Chapter 125: Preparation (1)

Nora nodded enthusiastically. "It’s really good!"

Ethan leaned back with a satisfied expression. "Of course. Your father prepared it."

Nora glanced at him. "Mom helped too."

Ethan paused before looking at Evelyn, who was already smiling.

"Well, yes. She helped," He admitted. "But I’m the master chef here."

"You’re both good," Nora concluded, apparently deciding that the matter wasn’t worth arguing over.

Evelyn laughed softly and took another bite. "I’m glad it turned out well. I was worried I’d ruin something."

"You didn’t," Ethan assured her. "And even if you had, we’d still have something to eat."

She glanced at him, her expression warming. "That’s not very reassuring."

"What? I’m being honest." Ethan shrugged as he ate.

Their conversation continued as they ate, with Nora occasionally joining in whenever she had something to say. For once,there was no particular problem demanding their attention, no urgent business to discuss, and no reason to rush through dinner.

Halfway through the meal, Nora suddenly looked up.

"Dad, how much food can I eat at the wedding tomorrow?"

Ethan paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth.

Evelyn looked at their daughter in surprise before breaking into laughter. "Nora! Is that what you’ve been thinking about?"

Nora blinked. "What? I’m asking a serious question."

"Of course you are." Ethan replied, struggling to keep a straight face. "And why do you need to know?"

"Because there’ll be lots of food at the wedding, right? I don’t want to eat too much at the beginning and then find something I really like later," She said, sounding very reasonable.

Evelyn laughed even harder, lowering her spoon to the table.

Ethan stared at his daughter before shaking his head in disbelief. "So, you’ve already planned your strategy?"

Nora nodded. "Mn. I must eat several delicacies."

He chuckled and leaned forward. "All right, listen carefully. You can eat as much as you’re comfortable with, but don’t stuff yourself just because there are many dishes. Eat slowly, and if you’re full, stop. You can always have more later if you’re still hungry."

Nora considered his advice seriously. "So I should try a little of everything first?"

"Exactly."

She nodded, looking satisfied. "Understood."

Evelyn wiped the corner of her eye, still smiling. "Honestly, Nora, you make it sound as though you’re going to a food competition."

"But there’ll be delicious food, Mom," She argued.

"That doesn’t mean you have to conquer the entire buffet," Evelyn countered teasingly.

Nora pouted. "I wasn’t planning to!"

Ethan laughed, and Evelyn soon joined him. Nora looked between them, her cheeks puffing up slightly as she pretended to be offended, but she couldn’t hold the expression for long.

Before long, she was smiling too.

Ethan watched them, feeling a quiet warmth settle in his chest.

’This is nice.’

There had been a time when the idea of a peaceful family dinner would have seemed almost meaningless to him. In his previous life, he had attended countless expensive banquets and business dinners, yet very few of them had offered anything resembling the warmth he felt sitting at this table.

Here, he could laugh over a child’s ridiculous question and watch his wife smile without worrying about the next negotiation or the next company he needed to acquire.

It was a simple happiness, but that didn’t make it any less valuable.

He continued eating, enjoying the moment.

After a while, Ethan turned toward Evelyn. "By the way, how are your parents doing?"

Evelyn looked up, a little surprised by the sudden question. She placed her spoon down before answering.

"They’re fine, I think."

Ethan noticed the slight hesitation in her voice. "You think?"

She nodded slowly. "I haven’t spoken to them for very long lately. The last time we talked, they seemed fine, but they were unusually quiet."

Her expression became thoughtful as she recalled the conversation. It wasn’t that her parents had said anything particularly troubling. They had simply seemed less talkative than usual, and their answers had been shorter than she expected.

She couldn’t tell whether something had happened or whether they were merely busy.

Ethan watched her for a moment. "Did they mention any problems?"

"No. That’s why I found it strange." Evelyn lowered her gaze to her plate. "Perhaps they’re just occupied with something. I don’t want to assume the worst."

Ethan nodded. He remembered the trouble involving her parents and their unreasonable demands, so he wasn’t inclined to dismiss her concern entirely. However, there was no point in worrying her without a clear reason.

"If you’re concerned, you can call them tomorrow and check on them." He suggested. "There’s no harm in asking how they’re doing."

Evelyn smiled faintly. "I will."

Nora looked between them, then returned to her meal. She didn’t know much about the current situation, and she didn’t feel the need to interrupt.

Ethan continued eating, allowing the conversation to settle naturally. He didn’t want to turn a pleasant dinner into an interrogation about Evelyn’s parents, especially when she had no concrete information to share.

Soon, the three of them finished their meal.

Evelyn stood up to clear the table, but Ethan took the plates from her hands before she could carry them away.

"I’ll handle these. You can sit with Nora for a while."

She looked at him hesitantly. "Are you sure? I can wash them."

"I know you can. But you’ve already helped me prepare dinner, so let me take care of the dishes." He smiled warmly.

Evelyn studied him for a moment before smiling. "All right. Thank you."

Ethan carried the plates into the kitchen and began washing them. The warm water flowed over his hands as he cleaned each plate and placed it on the rack to dry. Behind him, he could hear Evelyn and Nora talking about what they would wear to the wedding.

Their voices drifted into the kitchen, occasionally accompanied by Nora’s laughter.

Ethan smiled to himself as he finished cleaning the last plate.

’This is what home is supposed to feel like.’

He dried his hands, put everything away, and returned to the living room. Evelyn and Nora were already preparing to head to the bedroom, so he joined them without further delay.

The family retired for the night, with the excitement of the following day’s wedding lingering in their minds.