she is not my girlfriend.

Nanny smiled, "See, I've made your favorite breakfast."

Emir replied with gratitude, "Thanks, Nana."

Curious, she inquired, "Who is she?"

Emir responded casually, "She's my friend," as he picked up his chopsticks.

She probed further, "I thought you didn't have a girlfriend, except..."

Emir interjected firmly, "She is not my girlfriend."

Just as Emir uttered those words, Ember descended the stairs, unintentionally eavesdropping on their conversation. An inexplicable pang of heartache surged within her; she couldn't pinpoint why.

Clarifying her earlier statement, she explained, "I said 'girl' and then 'friend,' not girlfriend."

Emir, with a playful tone, requested, "Nana, stop teasing me. Let me eat, okay?" He resumed eating his meal.

Nana agreed, saying, "Okay, go ahead and eat."

Emir motioned to Ember, "Come, sit next to me," upon noticing her at the staircase.

With a nod, she complied, replying softly, "Okay."

Nana turned her attention to Ember, asking, "So, what is your name?"

Ember was about to reply, but Emir intervened, saying with a smile, "Her name is Ember."

Nana raised an eyebrow, remarking, "Why are you answering? I was asking her, not you."

Ember responded warmly, "It's alright. My name is Ember. I'm from India."

Nana continued with curiosity, "You came here from such a distance. When did you arrive? And how did you get here?"

Contemplating her response, Ember briefly glanced at Emir. He stepped in, explaining, "She loves traveling, so she came here to explore."

Ember nodded, agreeing with his explanation.

Turning her attention back to Ember, Nana inquired, "Where did you meet him?"

Ember slipped, momentarily flustered, "I met him in the garden."

Nana reacted with surprise, "What?"

Emir intervened, clarifying, "Actually, she is my online friend from India. She came here to surprise me, arriving at my house yesterday. We coincidentally crossed paths in my garden. Since she's here, I invited her to stay at my place, and she agreed." A warm smile accompanied his words.

Nana chuckled, "Ah, that's what she meant. But why do you keep answering for her?"

To wrap up the conversation, Ember chimed in, "He's right, Nana."

Nana playfully reprimanded, "Alright, enough chatter. Let's finish our breakfast." Emir agreed with a simple "Okay, Nana."

Midway through their meal, a phone rang.

Emir picked up, saying, "Hello?"