“Right? I thought the same thing!”
As Gia chimed in with Hamza’s comment, Lola’s face turned shyly pink.
“Here we go again?”
Dylan sighed and shook his head lightly.
“What can we do to help? We can’t just shamelessly eat breakfast for free.”
“Oh, really, I can do it all by myself.”
“Food tastes better when made together in a lively atmosphere.”
With Hamza’s words, the kitchen became bustling. Gia peeled garlic, Dylan peeled potatoes, and Hamza trimmed chives.
After a lively flurry of activity, the breakfast table was set abundantly. There was soft pepper stew, several side dishes, a rolled omelet, stir-fried potatoes, and chive salad.
The people sitting at the table were full of exclamations of admiration.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Hamza spoke first, and Gia quickly followed.
“I’ll eat well. Lola.”
“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll eat well.”
Dylan lightly patted Lola on the shoulder to express his gratitude. As everyone thanked her, Lola felt overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do.
“But, Teacher Lola, your cooking skills are extraordinary.”
As Hamza took a spoonful of the soft tofu stew, he praised her in admiration.
“Thank you. Please eat a lot.”
“But when did you learn to cook like this?”
In response to Hamza’s question, Gia answered for Lola.
“Lola’s mother ran a side dish store.”
“She learned by watching her. Compared to my mom’s cooking skills, I’m still far behind.”
“No way. Honestly, it’s tastier than what our housekeeper makes.”
Feeling that Hamza’s words were exaggerated, Lola hurriedly waved her hands.
“That’s too much praise.”
“It’s really delicious.”
Hamza and Gia didn’t hold back their compliments as they picked up side dishes with their chopsticks.
“It’s so good. Lola.”
“Yeah. Eat a lot.”
To Gia, who was overflowing with admiration, Lola smiled and said,
“You must be happy, brother-in-law.”
Even though Hamza was teasingly exclaiming how delicious it was, Dylan didn’t feel upset or retaliate like before. Instead, he looked at Lola with a subtle gaze.
Despite being the same age and a woman, Gia could only boil ramen. Lola, on the surface, seemed like she had grown up without getting her hands dirty, which was a bit surprising. I never expected her to be such a good cook. Now that I think about it, I realized I knew so little about Lola. I felt sorry for not being more interested in her—what her parents did, what she liked, and what kind of environment she grew up in.
*****
Mariana was watering the potted plants outside when the doorbell rang. Sensing someone outside the front gate, Mariana stopped what she was doing and walked quickly.
Who could it be at this hour?
Zach had gone fishing early in the morning, and Dylan, who had gone to the London Eye villa with Gia and Lola, hadn’t returned yet. So, there shouldn’t be anyone coming, Mariana thought as she walked to the front gate, tilting her head in confusion.
When she finally opened the gate, a woman was standing there with a bright smile. The woman, wearing a light pink dress, was a face Mariana had never seen before, tall and with beauty that rivaled that of an actress.
“Who are you?”
The woman greeted Mariana warmly as she cautiously asked.
“Hello, ma’am.”
Who on earth is she?
Seeing the woman call her “ma’am” so familiarly made Mariana tilt her head again in confusion.
“I think I’ve seen you a few times before. I’m Aliza.”
“Aliza?”
It was a name she had never heard before. Or perhaps she just didn’t remember.
“I’m sorry. I don’t really remember.”
Apologizing while trying to recall, Mariana was met with Aliza confidently introducing herself.
“I’m Dylan’s friend, ma’am.”
“This is Dylan’s friend. Mother.”
Did Dylan have a friend like this?
I had never heard that Dylan had a romantic interest. Still, Mariana couldn’t just chase away a woman who came to their house carrying a fruit basket and a bag.
“Come in.”
Mariana stepped aside to let Aliza in. After closing the front door, she walked ahead to guide the way. A triumphant smile spread across Aliza’s face as she quietly followed Mariana.
“Please sit down.”
Once inside the entrance, Mariana guided Aliza to the sofa.
“What do you like? Would you prefer coffee or tea?”
“Mother, you don’t have to worry about me.”
Aliza spoke politely, placing the fruit basket and bag she had brought on the table.
However, since she was a guest, Mariana couldn’t neglect her hospitality, so she brought out some fruit and snacks. Then, she brewed two cups of coffee and handed one to Aliza.
“Thank you.”
Mariana quickly scanned Aliza’s face as she elegantly sipped her coffee.
“Did you say you’re Dylan’s friend?”
Mariana asked again, tilting her head in confirmation.
Until now, Dylan had never casually dated anyone and had shown no interest at all.
