Chapter 41: Warmth In The Small Things
Asher stared at Juliana for some seconds, feeling the innocent confusion radiating from her, and cupped her cheek with one hand, his thumb gently smoothing over her skin.
"You are not sick." He smiled warmly at her, letting his quiet affection reassure her: "You are feeling under the weather."
"....?!"
Juliana stared at him with a slight frown, tilting her head in confusion: "That sounds so wrong." She added, causing Asher to laugh out loud, the tension in his chest finally breaking into pure amusement.
"Alright, come on, let’s get home and bring both Kelly and Sara to our new villa." He stood up, stretching his hand towards her with an open, inviting warmth.
"Okay." Juliana nodded, taking his hand without hesitation.
’The soul fleeting pill the system gave me, I finally decided who I will give it to... But after everyone has settled down here.’ He thought with a small smile, knowing that ten hours of clarity for the right person could alter the trajectory of their fragile household forever.
___
[6:00 PM]
Crack!
The door opened wide, as Asher and Juliana walked inside with bags in hand, carrying the sweet aroma of fresh food and treats into the humble apartment. They paused, staring at Sara, who was still sitting silently in the corner reading her book, then at Kelly; she stood at her favorite spot, the window, staring out into the quiet world beyond.
He walked towards the kitchen with the bags in his hand, and gestured to Juliana to place the bags in hers on the table.
Noticing the movement, Sara raised her head, her sharp eyes staring at the two, then at the heavy bags. After some seconds of silent observation, she returned her gaze to her book, keeping her wall up.
Juliana placed the bags on the table, turning to Kelly with a gentle, inviting call: "Kelly, Asher bought you snacks, and sweets." She called out.
Hearing food, Kelly turned towards the bags, her eyes instantly fixing on the brightly colored boxes. Without another word, she walked towards the table with steady steps, and took a box, tearing it open without ceremony.
"Slow down..." Juliana said with a small smile, staring at Kelly, who placed a cookie in her mouth, her eyes lighting up with simple, unbothered happiness.
Sara stared at the two from her book, watching the quiet warmth filling the room, then turned her head to Asher, who was already busy preparing dinner over the stove. She wanted to say something, but due to her situation, she simply exhaled softly, remaining silent in her corner.
_
In some minutes, food was served, and Kelly as usual dug in, eating till she was full, completely oblivious to the world around her. Asher smiled, pleased she enjoyed the food, and turned to Sara; he needed to speak to her about the critical decisions regarding the Pill and their upcoming move.
Juliana stared at him, observing the subtle shift in his expression, then followed his gaze to Sara. Sensing his intention, she nodded softly, and lightly tapped the satisfied Kelly:
"Kelly, come and see more gifts, they are also good, and delicious food." She said, her voice soft and persuasive.
"Really?" Kelly blinked, her attention immediately swayed.
Juliana nodded, and took Kelly from the dining room to the sitting room, showing her the bags filled with gifts.
Asher stared at them, he knew why Juliana took Kelly away. Although there was no need for that, he felt good, knowing Juliana could sense his motive and seamlessly managed the room for him.
Sara was silent, slowly eating her rice as always, every movement precise.
Through the side of her eyes, she noticed Asher pushing the notebook towards her across the wooden table. Sara paused, her spoon hovering, finally turning to face him; then she lowered her gaze to the clean, handwritten words on the notebook.
[I bought a Villa, we all will be leaving tomorrow morning.]
She read the words on it inwardly, and after some seconds of silence, she nodded her head smoothly, focusing on her food again as if moving to a luxury mansion were an everyday occurrence.
"...?"
Asher swallowed hard. She didn’t ask any questions, or show any expression on her face. He simply sighed, took the notebook back, turned the page over, and wrote down on it, moving it back to her again.
["I have a Soul Fleeting Pill. It temporarily removes all sickness, mental trauma, and internal injuries for 10 hours. I wanted to give it to you."]
Sara raised an eyebrow at his action, surprised by the revelation, and turned to face him, a bit irritated at his willingness to waste a miracle on her broken core; but the moment she saw the genuine sincerity behind his eyes, her irritation turned into surprise. She slowly reached out, and took the notebook, along with the pen.
Asher watched her slowly write down on the book, her handwriting sharp and disciplined, then stretch it towards him. He took the book, staring at the words on it, then lightly shook his head.
["I don’t need the Pill, but Kelly might need it... Even if it’s for just ten hours, I am sure she’ll appreciate."]
He wrote down immediately, pushing his counter-thought back to her:
["I was thinking of giving it to Kelly, but she’s unpredictable right now. I need your help."]
Sara took the notebook, her expression turning serious as she contemplated the reality of their situation, then read the remaining words:
["Alright, but how can I convince Kelly? She won’t easily follow me."]
Sara shook her head at his worry, picked up the pen, wrote down her response, and passed it to him again:
["Kelly loves food, do you need me to tell you this?"]
He stared at the words, a brief smile cracking his serious facade, and nodded his head in agreement. He wrote down on the page, handing it to her once more to pivot the topic:
["Can you help me with the power system breakdown, rankings, and dungeons ranks... I am not that knowledgeable in these topics."]
Sara read the words, recognizing his need to quickly adapt to the brutal Awakened world now that he had exposed himself. She nodded her head; she placed the notebook flat on the table, unclipped the pen, and started writing.
Asher sat still, waiting patiently in the quiet room; and after five minutes of uninterrupted, furious writing, she was finally done.