Broken Home - writing prompt

 "Andrew, time for dinner!" Suzie fussed about in the kitchen, ladling the last bits of soup into the family sized tureen. There was the telltale sounds of footfalls on the steps, alerting her to the fact her shouting was not in vain.

"Here I am, Mom," he puffed. She took a quick look at him. He really looked like he dashed headlong down the stairs. Sweat was slightly beading around his forehead. 

She smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder. "Wipe your face real quick for me. And after that, could you please finish setting the table for me?"

He nodded vigorously and found a paper towel to wipe off the offending sweat. Washing his hands and tossing the paper away, he grabbed the stack of three plates and bowls gingerly.

"He's a good kid," she thought. "Difficult teen at best of times, but still a good kid."

She watched him set each plate and bowl down carefully with barely a sound. 

"Well, I guess I better finish up too," she stated. 

Suzie put a ladle and a lid onto the tureen and carefully carried it into the dining room. Setting it down carefully, she smiled about her culinary abilities. Her face fell into surprise as she recalled some other things that belonged on the table. She walked back and grabbed the rolls and a container of hand shredded parmesan. Just before she placed them on the table, the door opened and slammed shut. 

Leonard was home from work.

Both Andrew and Suzie hurriedly sat down when they saw Leonard drop his things and make his way to the table silently. The only thing heard was the scraping of the dining room chair on the wooden floor. He sat down, cleared his throat and nodded curtly to his family. 

"I see you have dinner on the table. Well, almost all of it." He then jerked his head in the direction of the rolls and the container of parmesan in her hands. Suzie quickly put those down like they were made of something corrosive. Leonard then held his hand out as a gesture for his family to begin eating. 

Suzie opened the tureen and the smell of sausage and tortellini soup filled the dining room. Leonard deeply inhaled the scent and smiled affectionately at his wife. "This looks fantastic, dear."

He held up his bowl and she dutifully filled it to the top, taking great care to not spill a drop. Once he was set, she went about filling her and her son's bowls with the delicious smelling concoction. Andrew offered up the roll basket to his father and he took the first one, then him and then his mom. 

They all took a spoonful at once and smiled automatically. The soup was warm and felt like a long sought after hug. 

"Cheese, dear?"

Leonard looked at the container and nodded appreciatively. "Fresh parmesan? Of course!"

She then passed it to him, her shirt sleeve pulling back a little. It revealed a very dark and angry bruise underneath her starched white blouse. Suzie quickly pulled the sleeve down and set the container near Leonard's left hand.

"I would do it for you, but I'm unsure how much you'd want..."

He nodded and made good use of the container, shaking it over the soup. The cheese landed atop the soup, looking like a fresh snowfall. "I like cheese more oft than not. Thank you, my dear."

Leonard stirred the cheese into the soup and taking another spoonful in. "Delicious! It gives it a little bit of a nutty flavor; didn't think I'd like that."

Tearing open a still warm roll, he then turned his attention to his son. 
"How's school going, Andrew?"

Andrew quickly looked up from his food and answered. "Oh, school is going pretty well. Grades are still at the top of the class," he added. 

"Did you quit that club like I wanted you to?"

"The Drama Club? Yes, I quit this morning."

"Good," he grunted. "There's no need for emotions when you're to be a man's man in this world."

Dipping the roll into more of the soup, he then spoke to his wife.

"Suzie, how was your day at home?"

Her smile was automatic and wide. "Oh, it was just fine. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just did housework like you instructed."

"Did you speak with your mother?"

The spoon in her hand threatened to drop, but she managed to steady it. 

"Oh yes, she did."

"Did you tell her what I, I mean we said?"

"About how we're not coming over for the holidays, or ever again? Of course, dear."

He continued to enjoy his soup with reckless abandon. The bottom of the bowl was in sight for him. Leonard eagerly ladled up more and dumped a generous amount of parmesan atop it.

"I won't ask for her response. Only thing I do regret is not asking you to record it," he chortled.

He continued to laugh until the sound caught in his throat. There was a harsh gurgling emanating from his throat. Leonard was doubled over with a severe coughing fit which caused him to slip out of his chair with an audible thud. In between audible gasps, he croaked for water.

Suzie leaned down with a tall glass of water, extending her hand to offer it. 

His coughing slowed down enough for him to wheeze: "About time...you dizzy bitch."

She then unceremoniously dumped the water on his head and sat back at the table. 

Leonard then noticed how his son and his wife barely rushed to his aid. "The hell is going on he--" The coughing started up again. His eyes were bloodshot, verging on having broken blood vessels in each eye. He felt his heart rate get faster and faster. It was pounding in his ears to the point that he could barely hear his pained coughs. Suzie rolled her sleeves up, revealing further bruising and contusions. She earlier tried to cover them with foundation, but to no avail. 

Standing up and displaying the bruises to her downed husband, she only said one phrase.

"Never the fuck again."

Leonard's eyes were protruding, still coughing away. He grabbed at his chest, gasped loudly and then there was silence. 

Suzie then looked at her son who was still looking at his now deceased father.

"So...was it the parmesan?"

"Yeah. Parmesan and arsenic."

She then passed him another roll.

"Well come on then," she chirped. "We can finally have the nice family dinner we've been dreaming of."

Thanks to The Write Prompt for the idea.