A Meal for Two
Eliza looked at him and asked softly, “But have you ever thought… maybe living in the past is a kind of pain
100?”
“I have.” Soren replied. “But it doesn’t matter. For her, it’s the only way to escape that pain.”
He had tried to talk her out of it
“Come on, let’s head inside.”
more than once. But it never ended well.
He led her into the house, and they settled into the guest lounge. From the kitchen came the warm hum of singing – Mrs. Hayes was cooking, and clearly in good spirits.
After Eliza took her seat, Soren handed her a plate.
Mrs. Hayes seemed completely at ease in the kitchen, humming a soft melody as she prepared the meal. The tune drifted through the air, gentle and nostalgic – something about it felt oddly familiar to Eliza.
Then it clicked.
She’d heard this song before – Nolan used to play it while cooking at home.
So this was the original voice… it had been Mrs. Hayes all along.
“What’s wrong?” Soren noticed her zoning out.
Eliza shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
A moment later, Mrs. Hayes appeared with dishes in hand and a beaming smile on her face.
“Eliza, sweetheart, you’re so thin! Eat, eat! I made this all for you.”
She eagerly piled Eliza’s plate with food.
“Thank you.”
The table was filled with homestyle dishes – simple, warm, comforting. Just looking at them made Eliza’s appetite.spark.
“I want to try everything,” she said with a grin. “But I won’t be able to finish it all… can I take some home?”
“Of course you can!” Mrs. Hayes said happily. “Next time, just tell me what you like, and I’ll make it all for you!”
Her fond gaze never left Eliza. She was glowing with affection.
Soren sat quietly nearby, studying Eliza’s face, as if searching for something beneath her calm expression.
After dinner, Eliza carefully packed up the leftovers.
“I’ll walk you out,” Soren said, rising to his feet.
“That’s okay. I can get a cab back.”
“You’re going to see Nolan, aren’t you?”
The question cut straight through her.
“…You already knew?”
“I’ll take you.”
Before she could protest, he’d already opened the car door and gestured for her to get in.
“Come on. I’ll drive you.”
With no other choice, Eliza climbed into the passenger seat.
She wasn’t sure how Nolan would react. Seeing Soren drop her off? That definitely wasn’t going to make him happy.
As they neared Nolan’s place, Eliza cleared her throat and said awkwardly, “Soren, you don’t have to-
“I’m not going upstairs.”
. He cut her off coolly. “I don’t want to see him.”
Eliza looked over at him. In profile, Soren shared a few similarities with Nolan.
“You know,” she began, “he still sees you all as family. If the two of you talked–maybe things would be different.”
“There is no ‘maybe,” Soren said flatly. “He’s not my family. Not now, not ever.”
They pulled up in front of Nolan’s home.
Just as the car stopped, the lights in Nolan’s room went out want to be seen.
–
as if he’d realized who had arrived and didn’t
Maybe he thought Mrs. Hayes had come too.
“You can go,” Soren said.
“…Thanks.”
Eliza got out, watched Soren drive off, then walked up to the front door. She tried her fingerprint door unlocked immediately.
“Who is it?” came Nolan’s wary voice from the dark.
Eliza stepped into the living room and switched on the light.
Nolan blinked in surprise. “Eliza?”
She held up the food she’d brought grinning. “Why’s it so dark in here? Were you hiding?”
Nolan emerged slowly. “Soren brought you?”
“Yeah.”
She set the food on the table. I brought this for you. Have you eaten?”
―
and the
He turned his head. “Not hungry.”
“Really?”
“I said no.”
Eliza popped open the containers. “Well, I think you should eat. Just try a bite.”
She pushed the food toward him.
Nolan looked down at the dishes clearly reluctant.
–
“I brought it just for you,” she said softly. “Come on. Have some for my
At that, he finally sat down and picked up his chopsticks.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to eat.
He was just a little butthurt, knowing she’d come back with Soren.
sake.”
