After work, Ashley and Ellie went to visit Laura and Brown. The moment they entered the house, the
odor of food assaulted their senses. Mesmerized, Ashley took a deep breath, and asked, "Ellie, do you
know who's cooking? It smells so good!"
Ellie didn't respond. Instead, she walked straight to the kitchen where she was not surprised to find
Laura cooking and tinkering in there. She sighed and said, "Grandma, I told you to let me do the
cooking! You and Grandpa just need to relax and wait for dinnertime."
Laura's wrinkled face brightened as she cracked a warm smile. When she saw how upset Ellie was,
she said softly, "You get tired enough after your work, and I don't really have anything to do the whole
day. I knew you'd be home soon, so I decided to cook you something. I just wanted you to have a nice,
warm dinner when you came home." Laura turned back to the pan and got busy with flipping the meat.
"Sweetheart, you don't have to worry about us. Your grandma and I are okay! We really don't like sitting
around and doing nothing. Just let us do something for you. Okay?" said Brown as he helped Laura
with the cooking.
Ashley pulled on Ellie's sleeve and said, "Ellie, your grandparents are just trying to help. They don't
want you to overwhelm yourself by trying to handle everything. They just want to do whatever they can
to make your life easier. They are getting used to the busy life back home. Cooking for you is the least
they can do. Just let them do it."
Ellie pursed her lips and without uttering a word, she left the kitchen.
Ashley frowned as she watched Ellie leave. But she decided to say hi to Brown and Laura before
talking to Ellie. Entering the kitchen, she wore a big smile as she greeted Ellie's grandparents. "Hello,
Brown! Hey, Laura! How are you? I've really missed you!" She hugged them tightly.
"Ash, I haven't see you in forever! I am good. How have you been? You look prettier than the last time I
saw you," Laura said, looking Ashley up and down.
"Thank you, Laura. I'm flattered. You look amazing! You are so full of energy, just like a twenty-year-old
girl! And Brown, you look much better now!" Ashley complimented them.
"Oh, you are such a sweet girl!" said Laura, beaming.
Brown smiled at Ashley, but his eyebrows were still bunched in confusion. He looked in the direction
that Ellie had stormed off in and asked, "Did we say anything wrong that upset Ellie?"
Ashley responded hurriedly, "Oh, no! I am sure she is not upset. You treat her so well. She was
probably touched by what you do for her, and didn't want to burst into tears in front of you."
They looked apprehensive and sad, which sort of broke Ashley's heart a little. So she decided to
change the topic. "What are you making, Laura? It smells so good! May I try it?"
"It doesn't really have a name. It's just a dish from my village. Ellie used to enjoy it a lot as a kid. I'd
love for you to try but it's not done yet. You might have to wait a little," Laura said, smiling.
"Really? I can't wait to try it!" Ashley responded enthusiastically.
Ashley made small talk with Laura and Brown as she helped them in the kitchen.
Once dinner was ready, Ashley set up the table. She glanced around for Ellie but she wasn't in the
living room. She said to Laura, "Ellie is probably in the bedroom. Let me call her."
Ashley walked up to the bedroom and knocked on the door.
"Come in," Ellie's voice sounded.
Ellie was standing in front of the window and looking out when Ashley walked in. Ashley couldn't tell
what was on her mind.
"What's wrong? Are you crying?" Ashley asked in muted surprise.
Ellie mumbled, "No, I am okay."
Ashley could tell that Ellie wasn't okay and didn't take her answer. "I don't believe you. Your voice is
husky and your eyes are red."
Ellie immediately turned to the mirror and examined her eyes which looked sore and inflamed.
But she hated to admit that she had been crying. So she made up an excuse that sounded lame even
to her own ears.
"It was the wind. It blew too hard, and my eyes started watering."
Ashley rolled her eyes and said, "Your grandparents are outside waiting for you to come to dinner.
Don't make them wait too long and worry. Pull yourself together."
Ashley began to leave but Ellie's voice stopped her.
"Thank you, Ash," Ellie said.
Ashley was a little taken aback for a short moment. But she walked up to Ellie and hugged her, as if to
reassure her. "We are best friends, Ellie. There's no need for you to thank me. As long as you are
happy, your grandparents will be happy. They had such a hard time these past years. Don't make them
worry about you. Okay?" Ashley said, her voice comforting.
Ellie nodded in agreement as she held Ashley tighter.
The four of them enjoyed their meal together. Once Ashley and Ellie had finished cleaning up, they sat
on the couch, watching TV.
Ashley noticed that Brown and Laura were trying to say something to Ellie, but they didn't know how to
do so.
Ashley decided to help them. She said, "Brown? Laura? Is there something you want to tell Ellie?"
They both nodded, relieved.
"Ellie, Brown feels much better now. We want to go back to L City. We think it's better for us there."
Laura's words came out in a rush.
"Why is that?" Ashley asked, surprised. "Don't you like it here? We are here! We can keep you
company. If you go back to L City, you won't be able to see us often. You will be by yourselves."
"I can't agree with you on that. L city is very far from here. I would feel handicapped for not being able
to take care of you. If Grandpa hadn't accidentally had a slip of tongue, I wouldn't even have known
that he had been hurt that bad.
I think you should stay here with me so I can take good care of you. And I will know what's going on
with you too,"
Ellie said, her voice brooking no disagreement.
"I agree with Ellie and I think she has a point. You are not as young as before. I can help Ellie take care
of you. Please don't worry too much," Ashley echoed.
"It was an accident. Brown will be very careful in the future. It won't happen again. The most important
thing is that we can't take Ash's room forever. We already feel bad about her having to stay with her
friends. That's unfair to her," Laura said.
Ashley felt guilty about not telling Laura the truth. She smiled and said, "I am okay, Laura. My friend
lives close to where I work. Don't worry about me. I don't mind sharing a room with Ellie. And I stay with
my friend half the time. You can stay here as long as you like."
Brown and Laura tried to persuade Ellie to let them go. But no matter what they said, Ellie was firm in
her decision. She did not like the idea of letting them go back to L City.
They were Ellie's only family, and they were old. Ellie couldn't help but worry about them, and if they
moved back to L City, that was all she would do.
"Ellie, you have to understand that we would love to stay with you! But we are really not used to life
here. The night here is almost as bright as the day. The cars on the roads never seem to stop. We can
hardly sleep at nights.
We can only walk around in the complex during the day. We have nothing to do here. In L City, we can
take care of the garden and the fowls. We have a lot of things to keep us occupied there. We have
stayed here long enough. Those fowls need us," Laura said desperately.
Ellie suddenly didn't know how to respond. She lowered her head and didn't say anything. She knew
that Laura had just made a very good point.
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