025 | talk without cookies

While Diana was away, Natasha thought of keeping the cookies back from the cookie jar. She didn't want Liam to suffer from hazardous cookies. She held the small plate with cookies on top and then stood up from the couch.

"I'm going to keep this back to where it belongs, and I'll be right back," she didn't want Liam to be left out, so she told what she had to do.

Liam nodded. "Do what you have to do."

She proceeded to the kitchen and then found the cookie jar. She opened the lid and then let the cookies fall from the small plate. She placed the small plate hurriedly on the sink and then returned the lid of the cookie jar before Diana could see her.

She almost jumped when she saw Diana returned to the living room.

"What did you do in the kitchen, Dear?" Diana asked.

"O-Oh, um, you know I placed the small plate on the sink. Yeah, that's it, because Liam just finished eating those cookies," she hoped that her lie sounded natural at least.

"Really!?" Diana looked delighted. "Liam must have taken a liking to my baked cookies! If so, then I shall serve Liam another one!"

"No!" Liam and Natasha exclaimed in unison.

"No?" Diana blinked.

"I-I mean, I'm good, Madam, so no need to do that," Liam reasoned.

"Are you sure, Liam?" Diana asked.

Liam nodded. "I'm sure of it."

Natasha didn't want to talk about the cookies, so she thought an idea of how to change the topic, and besides, she actually had a question in mind. "Um, Mum?"

"Yes, Dear?" Diana wondered what Natasha had to tell.

"Who called earlier?" Natasha asked.

"It's Honey," Diana answered.

Natasha had something in mind as to why Bryan called, but it was better to ask Diana, so she would be sure. "What did Pops tell?"

"He told me he would cook something special for dinner," Diana answered.

"Is it true!? I mean, Pops will cook something special!?" Natasha got excited when she heard it from Diana.

"He told me, so there's no doubt," Diana confirmed.

"I wonder what is this special," Natasha pondered, using her right index finger to tap her chin.

"I want to cook something special too!" Diana didn't know what her cooking specialty was, but she wanted to find out.

Thinking about the disaster would happen if Diana cooked something special gave Natasha chills. "But I think it's best if you wouldn't, Mum," she mumbled.

"I want to make Honey and Dear smile at least when tired," Diana looked a bit sad, thinking about how Bryan and Natasha went home exhausted.

Natasha was thankful Diana didn't hear what she just mumbled a while ago or else that would even make her sad. She didn't want Diana to make that look, so she should tell something.

Natasha smiled. "I will look forward to that, Mum. So don't be sad, I'm sure you'll think of something."

"Oh, Dear!" Diana gave Natasha a tight hug. "You know I love you and Honey so, so much!"

Liam didn't even realize that he was smiling when he saw the sweet moment between the mother, Diana, and the daughter, Natasha.

His attention went to his ringing phone all of a sudden.

He saw the name of his mother, so he answered the accept option. "Hello, Mom?"

His mother was relieved that he answered her call. "I don't want to be regarded as a worrywart, but you aren't home yet when you told me you're supposed to go home earlier than expected."

"Oops," he recalled that he told that he would be back at home earlier than expected, but he didn't send a message to inform that wouldn't happen. "I apologize for that, Mom."

"So where are you, Liam?" his mother asked.

"I'm at a friend's home, Mom," he answered.

He didn't want to tell the name exactly. He would tell if he was home.

"So what time will you come back home?" his mother asked another question.

He was relieved that his mother didn't ask for a name or else the call would take longer.

"Just give me 20 minutes, and I'll be there," he answered.

"I'm keeping those words, Liam," his mother would count the time.

"It's fine," he wasn't bothered if his mother would since the distance between his home and the home of Natasha wasn't that far. "I'm hanging up."

He ended the call. He saw that Diana and Natasha were looking at him.

"S-Sorry..." he realized that he should have excused himself for a little while.

Diana shook her head. "No, it's all right," she assured Liam, and then she looked at Natasha. "So how did you befriended Liam, Dear?"

"It started when I agreed to be his friend in the arcade," Natasha answered.

"Arcade? How did you end up there?" Diana didn't know how Liam and Natasha ended up in that area unless both of them became friends beforehand.

"We ended up there because of my little brother, Leon," Liam answered.

"Well, I met Leon first at the park," Natasha recalled. "But I didn't have an idea that his older brother would be Liam."

"I heard good stories from Leon that he made a friend in the park, and he told me her name's Natasha, so I wanted to check out who she was," Liam smiled. "And indeed, she deserves to be called a friend."