapevine that some found her grin unsettling - too little warmth in the eyes, too many teeth in the mouth; as a result, Kae had started smiling more. They wanted to ask (you could see it in their eyes and feel the change in their energy), but they wisely gave her a thumbs up and buggered off. She was a teensy bit disappointed, but reminded herself that silence was someone's safety; if you shared too much, then the meal had to be followed by pie and grave digging, more grave digging and more pie.