Un hermoso día

Summer of 1946. In Wealding, a village in southern England, the day dawned clear. The air smelled of damp grass and flowers. It was going to be hot. As usual, Stephen Marshall would take the train to London, and his daughter Victoria would go to school. Then, Laura would clear away the remains of breakfast while thinking about the long list of chores. Butterflies flitted through the open windows, and roses peeked through the weeds in the garden. Everything pointed to a beautiful day. But this normalcy was an illusion. The air raid sirens no longer announced the presence of enemy planes, but the hills were still covered in barbed wire. The locals were still forced to use ration books. The young people who had survived were leaving the village. And now, Stephen and Laura—who could no longer afford maids—had to take on the upkeep of a house that seemed to be crumbling before their eyes.