Forced Bond

I chowed down on the freshly prepared spaghetti with ground beef–the dish prepared by Julia–like I hadn't seen food for weeks. My eyes got blurry with tears as my taste buds got blasted with flavors from the sauce, not because I hadn't tasted such delectable food in a while, but because I missed eating comfortably without fearing the judgments from others.

"What's wrong? Is it too spicy for you?" Julia ran to fill a glass with water and then placed it on the table for me.

I took a sip of water and swallowed the food in my mouth. I looked at Julia with a silly smile. "No, it tastes so good that I feel like crying."

Julia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't tease me! As if I could compete with the professional chef of the Lockhart family."

"No, it's really good." I took a whiff of the fresh sauce and said, "And I guess I also missed eating like this, sitting together with you."