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Chapter 4 - Old Recipes, New Sparks.
Last Updated:
2025-09-17 09:46:51.
Mom’s kitchen smelled like garlic and home. She’d been humming all afternoon, slicing vegetables with a suspicious amount of joy, and shooing me away from the stove as though my stirring might offend the soup. Thankfully it was a Saturday and my crazy schedule was on hold today. “You could just admit you're excited,” I said, leaning against the counter. She glanced at me over her shoulder. “Excited for dinner, cariño. Good food, good company.” Her grin was the kind that said good company had a name. Dark thoughts suddenly interrupted the moment as I glanced at Dad. Dad was propped on the couch like an emperor recovering from battle, watching the evening news. Nothing had changed about his diagnosis no matter how hard Mum prayed these days. Transplant was the way forward and I was tired of thinking of all the ways I could raise money. I’d never been religious, but at this point I didn't mind a miracle. We couldn't lose Dad this way, not if it could be helped. It was just Dad, mum and me. All we had was each other, I knew at that moment that I'd do anything to keep us going as long as I could, even if it meant, sucking up to the ‘Devil’ himself. Of course he was going to require a chunk of my soul and I was prepared to path with it. Priya had conveniently “worked late” to avoid the match making spectacle, texting me a string of heart emojis and a GIF of a wedding bouquet. Traitor. Even though I needed her support, she had insisted it would be rude to interrupt knowing the purpose of the dinner was to matchmake Ethan and I. The doorbell chimed. Mom practically leaped. I opened it first to intercept. Ethan stood there, hair tousled by the breeze, wearing a navy shirt. His shirts hugged him better now. Travel, gym and time had carved lean muscle where boyishness used to be. “Smells incredible in here,” he said, stepping inside with a bottle of wine. “I almost ate the door.” “Careful,” I teased. “Mom might serve you next.” He grinned, and for a heartbeat, the college girl in me stirred awake, the girl who’d believed in forever. The table gleamed with Mom’s best china, which hadn’t seen daylight since my cousin’s graduation. Dad held court with fishing stories, exaggerating every detail until Ethan and Mom were wiping tears of laughter. Ethan jumped in with tales of locals who’d fed him chili that nearly destroyed his digestive system. His voice had grown deeper, his gestures more measured. He wasn’t the boy I’d kissed under library fluorescents. He was a man who’d been places I’d only seen on screens. Between bites of roasted chicken, Mom slipped in a question so casual it deserved an Oscar: “So, Ethan, are you seeing anyone these days?” I almost choked on the water I was drinking. Ethan didn’t flinch. “No. Travel makes it tricky.” His eyes flicked to me, a flash of lightning I tried to pretend I hadn’t seen. I busied myself refilling water glasses. To an outsider we looked like a small happy charming family, without a care in the world. Only that the irony was alarming. After dinner, Ethan helped Mom clear plates while I wiped counters. I could hear them laughing softly in the kitchen. A warm, familiariar sound that twisted something deep in me. He wasn’t just charming me , he charmed everyone. And wasn’t that what had scared me years ago? That he’d belong everywhere, while I’d been stuck here building a career brick by brick? When he returned, he found me fussing unnecessarily with the silverware drawer. “Some things don’t change ,”he said. I raised a brow. “Like what?” “How you alphabetize your chaos, how you manage to stay stunningly beautiful as ever.” I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks betrayed me with color. “Maybe I like order.” “ I've always liked that about you.” Dad was fast asleep on the couch when Ethan gathered his jacket. Mom conveniently disappeared into the back bedroom, humming a love song off-key. Outside, the night had cooled to a crisp hush. Streetlights painted the sidewalk in gold and shadow. We walked to his car, steps synchronized without thinking. “Thanks for coming tonight,Thanks for been here at such a diificult time in our lives” I said. “My parents adore you.” “I adore them, as well” he replied. “...And… you.” I looked up sharply. “Ethan…” He shoved his hands in his pockets, suddenly awkward. “I know i shouldn’t ambush you, but I can’t keep pretending I’m just the helpful friend. I didn’t come back to this city for a job or nostalgia. I came back for you. You are the reason, i’ve taken an indefinite break” My breath caught. The world seemed to shrink to the pool of light beneath the porch lamp and the steady beat of my heart in my ears. He took a half step closer, not invading but offering. “I know we broke things off in the past because of miles, not because we didn’t fit. I’ve had time, time to see the world, time to see and realize the gravity of what I lost. And I’m not willing to lose you again without trying.” For a long moment, words abandoned me, i couldnt find the right words to say. The air was thick with every memory, late-night study sessions, cheap coffee dates, whispered plans for the future. He still smelled faintly of cedar and his cologne, the same combination that used to undo me. Somewhere inside, a door creaked open, the one I’d sworn i’d shut on us. He waited, searching my face with that familiar gentleness that once felt like safety. I swallowed hard. “Ethan…” My voice was barely a whisper, all tangled emotions. The porch light flickered once, as if the universe were holding its breath, waiting.
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