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She watched as the sadness in his eyes ebbed, his answering smile forming. He nudged the toe of her shoe in return, a gleam of hope in his eyes.

The smell of pork noodles and dumplings drifted before her on the twilight breeze, reminding her why they were outside to begin with. Her eyes shifted to the food boxes, then back to Derek. The board fell from her lap as she made an eating gesture, a hunger in her eyes.

Derek chuckled and nodded enthusiastically.

The noodles and the pork tasted heavenly to Ashlyn's empty stomach and the glass of red wine that Derek poured only made it better. They spoke briefly around the food they shoveled down, both as ravenous as the other.

"Alright. Since we're supposed to be studying, how do I say, 'that was delicious?'" Derek asked, moving the containers aside and stretching his legs out.

Ashlyn demonstrated, finishing the statement by touching the tip of her middle finger to her lips, then moving that same hand up, twisting it, so the palm faced f