Dinner time

The rooster was being cooked in the oven, and the aroma had filled the kitchen already.

Jaden and Scarlet had been standing in front of the oven for half an hour, peeking through the glass. In the meantime, Lara had cleaned the house and unpacked their daily necessities.

She knew her cubs wouldn't touch the burning oven, so she didn't need to oversee them for the whole time.

It was a little scary how independent they could be. But it made it easier to take care of them. She would have never left a couple of five-year-old kids alone if she wasn't a hundred per cent sure they wouldn't hurt themselves in any way.

«Mommy has almost finished,» she yelled in the hallway. «How is the chicken?»

Their kids didn't reply. It was understandable. They were busy.

Scarlet was nibbling on her thumb as if it was a drumstick itself. Jaden was still and silent, but he was drooling in front of the oven. The aroma made it even harder not to think about the meat.

Lara walked into the kitchen and crouched next to her children. She observed the food and nodded to herself. It was time to upturn the chicken so it could be cooked on the other side as well.

«Burning time,» she hummed.

The children woke up from their daze and walked to the corner of the kitchen, at a safe distance from the oven. They jumped in place and swung their hips, moving their weight from one side to the other, but they didn't dare to cross the imaginary line of the safe corner.

Lara checked how the cooking was going, and she nodded, satisfied.

«It will be ready soon,» she informed them. «Have some little patience, and we'll finally have dinner.»

She was looking forward to it.

Before she could set the table, the doorbell rang.

«It must be a neighbour that came to welcome us,» she murmured, patting on the head of her children. They were back in their daze, staring at the chicken.

She walked out of the kitchen and entered the waiting room. It was a small room, enough for four doors. On the right side, there were a kitchen and a bathroom, one next to the other. On the left, their bedroom.

The fourth door was the entrance door.

She opened it, lost in her thoughts, when she met a pair of blue, sapphire eyes. The same as Scarlet's.

A part of her rejoiced, yelling she was right about something. But the rest froze in place.

She tried a smile, but her facial muscles couldn't move.

«Hello, mister,» she said. «How can I help you?»

Her voice was trembling, and her whole body was crossed by a single shiver. She didn't dislike having that man in front of her. There was something terribly right in that.

Yet, he was a stranger. She didn't remember anything from the past, so how could she just assume he was that man?

«Do we know each other?»

As her focus moved away from his eyes, she noticed the blond hair and the elegant suit. It was the same black suit of that afternoon.

No, not black... She focused a little more and could discern it was actually dark grey.

It was a business suit, after all. Not one for a funeral.

He didn't wear any tie, but the green pocket handkerchief attracted her gaze. His hair was messy since he passed his hand through it many times.

Then, he talked.

At the sound of his voice, she sighed and licked her lips, remembering for a moment only the sensation of his kisses. She felt the need to repeat that night, be it for a single time.

«You forgot about me, Lara,» he said.

She wanted to shake her head, to tell him she didn't forget... whatever she needed to remember! It was just like that night. She couldn't move her attention away from him. And she wanted to touch him, to kiss... Or even just to be in the same room.

She wanted to feel him close, to talk with him... But why?

The thought of her cubs a few steps from them woke her up. She snapped out of that weird trance, and she took a deep breath to clear her thoughts.

Was it really him?

«You know my name, but I don't know yours,» she replied, trying to sound rational and in control.

«You can call me Nate.»

«Is that your name? Your real name?»

«I am Nathaniel Woods. I work at LY Corp. We met this afternoon, even if briefly. Oh, and six years ago, if you remember.»

His eyes moved right, where the scent of food came from. He could swear the pups were there, waiting for their meal. He himself couldn't help but desire a piece of whatever that was.

Was his woman so good at cooking?

He chuckled in his heart, looking for a way, any way, to get invited into her home.

«I guess it would be hard to forget, though,» he added. With not one but two children. How could she forget?

«About today, I'm sorry for that show... My children are a little vital. They play around and love to fight. I hope they didn't cause too much of a commotion,» she explained, her throat running dry from the panic.

«Your children...» he repeated. «And the father?»

«He's dead,» she said, out of habit.

His eyes slid on her left hand, where a nuptial ring was sniggering at him. He could feel it, physically: the jealousy hurt him, and it was painful.

Yet, he couldn't sense any man. Not in the apartment, not on Lara. She was alone with her pups. With his pups.

Oh, yes... She said he was dead. Did she marry after their night together? Or before?

How difficult would it have been to conquer her heart?

Was there any chance to get her back?