Chapter 122

Maurice We sat down to eat, and the aroma of the food hit me instantly, rich, warm, and so inviting it was almost calling my name. No wonder Octavia is chubby; the way her eyes locked on her plate made it look like I hadn’t fed her properly. But when I took the first bite, I understood. It was one of the best meals I’d ever tasted, the food was made with care. For a brief moment, the room went quiet except for the gentle clinking of cutlery, and I found myself watching them, Octavia, her parents, her sister, all eating together like a family. It struck me then just how foreign that feeling was to me. I’d never sat like this before, around a table, sharing a meal, talking softly, laughing in between bites. There had never been anything “normal” about my life. But right then, for the first time, I wanted that. I wanted this warmth. This peace. A home that felt like this. When we finished eating and set our cutlery down, I knew what was coming next the moment her father cleare