Ecstasy

Thailand

I added some more peas on Stephanie's plate, causing her to squirm at the small action. She hated vegetables, just any other child, and tried to avoid them as much as possible but how could she considering she had a mother like me? I knew what was healthier and what wasn't.

I could feel Margaret's eyes shooting lasers through me, every move my muscles made being gazed by her.

"Honey, please pass the salads", Matthew, Margaret's husband spoke across the small table. We were on the first floor, having a meal on the smallest yet comfortable dining table in the house, able to only occupy four people. Stephanie was seated next to me on a child's seat, which was higher than any of the chairs we were on. It was white and had its own little table at the front.

Dominic sat across from me, just like his parents who were seated in the exact position, opposite from each other.

Dominic insisted on passing the salads considering he was closer.

"Ashley dear, how's work going?" Margaret suddenly asked., catching me off guard.

"It's alright", I smiled before turning back quickly to my plate. "The chicken is great".

"Dominic cooked it", Margaret smiled, looking at her son proudly. Of course he cooked it, how could I forget he was the closest thing to Gordon Ramsay when he was in the kitchen? To be honest, I missed his cooking. Living with Xavier, we were both always out and about so we usually had takeout or ordered food. You did not have to be a doctor to know that that was not always healthy.

It felt like heaven having such ravishing and home cooked food again.

"I only helped you, you did the rest", Dominic explained, trying to not get as much attention as he was receiving.

"Well there's much more chicken in the kitchen, would you like me to pack some for you?" I heard Margaret say. It took me a minute to realize that she was actually speaking to me. I made an O shape with my lips, thinking of what to respond.

"No, I wouldn't want to trouble you. You could just tell me how you prepared it".

"Then you won't be coming if we tell you", Matthew chuckled, pointing his fork at me. I smiled at his comment and effort to try and make me come more often. If he was always here, I wouldn't mind coming actually. Matthew was one thing I never regretted coming across since I met Dominic. He was always so kind and thoughtful about me, literally a second dad even when we went to Jamaica.

A thud was heard on the table before we all realized that it was just Matthews fork that had slipped from his hand. He gave a small embarrassed chuckle as he picked it right up. "Sorry".

"You've been so clumsy lately Matt", his wife said picking the fork up in attempt to help him eat before he began arguing that he was not a child.

"My hand's just been getting numb from nowhere. I've probably gotten old", the man cringed at the thought.

I left the couple on a mini argument, rolling my eyes to see if Stephanie was eating her peas, fortunately she was, but with a scowl on her face. "Thanks for being a good girl honey", I brushed her hair back, she smiled at me and ate more, knowing that it was a way of earning more compliments from me.

"Not a fun of vegetables?" Margaret faced me, to which I nodded to. "She probably gets it from her father, he's never liked vegetables either, till now".

"Mom", Dominic groaned for her to stop. I laughed softly at her words, thinking that maybe she was right that I thought about it. Even when he cooked, 4/5 of the dishes were meat, the rest being salads. Whenever I went grocery shopping, the broccoli and cabbage would just rot away unless if I found a way of convincing him to cook them. If he did not do it, I would do it, which was not better than throwing them away.