Chapter 68
Evening.
A tempting aroma drifted from the kitchen.
David Sullivan walked out carrying a bowl of soup.
"Three Delicacies Soup. Just learned it. Try it."
The dining table was laden with dishes.
Braised pork belly with potatoes.
Stir-fried seasonal vegetables.
Steamed sea bass.
Braised pork meatballs.
All Sophia's favorites.
Isabella picked the tenderest meat from the fish belly.
She placed it in Sophia's bowl.
"Your father's fish is just okay. I tried this one. It suits your taste."
David immediately retorted.
"Just okay? I excel at being a person, not just cooking fish!"
Sophia couldn't help but laugh.
Isabella shook her head helplessly.
"Yes, yes. Your cooking is top-notch. You're amazing at dishes, fish, and being a person."
"That's more like it." David raised an eyebrow smugly. "Old Omelas next door even asked me for tips."
"Alright, alright. I'm secretly delighted." Isabella pushed his rice bowl toward him. "Eat now. Food can't even shut you up."
"You sound so dismissive." David turned to his daughter. "Mimi, isn't Daddy's cooking good?"
He placed another piece of fish in her bowl.
Sophia lowered her head and took a bite.
The fish was sweet and fresh, seasoned perfectly.
David knew she disliked strong flavors.
He only used ginger and scallions to remove the fishiness.
A light drizzle of soy sauce for steaming fish when it was done.
Enough to enhance the flavor without overpowering it.
In her memory, her mother rarely cooked.
Her father was the family chef.
After school, she would wait in his office for him to finish work.
He would ride his bike to take her home.
They passed the market, greeting vendors familiarly.
Isabella never bought groceries.
She didn't know how to pick them and found the market too noisy.
The only dish she could make was scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
Because her daughter loved it as a child.
Though she didn't cook herself, she loved critiquing her husband's skills.
David only became more determined.
He eventually mastered excellent cooking.
After leaving home, Sophia only had Ethan Roscente.
She cooked for him every day, waiting for him to return from work.
It was her father who had prepared everything for her before.
Now the roles were reversed.
She remembered she was also the baby her parents cherished.
"Dad's fish is still the best. Even a five-star chef can't compare."
David was both proud and emotional.
"Come back anytime you want to eat it. I'll make it for you."
Sophia held back the stinging in her eyes and nodded with a smile.
After the meal, Isabella brought a fruit platter.
The living room was empty.
She walked into the yard.
Father and daughter were gathered around the firepit.
The charcoal crackled, warm and bright.
Sophia sat by the fire, enveloped in warmth.
The flames danced on her face.
Isabella sat beside her and offered the fruit platter.
"The strawberries at home are ripe. You loved them as a child."
The strawberries glistened with water droplets, fragrant.
She took a bite, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
"Delicious."
Watching her smile, Isabella remembered how she looked when she first returned home.
Her heart softened. She held Sophia's hand.
Her fingertips gently brushed her daughter's cheek.
"You've lost weight."
Sophia puffed out her cheeks and shook her head.
"No, I haven't. I gained two pounds last week."
"Look, my hands are all flesh."
She pretended to be troubled.
"I was just thinking about going on a diet..."
David immediately frowned.
"Diet? You're already skinny as a bone. Is that attractive?"
Young people these days always copy influencers dieting.
Starving themselves, taking diet pills. It gave him a headache.
Sophia giggled and leaned into her mother's embrace.
"I was just saying it."
Isabella lightly tapped her forehead.
"Don't even say it. If you come back thinner next time, see how I deal with you."
Sophia laughed in agreement.
Isabella felt the weight of her daughter leaning against her.
Her fingers combed through Sophia's long hair.
Finally, she asked the question in her heart.
"These past few years... were you doing well out there?"
Sophia's gaze faltered slightly. She answered softly.
"I was fine."
"And that person? He didn't come back with you?"
It had come, after all.
Sophia lowered her eyelashes.
"We broke up."
After her father was discharged back then, her parents had visited her in the city.
But because of her stubbornness, they had a falling out and cut ties.
They hadn't spoken for six years.
Mentioning the past, Sophia expected to hear blame.
But in the firelight, David's expression was calm and accepting.
He only sighed softly.
"You were never on the same path. It's better this way."
Sophia's throat tightened.
...
New Year's Eve arrived in the blink of an eye.
Early morning, Isabella knocked on the door.
Sophia opened it in her pajamas.
Her eyes were sleepy, a strand of hair sticking up.
Clearly not fully awake.
"Who said they'd go grocery shopping with me yesterday? Look at the time. Hurry up, wash up, change, and come down for breakfast."
Isabella nudged her back into the room.
"It's only seven-thirty..." she mumbled, feeling like the sky wasn't even light yet.
Isabella laughed in exasperation.
"Seven-thirty is late? Hurry up. The soy milk will get cold."
With that, Sophia was fully awake.
She quickly got ready and went downstairs for breakfast.
On the table were soy milk, fried dough sticks, and the pork rib congee David had made.
The aroma was inviting.
Sophia nibbled on a dough stick, not seeing her father.
"Where's Dad?"
"The principal called him to school early. Said there was something to discuss. He'll be back later."
As Isabella spoke, her phone rang.
She walked into the yard to answer.
The call didn't seem pleasant.
Sophia had never heard her mother sound so impatient and wronged...