The Black Swan Behind (Beauty of Fire)

85 Dinner Together

Emma looked at the cellphone on the table, “Ok. Thank you,” she said as took her new phone. Then, she looked at Levi again, “No box? Are you sure this is a fresh one?”

Emma’s question made Levi laugh sarcastically, “Seriously.. Of course, it’s a new phone. I purposely threw away the box. Do you mind it?” he challenged with a raised eyebrow.

“Surely it would be better if there was a packaging box, right? So I can believe your word that this is not a second used phone.” Emma raised an eyebrow in return. Unknowingly, she felt challenged by the man in front of her. So far, Emma had never been treated so irritably by a man. Since the first meeting, he always made Emma stroke her chest to collect patience.

“Give it to me then. I’ll throw the phone away, and buy a new one right in front of your eyes.” Levi showed his palm in front of Emma.

“If that’s what you want..” Emma replied with a faint smile as she put the phone on his palm, thinking that Levi had challenged the wrong girl.

“You’re home, Levi? Oh.. you two are talking already, huh..” Nancy suddenly appeared and chuckled happily to see the two kids as putting her hand in front of her mouth that couldn’t stop smiling.

Emma flinched when she noticed Nancy’s arrival. She immediately pulled her hand along with the cellphone that had touched Levi’s palm, “Oh.. Hi, Nancy. I’m sorry. I didn’t know where to find you.”

“No need to apologize, Emma. You’re still a stranger to this house.” Nancy smiled. She knew Emma was only being polite by not wandering around in the house of someone she had just met.

Just like Emma, ??Levi also quickly pulled his hand down and put on an innocent face, “Good evening, Mom. How are you?” he asked as stepped closer to his mother and kissed her forehead.

.....

“I’m good, Baby. Where’s Lukas?” Nancy asked after giving her son a return kiss on the cheek.

“Lukas is still working on some business,” He answered.

Then, Nancy looked back at the beautiful young lady sitting on the sofa watching their warmness, “Oh, Emma. Since you just woke up, I think that you didn’t seem to know my Levi well. Are you two getting to know each other better now?”

Emma and Levi stared at each other for a moment, then, simultaneously turned their faces away.

“Levi.. Why are you so curt?” Nancy rebuked in a gentle tone. Then, she looked at Emma with an uneasy face, “I’m sorry for this one son of mine, Emma. I’ve never seen him talk to a woman. Maybe, he just feels awkward to face a beautiful lady like you.”

“Mama!” Levi glanced his grey irises in annoyance.

“Oops!” Nancy acted as she was slipped. Even though she deliberately said something that succeeded in making Levi embarrassed, Nancy was both surprised and delighted when her cold, sinister son suddenly brought a very beautiful lady home. Even though it turned out to be an accident, as a mother of two single sons, she hoped to see at least one of them have a woman to hold with.

Emma had never been in a situation like this. She felt uncomfortable and awkward. As usual, Emma would be very polite towards older people. She understood that the elderly do like to talk too much and humiliate young people with their words. But behind their annoyance, there was a very warm and loving heart.

“Um.. Nancy. I’m actually feeling so much better now. Looks like I can go home soon.” Emma announced.

“Oh, are you? Hm.. it seems Doctor Joe’s medicine is quite effective. But before going home, would you like to have dinner with us? Maybe my other son will be home soon. Also, the dinners have been cooked now.” Nancy explained while stroking a fluffy white cat sleeping on her lap.

“I’m actually not sure..”

“Oh.. Is that so?” Nancy made a sad face, “Actually, I’ve asked the housemaid to cook more for tonight’s dinner. I also brought out my favourite recipes. Hahaha.. I’m so sorry. I seem to be overly excited myself after no guests visiting this house for years..” she continued.

Emma took a deep breath. Her heart was too soft to be able to hurt the warm middle-aged woman who gave that puppy face. Finally, Emma put a smile on her red lips, “Now that I think about it, I think I can still make time to have dinner with you.”

“Ahh.. Really? That’s great! Thank you for taking your time, Emma. You don’t have to worry. Levi will drive you home after this.”

“Mama!” Levi called out a protest.

Emma immediately shook her head, “No need, Nancy. I can go home by myself by bus or taxi. I’m used to using public transportation.”

But Nancy ignored her son’s protests and shook her head firmly, “Levi will take you, Emma. It’s snowing hard outside and it’s already dark now. It would be dangerous for a woman to wander around at this hour. Let Levi express our gratitude to the hero who saved my Pixy.”

Emma and Levi could only put on a flat face while sighing tiredly. Nancy’s words were indeed too much and too dramatic. However, it contained a truth that the two young people could not deny.

“What is this?” Asked a man along with the sound of his footsteps approaching and now stopping.

“Lukas!” Nancy immediately turned her wheelchair and spread her arms to hug the burly man.

‘Oh.. So, that’s Lukas? He looks a lot like Nancy. The colour of his skin and eyes. While Levi looks very different. Maybe he got his father’s genes.’ Emma judged in the heart.

“We have a guest, Lukas. She is the lady I told you about yesterday. The person who helped my Pixy.” Nancy explained happily.

Unlike Levi, Lukas seemed more polite by sticking his hand out first to Emma, ??”Lukas Wargos. Nice to meet you.” he greeted.

“Emma Hilland. Nice to meet you too.” Emma replied with a friendly smile.

***

What Nancy said was not just the words. The dining table was, indeed, full of a variety of very good looking dishes. Even her two sons themselves seemed amazed to see their dining table which looked different from usual. Apparently, the mother was really happy with the arrival of the girl named Emma.

“Enjoy the dinner!” Nancy said after leading the prayer meal solemnly. Her eyes immediately stared right at Emma, ??”Don’t hesitate, Emma. Eat as much as you want.”

Emma smiled and nodded politely, “Thank you, Nancy.”

The dish served was very varied and everything tasted extremely good on Emma’s tongue. Even though she enjoyed the food, Emma felt a little awkward in the silence there. Apparently, Nancy had two pretty quiet sons. Levi was a curmudgeonly and annoying man. While Lukas looked polite, but he was actually the real one who described the true definition of a quiet person.

“Oh, Emma. What are you doing currently?” Nancy started the conversation.

“Mama..” Lukas tried to warn his mother.

“I didn’t want to protect the girl. But, she got here by accident. Why are you asking about her life as if she were your relative?” Levi replied by shaking his head without taking his eyes off the food he was eating.

“Oh.. yes, you are right.” She muttered, aware of her overzealous attitude to the point of forgetting who she was, “Forgive me, Emma. Usually, our dinner is very quiet because these two kids never talk. I look like a bomb that’s been waiting for a long time to explode, don’t you think?” she explained to Emma with an uncomfortable chuckle.

Emma put down her spoon and fork before waving her hands in front of her chest uneasily, “Don’t mind it, Nancy. You don’t have to apologize for being nice to your guests.” she smiled.

Lukas and Levi looked at each other at the same time. It looked like they could read each other’s minds. That girl was indeed good at talking. Maybe, if she instigated their mother to kill her own two sons, she would succeed.

“Are you sure? Oh.. Thank goodness.. I really feel bad for you.” Nancy sighed as she put her hands on her chest. Then in a second, her face looked excited again, “So.. What are you doing lately, Emma? Do you go to school or work?”

“Right now, I’m studying at Jardin University. I’m also active in ballet class.” Emma answered with a smile, carried away by the positive aura emitted by the middle-aged woman sitting opposite her.

After hearing Emma’s answer, Levi and Lukas looked at each other silently for a moment. Then, they returned back to their dinner, allowing their mother to be all-out pouring her nagging to Emma.

“Ballet? Wow.. I used to have a dream to become a Salsa dancer. But that dream didn’t come true,” Nancy’s face turned sad.

“I also dreamed of being a professional ballet dancer. It was a ballet that changed my life. I’m sure you can achieve your other dreams, Nancy. One failure won’t stop our lives there.” Emma tried to comfort her.

“Not only are you beautiful, Emma. But you have a wise mindset too. I wish I had a daughter like you.” She laughed.

“Thank you. But your compliments are too much, Nancy. I still have a lot of flaws and I’m still trying to find myself.” Emma replied. “By the way, this dish is really good. Did you make the recipe?” she asked.

Nancy nodded quickly, “I used to love to cook by myself. But since my legs are paralyzed, I can’t do it freely and have to need the help of the maids. Do you like cooking too, Emma?”

“Coincidentally, I discovered that I have a hobby of cooking recently.” She nodded.

“Wow.. That’s good news! I’ll share my recipe with you after this. Then, you can cook it for your family at home. I’ll double the recipe measure for you.”

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