Hadn't Grown an Inch

Esther was hungry but held the urge to eat at the thought of Terence, who promised he would come home for dinner. She decided to wait until Terence came back so that he wouldn't have had the leftovers.

She sat back down on the sofa to watch TV.

She was not a fan of soup opera, drifting to sleep.

When Terence was home, Esther curled up on the sofa with the remote in her arms. She was still fast asleep.

He didn't wake her up. When he quietly took off his shoes and tiptoed to wash his hands in the kitchen, he saw a table full of untouched food. His gaze shifted back to Esther, thinking, 'Has she been waiting for me?'

The food should be cooked a while ago. Terence glanced at his watch and it was almost ten. She seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

After a moment of hesitation, Terence walked to the sofa and leaned to gently poke her on the shoulder. Esther woke up suddenly, looking fearfully at him. The horrified expression caught Terence off guard.