446 Her Sweet Little Boy

The beef noodle soup was served in a white bowl. It was a splash of colors which made the dish look very appetizing. Vivid colors of green from the vegetable, brown from the meat, and white from noodles, along with other garnishes that decorated the whole dish, were all married with the reddish rich soup of the braised beef. Damien clearly took pride in his creation—it looked like a dish that was served in a restaurant. 

Amelia's mouth watered as she gaped at the bowl of beefy goodness in front of her. The smell of it lingered in the air and attacked her nose, calling for her to have a taste.

"Do you like it spicy?" Damien asked, his hand paused as he was about to chop chilies.

"Only a bit, please."

The freshly chopped red chilies were sprinkled on top of the dish, adding more kick to the already delicious food.

He brought the two bowls to the dining table that he had set up earlier. The bouquet of flowers that she brought him added color to the table set, making everything look vibrant, a contrast to the otherwise gloomy sky outside.

Damien sat at the head of the table while Amelia settled on his left. He waited for her to taste what he made but she only stared at the bowl. "Is there something wrong? Do you want to eat a different dish instead? I can—"

"Oh, no, Sweetie… It's…" Amelia softly chuckled. She must have looked weird just now as she wondered how the food would taste once she starts eating it. She didn't realize that her silence caused him to worry. "It looks delicious. It looks too good to be eaten… it's a shame."

He exhaled a sigh of relief when he heard that, a boyish smile flashed on his face at the compliment. "Go ahead. I want to know if it suits your palate."

She wet her lips as she picked up the porcelain soup spoon to her right and scooped a spoonful of the colored liquid. Bringing it to her lips, she blew on it twice and carefully drank the velvety, smooth texture of the rich broth. Her eyes closed just as the delicious soup hit her taste buds, and she hummed. "Wow… This is the best soup I have ever tasted!"

Damien softly chuckled. Was she just saying that?

"No, I'm serious… You can run your own restaurant with this dish!" Taking a chunk of meat and eating it, she sighed as it melted in her mouth. "Oh my god. And this beef… It's so tender… and flavorful."

He shook his head and mixed the dish in his bowl. "Nah, I'd rather have them at home. I'm sort of stingy when it comes to food."

"You are?"

"Well… I mean… I can share my food, but I'd rather cook at home and only share them with friends and family."

"How do you like the taste? I mean… anything lacking or too much? That way I'd know when I make it again." Damien didn't really think much when he asked. He always did the same even with Katherine. However, when he glanced at her, she smiled at him. That's when he realized what he just said. Even so, he didn't want to take it back. He meant when he said it. Despite what happened between them, he wanted to make it better. So, yes, there would be a next time.

Hearing his question warmed her heart. She fought the urge to shed the tears that were stinging her eyes, and she forced herself to swallow the huge lump in her throat. For the past thirty years that were filled with regrets and 'what-ifs', she had finally smiled a genuine one. And it was all because of him—her son. Her sweet boy who had grown up so tall and so handsome, just like his father. It was both painful and sweet, yet she was glad that she was there, sharing a bowl of homemade beef noodle soup. It was humble. And it was heartwarming.

She softly shook her head, her hand patting the back of his arm as she said, "You don't need to change. Everything's perfect."

How peculiar was it that even the simplest form of her statement brought him a surge of joy that coursed through him in the most satisfying way? It was like bringing home an aced test paper and showing it off. 'Look ma, I did good.' Was this how the boys whom he knew back in school felt when they came home? Was this how they felt when their mothers patted their head and told them: 'Yes, you did well, my good boy.'?

Because that's how he felt. He felt like a little boy who just came home to his mother. How he wished he could feel like this every time whenever she was around.

…

Sometime later when Amelia was about to finish her bowl of beef noodle soup, she put down her spoon and drank water to clear her mouth. Damien looked up at her and waited as she looked like she wanted to say something.

"You know… This dish reminds me of something," she started.

"Hm?"

"Back in the day—when you still weren't conceived, your father and I used to go to this small Taiwanese restaurant. I found it in passing and thought I'd bring one for him for dinner. He ended up liking it so much that we often visit the place." She laughed. "We frequented the place a lot that we even got to know the chef. I think the restaurant is still in business until now. I wonder if the old man is still alive—"

"Chef Huang…" he mumbled, his heart racing as he recalled what happened several months ago when he learned the truth about Miriam and the noodles.

"Oh, you know the place I'm talking about? Have you met the chef? How is he?"

Damien couldn't understand what he was feeling at the moment. He didn't recognize the emotions within him apart from one—relief. However, he was so taken aback by this new information that he looked downcast.

Amelia noticed the change in his expression and she wondered if she said something wrong. "Are you okay?" She gently stroked his arm.

When he looked up at her and met her stare, he started telling her about what happened several months ago. He didn't think of telling her about it while he was explaining the dish earlier as the matter was too complicated and he thought it was unnecessary. But who would have thought that everything was connected?

"I see…" she muttered. "There was a time before your father married Miriam Zhao that she had us followed. Your father didn't know anything about her then as he refused to learn who the woman was, but we caught a man who followed us everywhere. When we questioned him, he said that Miriam sent him, asking him to note wherever we went and all that. It was ridiculous… but I guess she found out about that restaurant too."

Everything made sense to Damien now. He had been wondering why Miriam would go through the trouble of getting a bowl of noodle soup from that restaurant. She acted like a good mother when he was around and even used the same food as if it would lure his father to notice her.

He stared at his mother, Amelia, who was still reminiscing about the past. He felt somewhat thankful that in the end, this bowl of beef noodle soup wasn't so bad after all. That even though it started as the only good memory he had of Miriam—and then later ended up with it being a sham—only to turn out to be a sweet memory for his real mother and father.

Despite being a bit hesitant, Damien proposed, "Next time… Would you like to go there with me?"