60

"See? Nothing happened," Ethan smiled at me, but at that moment, Esther arrived and hit him quite hard with a rag.

He was surprised and sought refuge behind my arms. I heard Daniel's laughter behind his mother as he watched his older brother being teased.

"How can you do that to this poor girl? Can't you see she might keel over from the blood rushing to her head?" Esther scolded her son and hugged me protectively.

I couldn't speak; I was still in shock.

Esther sent her sons to take the food to the table while she comforted me.

"Are you okay, dear?" Her eyes showed genuine concern.

"Yes, thank you," I laughed, recalling everything that had just happened.

"Be patient with him, dear. Men can be foolish like that when they're in love," she winked at me and went to the table to supervise her sons' work.

I joined them a few seconds later, taking deep breaths to prepare for what was to come. I wasn't too upset with Ethan for this, and I knew I would take it as good-natured teasing in a littl