39.
chapter thirty-nine
comfort and food

Mom sighed in relief, wiping a stray tear from her eyes. Her concerned grip tightened on my shoulder while I tried hard not to wince.

"I'm so glad you're both okay," she voiced out after a long inhale. I could ascertain why she felt so nervous, but her clutch was breaking me.

"It's all thanks to this idiot." I grinned, tilting my head to Ash. He let out a nervous chuckle when Mom beamed at him.

"You're staying in a hostel, aren't you?" she asked him. Ash nodded. "Why don't I take you in then?"

I quirked an eyebrow, surprised. Ash had it worse, though. He was slowly turning the shade of a ripened persimmon. "I—uh—I don't wish to be a bother!"

"'Course you aren't," she said quickly. "But you must heal, and someone must take care of you."

Ash sputtered, groping on his blanket. His eyes met mine in a pleading prayer, but it was my turn to smile innocently. Under which lay my devious vengeance for all the times he called Mom his Mom-in-law.

With no other way around, he eventually gave in, and we returned home that evening. The welcoming scent of home enveloped my senses, and I didn't waste time taking a much-needed, long soak in the bathtub.

The warm water worked wonders on my muscles, helping me to unwind and relax from the stress of the last few days. I let out a deep sigh, staring at the ceiling. Ash staying over would be interesting... to say the least. I couldn't wait to get back to our usual teasing banters already.

Shampooing my hair and washing the grime off really did help take my mind off things. Although, the time alone gave room for more thoughts, among which Dawn's well-being was a priority.

To get it solved, I dialed her as soon as I was fully clothed and warm. Her line didn't ring for long before it was picked. "Serena, you git!"

"Whoa there." I laughed nervously, her tension leaking in from a mere voice call. "Better censor them next time. You don't know when who pops up."

"When who pops up, eh? You owe me a darned explanation! Where the hell are you right now? May said you guys were discharged from the hospital, but why in the world did you end up there in the first place? Most importantly, how are you?!"

I let her take a minute off with her mini rant. Not only had she thrown a barrage of questions, but she was also now breathless over the line.

"You have your priorities sorted." I blinked, warmth tugging at my chest despite the confusion. My friends really did care so much? It felt good to be on the receiving end.

"Yeah, but you don't. So how about you tell us where you are?"

"Us?"

"The phone's on speaker. May and Drew are here too, and that darned idiot."

My eyes sought my palm, suddenly finding the lines on it interesting. "Idiot who?"

"Paul, who else?"

"What's wrong?"

"I'll rush to you and tell everything in person!"

I snorted at her tactics. "You're really hard-core, you know?"

"I know, I know."

"I'm at my home. Step in whenever it isn't midnight."

"Roger!"

The lively banter died down, and concern washed over me. She had been so breathless before. "How are you, Dawn?"

"Me? No need to worry~!"

"I'm glad," I exhaled, grinning when she broke into another rant about May and Drew turning her into a third wheel all these days they were clueless about us. Falling back to my bed, I realized how fortunate I was to find not one, but four great friends who cared.

Maybe friendship wasn't bad after all, yeah?

— xoxo —

The aroma of Mom's soup filled the house with the most pleasant of odors. It made me float to the kitchen, performing a few light twirls until I saw Ash seated in front of the dining table, his posture stiff—his hands were clenched and jaws set as if he were in a job interview.

"Relax," I whispered, sliding into the seat across from him. "She isn't going to bite you."

"That's the thing," he mumbled. "She's way too nice to me."

Leaning forward slightly, I narrowed my eyes at him teasingly. "Aren't you the one who so willingly calls her Mom-in-law?"

Ash reddened and ran a hand through his hair with his uninjured hand. "I mean—"

"You're just not used to comfort," I finished for him, straightening back with an innocent smile. He looked rather adorable being taken care of.

He made a poker face, turning away and frowning awkwardly. The cut on his cheek was rather prominently laughing at me from where I sat.

"Why don't you just—" he started, his irritation blending into a smirk.

"Just?"

"Just k—"

"Dinner's here! Garlic and corn soup! Eat up before it grows cold!" Mom entered the dining hall with a grey tray with three bowls. She placed them, then left to get the porridge.

"What was that?" I pressed again, taking a spoonful of the soup. It was steaming hot, but I knew that I wouldn't want it any other way.

"Nothing." He shrugged, then winced. The grimace was wiped clean when Mom entered. "I couldn't have asked for a more better meal, Mom-in-law!"

The lady smiled, setting a basket of bread down and the vessel with porridge on the other side. "Have as much as you want. There's more for seconds."

She patted my head affectionately and exited again. I briefly wondered what more she had prepared before my thoughts were cut by Ash not-so-discreetly rubbing his ankle against my calf. When I looked at him incredulously, he merely smirked.

"Just for comfort. Just for comfort."

Rolling my eyes, I went back to my appetizer. I was starving—not just for food but for comfort too. Thankfully, I was getting both at the moment.