Chapter 56 First laugh
SONG RECOMMENDATION: ORDINARY BY ALEX WARREN.
They had taken turns changing out of their wet clothes Helena and Elaine first, followed by Leonard and Allan since none of them wanted to go on an adventure to the stream in the rain. Now they sat cross-legged on the floor of the sitting room with Simmy and her dad. Dinner was served, but none of them were eager to dig in, even after Simmy's father warmly urged them to.
Before them sat a loaf of bread and something that looked like soup… or slurp. It was a greenish-gray mixture, slimy, with larger green particles floating inside, there was something similar as fish in it, but couldn't pass as one as it had a rough body. Apparently, they were supposed to dunk the bread into the odd-looking slurp.
"Why aren't you all eating?" Simmy's dad asked, though it was clear he already knew why. "Don't you like the food?"
"Oh… it's nothing, sir. It's okay," they all stammered, not wanting to appear ungrateful all except Allan, who kept staring at the dish as though trying to identify every ingredient in it.
"You could leave it if it isn't to your taste," Simmy said sharply, clearly unimpressed with their hesitation.
Then, to everyone's surprise, Allan took a piece of bread, dipped it into the soup, and took a large bite.
"Eww," Helena said, scrunching her face in disgust before she could stop herself. Leonard nudged her lap with his elbow and shot her a warning look, then forced a nervous smile toward Simmy, who was already glaring daggers at Helena.
"How is it?" Simmy's dad asked Allan, leaning forward, his eyes gleaming with mild curiosity.
"It's… nice," Allan said after a brief pause, before taking another deliberate bite.
The old man smiled warmly at him.
Seeing that, the others hesitated only for a moment before deciding to try. But the instant the strange soup hit their tongues, they gagged and spat it back out.
"What is that?!" Helena cried, while Elaine scrambled for water and Leonard desperately wiped his tongue with a napkin.
"It's food," Simmy said grumpily, her tone raised, clearly offended.
That was when Allan laughed not his usual quiet chuckle or smirk, but a genuine, deep laugh. Elaine froze, stunned. It was the first time she'd ever heard him laugh like that. He threw his head back slightly, his messy black hair falling behind, his freckles catching the warm light. His white, even teeth showed as his shoulders shook with laughter.
Before she realized it, Elaine started chuckling too, until both of them were laughing together genuinely, uncontrollably. For a moment, the sound of their laughter filled the room, light and alive, until their eyes met. The warmth lingered between them, the world fading around their shared amusement.
"We'd probably just eat the bread," Leonardo said loudly, breaking the silence and the connection that had momentarily formed between them.
Simmy's dad smiled, turning his attention to Allan. "What's your name, son?"
"Allan, sir," he replied politely.
The man nodded to himself, before returning to his meal.
Dinner slowly became more comfortable after that. They made small talk with Simmy, apologizing for their earlier behavior toward the food.
"Is that your full name?" Elaine asked.
"No," Simmy said as she began clearing the dishes. "It's short for Samantha."
"That's a pretty name," Leonard said kindly.
"Thanks," she replied with a faint smile, gathering the plates into a plastic basin and turning toward the door.
"Where are you taking them?" Allan asked.
"Oh, to the stream. I have to wash them," she said.
"Just you?" he asked, to which she nodded.
"W— oh, Simmy! Can Elaine and I help out?" Helena suddenly cut Allan off before he could finish his sentence.
Elaine turned sharply toward her, surprised. From behind, Allan's expression darkened his brows furrowed, his jaw tightening. He hated being interrupted, especially mid-sentence. He did it to others but hated it personally.
"No need, I can manage," Simmy said politely.
"Don't say that. We'll help," Elaine insisted, already ushering her out of the house. Soon, only Allan and Leonard were left in the room as Simmy's father had already retired to bed.
The sky was still heavily clouded, the ground muddy and damp from the rain. Allan sat on the front yard's edge, watching the gray clouds roll across the night sky.
"How do you like it here?" a soft voice asked from behind him. Turning slightly, he saw Elaine approaching.
He didn't respond immediately. His gaze lingered on her her hair slightly damp, the sleeves of her shirt sticking to her skin. Some parts of her body were still wet, though her clothes weren't soaked.
Noticing his eyes on her, she quickly explained, "Simmy, Helena, and I decided to take a dip in the stream. It was really refreshing." She smiled faintly and sat beside him.
"So," she said again, repeating her earlier question, "how do you like it here?"