#Chapter 34: Mom’s Necklace

Celeste With a careful hand, I arranged the dishes on the table: a vibrant mix of greens for the salad, drizzled with a homemade vinaigrette, and perfectly grilled lean chicken breasts beside it. The aroma wafted up, making my mouth water. While it wasn’t the greasy, heavy fare we typically had, I felt proud of my healthier creation. The door swung open, and Jack’s familiar footsteps echoed in the hallway. His eyes narrowed as they landed on the table, his nose scrunching in distaste. “What’s this?” he asked, a sneer forming on his lips as he poked the salad with a fork. “I thought I told you to get pasta and red sauce, not… This.” “I still got all of that at the store,” I said. “But I wanted to make this tonight.” Jack shot me a disdainful look. He was a fit and attractive guy, but he usually banked on his high metabolism and athletics to compensate for his horrible diet. Sometimes it felt a little unfair that he could actually eat whatever he wanted and