Chapter 123

"I debuted in such a rush, didn’t even get a second to tell you," Maria said as she popped a piece of sausage into her mouth, then handed another to Isabella. "Hey, not bad! If I’m right, this is homemade by Amanda. I should ask her for more next time." "Don’t you try changing the subject. You were too busy to even make a call?" Maria raised both hands in mock surrender, "Okay, okay, I messed up. Next time something big happens, I’ll tell you right away. Totally my bad." Isabella finally eased up. "Alright, go on, get out of the kitchen before you mess something up." Ten minutes later, Isabella brought out the food while Ethan, ever the considerate one, went to scoop the rice. The four of them sat down at the table. The vibe was cozy and warm, like a little bubble of peace. After dinner, the kids went for their baths one after the other. They’d been bathing themselves since they were three, so Maria never needed to worry about them. Isabella always joked about how she’d somehow birthed