Chapter 116 All the Things You Love to Eat
A dark figure materialized by the car, and a primal fear made Caroline freeze, her hand hovering over the door handle. When she recognized the person outside, relief washed over her, and she quickly scrambled out, slamming the car door shut. "What are you doing out here in this downpour?"
Leopold immediately shielded her with his umbrella, pulling her close as they dashed for the apartment building.
"That's exactly why I came down," he said, his voice a low rumble against the storm.
Inside the dimly lit hallway, Leopold collapsed the umbrella. "Are you cold?"
Caroline's gaze fell on his back. His white dress shirt was soaked through, clinging to his skin like a second layer. The taught lines of his muscles were starkly visible, a tantalizing sculpture that sent an unwelcome jolt of heat through her. An image of them, tangled together, flashed in her mind. She quickly brushed her damp bangs from her forehead, trying to hide the blush creeping up her neck.
"I'm fine."
Her voice was barely a whisper. Leopold tilted his head, his eyes searching hers. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said, a little too quickly. She sidestepped him and headed for the elevator, desperate to change the subject before he noticed her ridiculously flustered state. "So, what did my mom make for dinner?"
Leopold followed her into the elevator, the doors sliding shut. "She made a slow-cooked beef stew, roasted broccoli, and a cucumber salad. I also picked up some salmon."
Caroline turned to face him. "Those are all your favorites."
A slow smile spread across Leopold's face. "They're your favorites, too."
"No, they're not. I don't even eat cucumber," she countered, playfully bumping his shoulder. "Wow. You're barely married, and my mom's already playing favorites. You're going to be completely unstoppable."
Leopold rubbed the tip of his nose, a gesture she was starting to find endearing. "Well, from now on, if you bully me, I'll just tell Mom on you."
Caroline rolled her eyes, a wave of helplessness washing over her.
She thought he was joking. It turned out he was dead serious.
As soon as they walked in, Elysia draped a fluffy bath towel over each of them. "Hurry up and dry off before you catch a cold."
"Look at you, your shirt is completely drenched." Elysia bustled back into the bedroom and returned with a set of Elijah's pajamas. "Go change out of those wet clothes. You can wear your dad's. This set is new; he hasn't even worn it yet."
"It's fine even if he had. They'd be clean," Leopold said, disappearing into the room to change. When he emerged in the fresh, dry clothes, Caroline had already changed as well and was loading their wet things into the washing machine.
The dining table was laden with steaming, home-cooked dishes. Elysia brought out two small plates of her homemade pickles. Sipping the warm, rich beef stew, Caroline felt a wave of nostalgia, as if she were a student again, safe at home.
Outside, a jagged fork of lightning tore through the black sky, illuminating the night, followed by a deafening clap of thunder that rattled the windowpanes. The rain was now a solid, roaring sheet, its individual drops invisible in the deluge.
Elysia gazed out the window. "The rain's too heavy. You two should just stay here tonight."
Caroline didn't mind. She glanced at Leopold, not wanting to force him if he felt uncomfortable.
"Thank you, Mom. We'd appreciate that," Leopold said without hesitation.
Elysia beamed. "What's there to appreciate? This is your home, too."
"It is," Leopold agreed, his face bright with happiness as he dug back into his food.
Caroline raised an eyebrow. Apparently, her concern had been completely unnecessary.
"Did Dad say when he'd be back from his patrol?" Caroline asked.
Elysia added another helping of vegetables to Leopold's plate before answering. "He might not be back at all. There's a flood advisory for the upper Starlight River, and our water levels have been rising for the past two days. With this downpour, I doubt he'll make it home."
Finished with her meal, Caroline set down her fork and knife and went to the bedroom.
Elysia watched her go, then turned to Leopold. "She's probably messaging Elijah."
"You know," Leopold said thoughtfully, "Caroline really does care about Dad. It's just that when they're in the same room, it's like their auras clash."
"Clash? That's putting it mildly," Elysia said with a wry shake of her head. "Elijah was never around much when Caroline was little. He couldn't help it. His position wasn't high, but his duties were endless. He was always out in the villages and towns, mediating every little dispute. The more he worked, the less time he had for her."
"Then, when Caroline started middle school, Elijah got a promotion and a transfer. She had to move to a new city, make all new friends. It was right when she was hitting her teenage years, and she didn't want to leave her old life. She went to his office to plead with him, but a work transfer isn't something he could just undo. She came out of his office crying her eyes out."
"After that, she wouldn't listen to a word he said. Luckily, she and I have always been close, so I could talk her down. But things were never the same with Elijah."
"It all boils down to him not being there. It's not that there's no love between them—blood is thicker than water. But how much of a relationship can you build on that? By the time she was in high school, Elijah was transferred again. This time, she didn't fight it. She got into the best high school in Seaside City. But she'd grown up. She was sharp, quick-witted. Elijah would say one thing, and she'd have a comeback ready. She had her own mind. They could never get through three sentences without either falling into silence or ending in an argument."
Leopold thought of his own relationship with Preston, which felt like the polar opposite. But compared to Preston, he genuinely liked Elijah a hundred times more.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom.
Caroline sat on the edge of the bed, her phone clutched in her hand. She hesitated, then finally opened WhatsApp and tapped on Elijah's contact.
[Dad, are you coming home tonight?]
A few minutes passed. The "typing..." bubble appeared, and a strange, complicated feeling churned in her stomach.
A message popped up: [Probably not. Are you guys back at your place?]
Caroline quickly typed back: [No, the rain's too bad. Mom is having me and Leopold stay here.]
Elijah: [Good. Don't leave. Stay home.]
Caroline: [Dad, be safe.]
Elijah: [I will.]
She exited WhatsApp and put her phone on the nightstand to charge.
"Caroline!"
Her mom's voice called from the living room. "Coming!" She called back, heading out.
"The laundry's done," Elysia said. "Go hang it up, or Leopold won't have anything to wear tomorrow."
"Okay." Caroline opened the washing machine, unfolded the drying rack, and began hanging their clothes, piece by piece.
Leopold had taken on the task of washing the dishes, flatly refusing any help from Elysia or Caroline.
The two women sat on the sofa watching TV. Elysia observed that whenever he was around, he rarely let Caroline do any chores.
"Is he always like this at home?" Elysia asked.
Caroline crunched on an apple. "Like what?"
Elysia gestured toward the kitchen with her chin. "Cooking, washing dishes?"
Swallowing the bite of an apple, Caroline nodded. "Yep. And not just that. He cleans the apartment, mops the floors. When I'm swamped with work, he does the laundry, too."
Elysia's eyebrows shot up. "Then what do you do all day?"
Caroline held up the apple in her hand. "This."
Elysia's eyes widened in disbelief. "You just eat?"
"What else?"
"Then why did he marry you?"
Caroline laughed. "Mom, he married me, he didn't hire a maid. Whoever has time does the chores."
"You've got him wrapped around your finger," Elysia said, giving her a sideways glance. "It's a good thing Leopold has such a good temper."
"If he didn't, I wouldn't have married him."
"You should still do some housework."
"I do! Don't make it sound like I bully him. It's just about who has time. We shouldn't put gender labels on it. Are women born to do housework? It's our home, not just mine. He works, and I work, too."
Elysia pursed her lips, her expression a mix of exasperation and grudging admiration. "It sounds to me like Leopold gets the short end of the stick. I'm going to ask him about it later."
"Mom, you can't be serious."