Plum Blossom | Completed

Chapter Thirty-Three

Charlotte nearly stumbled as she jumped at the sound of Amanda's voice. A secret that Charlotte hadn't shared with anyone was that, on several occasions, she had heard Amanda whimper in her sleep, calling for her mommy.

Fortunately, Jackson had caught her before she fell, but Charlotte didn't even take a moment to recover before she waddled off, following Amanda's voice, the rest of the kitchen's inhabitants following closely behind.

They could all hear Amanda talking animatedly. They'd heard the front door open. So, they had assumed that she was talking to Kyle. Amanda had bonded the most with Kyle over the past few months, always waiting by the window for him to come home in the evenings.

Amanda always said it was because he reminded her of her mommy. Jackson had confirmed that of all of them, Mellisa and Kyle had been the most alike growing up.

The group had been shocked yet elated to see Mellisa crouched down in front of her daughter, holding Amanda close as she grasped every word that left Amanda's mouth. Charlotte could only imagine how much Mellisa missed her daughter, but on the threshold of motherhood herself, Charlotte wondered how Mellisa had survived being away from her daughter for so long.

"Hey guys," Mellisa acknowledged the group with a faint smile as soon as she noticed them. Charlotte couldn't help but notice how happy and youthful Mellisa looked. She had always been beautiful, but she seemed to have been carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Not anymore. She looked carefree.

"Mel," Jackson breathed out. "You're really here," he reached out to touch his sister, not believing his eyes.

"Hi Jackson," Mellisa said, hugging her brother.

"It's so good to have you back," Eleanor gushed, taking a step forward. Mellisa hesitated.

Fortunately, Kyle came to her rescue. "Let's give Mel some breathing space, okay? Is dinner ready? I'm sure Mellisa is famished. I sure am." The group frowned but the look on Kyle's face told them to leave it alone for now. Mellisa shot her brother a grateful look.

"Yes, of course," Olivia piped in, ushering everyone into the dining room. "I made spaghetti today," she beamed. It seemed to Mellisa that Olivia really enjoyed cooking, but she noticed that the rest of her family was less than enthused.

"What's the matter?" she asked Jackson, observing the grimace on his face. "You used to love spaghetti as a child."

"I still do. But Olivia can't cook for shit," he winced. Mellisa noticed then how hesitant everyone was to start eating. When she took her first bite, Mellisa almost choked down a gag.

"Is it really that bad?" Olivia sighed.

"Just a few adjustments needed," Mellisa said, getting up from her seat. "May I?" she asked Olivia as she lifted the bowl of pasta sauce.

"Please! I think we'd all appreciate some decent cooking for once," Olivia said, following Mellisa into the kitchen.

"Why don't you just hire a cook or eat out if none of you can cook?" Mellisa asked curiously.

"Well, we ate out a lot in the beginning, but Amanda wasn't eating much. She kept talking about how she missed her mommy's cooking. So, we all decided that it would be healthier to eat at home. We've all been trying to learn how to cook, and obviously, failing miserably. Believe it or not, Amanda's the best cook out of all of us," Olivia offered with a smile.

"She always did love helping me in the kitchen. She could't do much, but she'd toss the salads and act as my taste tester," Mellisa laughed thinking of Amanda in the kitchen.