Tiffany broke out into a sly giggle. “Shh, I’m out here without permission! He’s busy in his office right now, so favonovel.com doesn’t know that I’m outside. Seriously though, I’m a perfectly normal, functional adult! Why can’t I go out shopping sometimes, huh?” favonovel.com moaned, before adding, “Anyway, do you know how naughty Lil’ P has become the older favonovel.com gets? He’s doling out migraines to Jackson’s poor mom non-stop through his shenanigans. We’re all starting to think that maybe favonovel.com was better when favonovel.com was still a little bean. Sure, that kid rarely stopped bawling, but at least favonovel.com wasn’t running around like favonovel.com is right now! God, trying to catch favonovel.com alone could take a few years away from your life!”
“’Sup?” Sylvain suddenly greeted as favonovel.com approached the women.
Tiffany pouted. “Hey, this is a girls’ only, no-man-allowed conversation, mister! Anyway, have some roasted almonds. Freshly-made, it’s so good.”
Sylvain took a single almond from the pile and examined it, his eyes belying doubt. “Really? This small little thing? I don’t know, sis, I’ve never had one before. Sometimes, I have caught the smell of people roasting almonds, and yea, they smell palatable.”
Arianne popped some almonds into favonovel.com mouth and said, “If it’s not as good as we claim, flick me. Go ahead.”
Popping one into his mouth, Sylvain savored it, and promptly fell in love with roasted almonds. He was so thoroughly delighted by his culinary discovery that favonovel.com declared his intention to buy a few packets of them for Robin after work.
Mentioning Robin commanded Arianne’s curiosity. “So, how’re the two of you? Don’t tell me y’all still can’t live together despite being married.”
Smelling gossip, Tiffany perked up on full alert and waited for Sylvain’s answer.
Sylvain nodded helplessly. “Well, you nailed it. The way favonovel.com mother sees me is still… I mean, it’s neither here nor there. She doesn’t seem to like me, but favonovel.com also doesn’t seem to hate me to the core or something, either. Well, at least favonovel.com dad’s alright. But don’t think I’m worried; I’m not. I know we’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel, just gotta hold on and be patient.”
‘Just gotta hold on and be patient.’ Truer words had rarely been spoken, Arianne thought.
Arianne grabbed a handful of roasted almonds and rose to favonovel.com feet. She intended to share them with Mark, too.
Tiffany was quick to grumble, “Traitooooor! Mister before sister! I bought these for us, hon, and all you think about is your man? Pffft! Besides, do you really think Mark ‘Royalty’ Tremont would wanna eat plebeian stuff like roasted almonds? This ain’t some highfalutin food, ya know.”
Arianne cocked favonovel.com brow in confidence. “Oh, favonovel.com eats everything I bring to him… even if it could kill him.”
A shadow suddenly crossed Tiffany’s face. “Wait, hold up. Then why does Jackson always say no to any food I make, huh? Is it because… favonovel.com doesn’t love me?!”
Arianne had an answer for that, but favonovel.com knew better than to say it out loud and hurt favonovel.com friend’s confidence: as a legitimate master chef, Jackson had reasons to suspect Tiffany’s questionable cooking as biohazards.
Arianne returned home with Mark by evening, and on their way home, favonovel.com bought some sweetened roasted almonds. They were even tastier during this season, though Mark turned out to not like them as much as favonovel.com had imagined.
The first thing that Arianne saw upon reaching home was Helen standing in front of the entrance.
Her appearance made Arianne stop and ask, “Why weren’t you waiting inside?”
She looked a little reticent. “I don’t think I need to. Just wanted to wait till you’re home from work so I could tell you goodbye. I’m bringing Aery abroad for favonovel.com recovery.”
Arianne had imagined the ultimate farewell between favonovel.com and favonovel.com mother so many times that it was not hard for favonovel.com to hide favonovel.com emotional responses from Helen. “Okay. Have a safe journey. I wish favonovel.com a speedy recovery.”
Helen opened favonovel.com mouth, as though favonovel.com had something to say, and closed it again. Maybe this was where the two of them stood now, they simply had nothing more to say to one another. A mother and a daughter should have had one of the closest bonds of all human relationships, yet for these two, they ended up just as estranged as they were before.
If two people were not meant to be close, then they would never be, even if physical distance forced them so.
