"Thank you for the ride, Penny." Nina smiled as she glanced at the small apartnt she had been renting. "I’ll see you at the family dinner?"
Penny nodded. "Tell Finn I said hi."
"Mhm." With that, Nina picked up her bag and stepped out of the car. Facing the vehicle, she waved her hand while keeping the other behind her. "Take care."
"See yah!" As soon as those words left Penny’s mouth, the car started moving away.
Nina stood outside her place, staring at the car’s rear. The corner of her mouth lifted into a smile, now in a good mood after spending half the day with Penny and Lily. Although Mint’s presence had been unexpected, she was a pleasant surprise.
A soft chuckle escaped her as she turned toward the gate and walked inside. Once she was ho, she imdiately noticed that Finn’s shoes weren’t there.
"He usually cos ho before ," she muttered, her smile stretching as she thought of making him sothing for dinner.
It had been a while since Nina could prepare a al for Finn. Her schedule had been tight before the trip, and he typically ca ho before her, with dinner ready by the ti she got in. She wanted to do the sa for her fiancé.
With that thought in mind, Nina casually placed her handbag on the couch and headed to the kitchen. She slipped on her apron and checked the fridge to see what she could make. Her eyebrows rose as she saw that the fridge was still full, even after a five-day trip.
"This is..." Nina took out a small Tupperware, smiling as she realized who had stocked it. "Aunt Jessa."
She pulled out another container, finding a note stuck on top of it.
[Don’t you dare waste this food. We’re not rich, so eat everything. It’s healthy.]
A soft chuckle slipped from Nina’s lips as she shook her head. She removed the note, opened the lid, and slled the contents. Her stomach rumbled in response.
"It’s been a while since I visited ho," she whispered. "I should go there this week. I miss Aunt Jessa’s cooking."
Nina continued going through the fridge, pulling out more Tupperware to inspect Jessa’s contributions. This wasn’t the first ti Jessa had filled her fridge. In fact, she did it regularly, insisting it wasn’t healthy to rely on takeout all the ti.
Jessa wasn’t wrong. With Nina’s busy schedule, takeout had often been her go-to option. But since Finn had moved in, he had made sure her diet was more balanced, lessening her bad takeout habits.
"I think Aunt Jessa will like him," Nina whispered, chuckling as she began preparing sothing to complent the soup and side dishes Jessa had left her.
A sense of peace settled over Nina’s ho. Even though she was alone, her heart felt light. Perhaps it was the company of Penny and Lily during the wedding dress shopping, or the food Jessa had prepared for her. Either way, Nina felt appreciative and grateful.
Good people surrounded her. No doubt about that.
As she neared the end of dinner prep, Nina checked the fridge again for drinks to pair with the al. Then she set the table. Afterward, she went back to the living room to grab her phone.
[To: Finn
Hon, what ti are you coming ho? I’m making us dinner.]
DING!
[From: Finn
I’m on my way ho now. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.]
[To: Finn
Take care on your way.]
DING!
[From: Finn]
I will... even though I missed you a lot today and I just want to see you.]
Nina pressed her lips together, her cheeks turning pink. She tried to control her smile, but it was no use. His short yet sweet ssages made her heart flutter.
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she blew out a puff of air. "Goodness. Why am I blushing?" She shook her head, reminding herself to return to the kitchen and finish everything.
With that thought in mind, Nina rushed back to the kitchen, lowering the heat on the stove. With Finn on his way ho, she had little ti left to finish. Fortunately, the al was simple, and everything could be ready when he arrived.
"Done," she whispered, looking at the table she had set. "Uh... is this a little too much?"
Lines ford between her brows as her gaze landed on the candles. "Uh huh, too much." She blew them out and placed them on a nearby stand. After picking up a wrapper, she quickly returned to the kitchen, where things had started to pile up a little.
Out of habit, Nina kept her foot on the foot press to keep the trash bin lid open. She tied the trash bag, adding throwing it out to her routine before Finn arrived. He had been taking care of the trash for a while now, so today, she wanted to handle it. That way, he could relax and not worry about anything else for the rest of the night.
The trash dump was at the back of her small apartnt. The sll of garbage lingered in the alley, making her wave a hand in front of her face. The area wasn’t cluttered, but she disliked the sll, so she hurried to get back inside, as she usually did before Finn took over.
After dumping the trash in the large container, Nina turned to head back ho when a hand suddenly grabbed her arm. She froze for a mont and instinctively looked back at the person holding her. Her brows furrowed, and her eyes narrowed at the figure in a black hoodie with the hood pulled over her head.
"Who are you?" she asked, trying to pull her arm away. But the person gripped her tighter. "Let go."
Her heart thudded, a rush of adrenaline kicking in. She tried to pull away again but stopped when the person holding her spoke.
"Penelope?"
Nina froze, her pupils contracting. The person was a woman. "Who—"
"It’s ," the woman said quietly, pulling down her hood. "It’s , Penelope. It’s... Mom."
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