“So, are you coming home soon?”

“Yeah, Your aunt’s a bit ill, so I intend on staying a little longer with her.”

“...And Noah?”

“I know, I know, Noah’s skipping school, so I’ll send him back with your father today. Make sure you keep the house clea- He- Th- Not- Ph- Vo-”

“Okay, Take care.”

‘Oh, The house is clean, I guess. But dinner?’

Asher had come home the next day from school, hoping he’d see his mom home, and would actually eat some real food. But his shoulders slumped on seeing no one home. So he asked her.

And now, he was more exhausted on hearing he would’ve to make some real food, since his father and Noah were coming home.

Noah couldn’t make food, obviously, but his father?

He never saw him setting his foot in the kitchen.

‘I guess I’ll see some recipes on how to make something actually nutritious. Oh, and that something should not be noodles. Yeeeah.’ Ash cheered depressingly, since he knew of cooking nothing but noodles.

Half a day had passed.

Ash was lying on the couch, and scrolling through his phone, to find a good recipe.

Nutrition-wise, taste-wise, and not potatoes-wise.

But he could find nothing.

‘Eggs? No eggs at home, sorry. Okay, next, onions? Well, I don’t know how to cut onions. Curry? Ew, No. I don’t like curry.’

Well, more like he couldn’t find anything that he could make without any aid.

‘Guess it’ll be noodles again…’

Ash jumped from the couch, in order to see if he had any instant noodles at home, but a sudden voice cut through.

The doorbell.

‘Eeeh!? They came this soon!’

Ash quickly saw through the see-through glass on the door.

Luke checking the time on his watch, as if he had somewhere important to go to, and Noah was happily skidding and singing,... god knows what.

Ash opened the door, and stepped aside.

“Took you long enough, Ash.”

Luke said, while coming in, his eyes darting towards Ash.

“Big brother! Good mornnning!”

Noah was currently taught by his mom about basic manners, since they were very important in their family, but Noah remembered only “Good morning” and “Please”.

‘Good morning? Man, it’s evening.’

“Good evening, Noah, Dad.”

Ash said while closing the door, and looked back, only to find no one.

‘Well that means dad is in the lounge and Noah is in the room.’

Ash thought while heading towards the lounge.

Luke was sprawled on the couch, loosening his tie with one hand, and taking out his phone with the other, when he saw Ash entering in the lounge.

“Was your business trip okay?” Ash asked while sitting on the edge of the couch.

“It was alright, Ash.”

‘Man, what should I ask next?!’

“So, are you hungry?” Ash asked, mentally praying that Luke answers with a ‘No’. Well, otherwise, he would have to make something, fast.

“Yeah, Starving. What’s for dinner?” Luke asked, stopping the scrolling on his phone, and looking at Ash.

Ash gulped.

“...What’s for dinner?” Luke asked again, his mind wandering on the only thought he doesn’t want to be true.

‘I’m in trouble, big trouble. I’m in trouble, big troubl-’

“There actually is…something for dinner, right Ash?” Luke asked again, his phone now on the table, and his eyes observing painfully the features Ash was making.

Ash gulped again.

“..Big brother? What’s for dinner? I’m pretty hungry.”

‘Great, just great. Noah, what a perfect timing you have-’

“..Noah, did you go to the kitchen?” Luke asked Noah, sitting up.

“Yeah, daddy. But the kitchen is as clean as my friend’s teeth. NOTHING’S FOR DINNER, I think.”

‘As clean as what? No time for that! Man, what should I do?’

Noah was standing on the doorstep, Luke was sitting up, and both were looking at Ash.

‘Hah! Stop looking at me like I’m supposed to make dinner! It’s not my job!’

“Sooo, nothing’s for dinner?” Luke asked again, as if asking to confirm the situation.

“Nothing.” Ash murmured, defeated.

“Nothing?!” Noah asked, his eyes popping out of their sockets.

“Not a single piece of bread crumb.”

“Then, what should I eat? I’m hungry!!!” Noah asked, looking at Luke, who was scatching his chin, eyes closed.

“There are noodles, if you want to-” Ash genuinely asked, but was interrupted.

“No noodles, please. Real stuff, please.” Noah replied, sitting next to Luke.

‘Enough with the please, please?’

“Then I can bring takeou-” Ash was interrupted again.

“No takeout, please.” Luke asked this time, cracking a smile.

‘Did I hear right? Dad said no?! But he can eat takeout, no problem!’

“Sooo…?” Noah and Ash asked at the same time.

“Sooo….we make real dinner, right now.” Luke declared, folding his cuffs, and standing up.

‘Heh like he knows how to make real dinner.’

“Does daddy know how to make dinner?” Noah asked in a whisper, wanting only Ash to hear it, but unfortunately Luke listened too.

“Of course daddy knows how to make dinner. He is an expert in making…uh…rice. Yeah, rice! Daddy loves making rice!” Luke told, clearly impressed by himself.

‘..Rice?’

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Yeah, rice! I’m with you daddy! Come on, big brother, let’s make rice!” Noah exclaimed, pulling Ash’s hand, and forcing him to follow Luke, who was heading towards the kitchen.

‘I guess, I’ll come by. But I don’t know how to make it.’

Fifteen minutes had passed, with the three in the kitchen. Luke was checking and gathering all the ingredients required, Noah helping him, and Ash sitting on the dining table.

“Now, let’s get to work since everything else is complete!” Luke exclaimed, fist-bumping the air. Noah following him suit.

“Dad sure seems….enthusiastic today, doesn’t he? Wonder what happened.”

“I’ll complete the other things, while Ash will help cut the vegetables.”

‘Eh?...As long as I remember, rice requires Onions, and I don’t know how to cut any.’

“Okay Ash? Here are the onions and tomatoes.”

“But what will I do daddy?!” Noah was clearly terrified of the idea of being no help.

“Uh…You…You can tell us all the things that happened when you went there, alright?”

“Okayyyy!” Noah replied, while taking his seat on the dining table.

‘But What do I actually do? I don’t know how to cut onions!’

“Ash. Get to work.” Luke finalized and turned to the stove.

“Sure, but I don’t know how to cut onion-”

“Ah… Okay, you cut the tomatoes, and then I’ll teach you how to cut ‘em.”

“But, why don’t you cu-”

“I want you to, that’s why. I want you to know how to cut onions. Besides, it’s not hard, I promise.”

Ash looked over to him, he was cutting other vegetables, and his eyes darted over to Noah every now and then, to make sure he doesn’t fall.

Ash started to cut the tomatoes, while thinking.

‘Dad….He always seems in control. Like nothing is a problem for him. I know dad scolded me before when I met Lily, but still, he hasn’t scolded me after that. I mean, he has been harsh at times, but never pulled out the physical card again.’

Ash looked over his shoulders, to him, again.

‘Sooo in control. Dad is always so calm and cool, like nothing exists that he can’t handle. And honestly, I always thought dad dislikes me, because of my meet-up with Lily, and because of some other things, but I guess I might be wrong. No parents hate their children, right? Oh, I’m done with the tomatoes.’

“Dad? I’m done with the tomatoes.”

“...WAIT! I’M COMING!” Luke exclaimed, because of Noah.

Noah was talking at full volume and telling what happened, every tinsy bit of information he had gathered.

“Are you done? Okay, so get the knife. And stand like thi-”

Luke replied, shifting Ash from the shoulders slightly.

‘E-Eh?’

“And THEN, I ASKED MOM THAT I WANTED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM, AND SHE SCOLDED ME AND SAID, ‘HOLD IT IN!’”

“I GET IT NOAH! NOW PLEASE SILENCE FOR A BIT?”

“Okay, daddy!”

“Okay Ash, now start to cut it okay? Slowly and …like this.” Luke demonstarted it, and handed Ash the knife.

“Like this..?” Ash asked, cutting one little piece of onion.

“Exactly! Now, was it that hard?” Luke clasped his hands, and went to the stove,

Ash tried his best to mimic his dad’s movements, slicing the onion as carefully as he could. The sharp, stinging scent of onions filled the kitchen, and he blinked against the tears prickling his eyes.

‘How does Dad handle this so easily?’ he wondered, glancing over to where his dad was stirring a pot on the stove, humming lightly to himself.

Luke was so absorbed in the meal prep, and the way he moved- casual yet focused, made Ash pause. Ash couldn’t help but feel a little… well, a little impressed.

‘Maybe it wasn’t so bad to learn from him after all,’ he thought, hiding a smile.

“Daddy, Daddy!” Noah chimed in from his perch at the table. “Why do you stay out of home all the time?” He scrunched his nose at the onions Ash was struggling with.

Luke chuckled, shooting Noah a glance. “Daddy has work to do, Noah. When you get older, you’ll understand.” Then he looked at Ash and added, “Plus, your big brother’s learning some chef skills here- might come a day when he makes you dinner all by himself as well as does work, like daddy does.”

Ash averted his eyes from him but felt a strange warmth at the thought.

‘Cooking for Noah, and handling work?’

“Noah, come here, buddy. You can help stir this pot, while I see Asher, okay?” Luke called.

Ash watched as Noah jumped down, eagerly rushing to his dad’s side.

Luke handed him the ladle, steadying Noah’s little hands as he showed him how to stir slowly. There was a gentleness in his father’s movements, the way he patiently corrected Noah, the way he laughed when Noah splattered sauce on the counter.

“Careful, little chef,” Luke said with a grin. “We don’t want to eat your masterpiece off the floor.”

Ash found himself smiling, too.

‘This... feels good,’ he thought, the kitchen alive with warmth and the scent of the simmering pot. His dad didn’t look so serious, so strict- he looked relaxed, maybe even… happy.

As he kept chopping, Ash thought back to all the times he’d wondered if his dad really cared about him. If he even noticed the little things that made Ash, well, Ash. But right now, in the hum of the kitchen, he realized that maybe he’d misunderstood. Maybe Dad showed he cared not by saying it but by doing things like this, by making sure they were together, teaching them, laughing with them.

Luke glanced over, catching Ash’s eye. “Almost done there with the onions, Asher?” he asked, his tone light.

Ash looked down, surprised to see he was nearly finished with half onion. “Yeah, almost,” he replied.

“Hey, careful there, I don’t wanna bet that someone’s going to lose a finger today.” Luke said, a smile positioned itself on his face as he went back to checking the pot.

Ash’s heart swelled a little at those words.

‘Maybe Dad isn’t so bad at all,’ he thought, finishing up the last bit of chopping.

After two hours of successful learning, and a bit of scolding, the three were now sitting on the dining table, hot sizzling pot at the centre.

‘Finally, the dinner is ready.’ Ash thought while taking a glance at the kitchen.

And it looked terrible, as if a child had made all the food.

Dirty dishes on the counter, sauce splattered, and little pieces of onions on the floor. Well, Ash knew that’d happen, afterall, they were no experts.

Ash took a small bite, savoring the warmth and surprisingly good taste. ‘Not bad,’ he thought, feeling a little proud of their “team effort.”

Across from him, Noah was happily blowing on each spoonful, his eyes wide with excitement as if they’d just served up a five-star meal.

“Careful, Noah. It’s hot,” Luke reminded, nudging Noah’s plate a bit closer to the center of the table. He was watching them both, a small, relaxed smile on his face, his usual stern expression softened. For a moment, the kitchen chaos, the rushed chopping, even the onion tears were worth it.

Ash felt a quiet satisfaction settle over him.

‘So, this is what it feels like,’ he thought. They didn’t eat like this often- together, laughing, trying something new.

His father was usually on business trips. But today, it felt good.

He glanced at his dad, who was too busy offering Noah more rice to notice, but Ash felt it anyway.

At the end of the day, that’s what they were, incomplete, but all the same, family.

And it wasn’t perfect; the kitchen looked like a battlefield, and Noah still had bits of sauce smeared on his cheek. But right here, right now, it was enough.

Ash cracked a smile.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three of them moved to the lounge after dinner, each sinking into the couch in satisfied exhaustion.

Noah curled up beside Ash, fiddling with a small toy, his eyelids drooping as the room settled into a cozy silence. Luke leaned back, arms stretched out along the couch, gazing at nothing in particular, a calm look on his face.

After a few minutes, Noah’s breathing evened out, and he was out cold, nestled against Ash’s side. Ash glanced down at him, unable to hold back a small smile.

‘Guess all that excitement wore him out,’ he thought.

Luke caught Ash’s gaze and chuckled softly. “He’s a handful, isn’t he?” he said, keeping his voice low.

Ash nodded, “You could say that.”

A comfortable silence hung in the air for a bit, then Luke caught a glance of Ash.

‘Dad…looks like he wants to talk about something, he keeps on looking at me, god, that’s uncomfortable.’

Luke glanced at Ash, his face thoughtful. “You know… I’ve been meaning to talk to you. About… that day, when you met Lily.”

‘Oh man, I don’t wanna. But dad never brought that up, so why now?’

Ash tensed slightly, taken aback. “Oh,” he murmured, looking down at his hands.

Luke let out a soft sigh, his gaze fixed on the room ahead. “I never handled that right. You know, with you meeting her, the way I reacted…” He paused, shaking his head slightly, before turning his attention back to Ash. “I owe you an apology for that.”

Ash looked at him, surprise mixed with something he couldn’t quite name. “Dad, I-”

“Just listen for a minute,” Luke said gently. “Lily’s my… daughter, just as much as you and Noah are my sons. When you met her, I was furious. Furious that Lily is going to fill your head with all that stuff about how she left, and… maybe she’ll ask you to…hate me.”

“..Dad, No- she didn’t. She only…”

‘Well, she did tell me she hated dad, and…’

“I know, Ash. She hates me. And do you know how hard it is for me to tell myself that my own daughter, my first-born, hates me?” Luke asked in a hushed tone, his face contorted.

He looked at Ash, who looked shocked.

He then continued, “ Every night, before going to sleep, I’ve to remind myself that I’m a terrible father. The day she met you, I was angry, at what will happen if you listen to her, and go on with her. If you….leave..me too, Asher.”

‘Hah?! So, that was the reason?’

“I was wrong for how I acted back then. I guess I thought I was protecting you from her…” He trailed off.

Ash felt a sudden warmth in his chest, a mixture of relief and gratitude. “I… I didn’t know you were trying to do that.” he admitted, his voice quiet. “I thought maybe you were ….angry at me and you…hated…her.”

Luke shook his head, the sadness in his eyes softening. “Never angry. Maybe hurt, maybe a little scared of what I didn’t understand. But angry? No. I never hated her, or you. I never did.”

They sat in silence for a moment, the unspoken words lingering, each of them taking it in. Ash’s thoughts swirled, his heart settling.

‘He doesn’t hate her. He doesn’t hate me.’

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“How did you- How did you know she met me? That day?” Ash asked, feeling his heart beating erratically.

Luke gave a small, sad smile. “ Lily came to meet me in my office, when I…asked you at night. She told me that you met her.”

‘Oh, so that was what happened. Still, dad seems….not..strict, I kind of …love that. I should ask him what happened between them, Quick, Asher. ….No, I don’t want dad to snap now.’

He reached over, resting a hand on Ash’s shoulder, his fingers squeezing gently. “I’m proud of you, Ash… for everything. I’m here, for whatever you need.”

‘He’s proud…of me?’

Ash felt his father’s words sink in, filling spaces he hadn’t realized were empty.

Luke ruffled his hair, a rare, warm gesture, before rising.

“I’m going to sleep, you should too.”

Carefully, he lifted Noah into his arms, the little boy’s head resting on his father’s shoulder.

As they disappeared down the hall, Ash leaned back, letting the warmth settle.

‘Maybe things will be different now. Maybe he really means it.’ The thought brought a quiet peace, and he found himself, for the first time in a long time, feeling whole.

‘Still, I feel so great now that I know dad isn’t angry with me. He doesn’t hate Lily, and also, he’s proud of me. Man, how will I even sleep tonight?!’