Cordelia sat in the dining hall with her son and two siblings, watching him eat with a sense of nostalgia and longing for the old times. The table was filled with Noah's favorite dishes—pot roast, jambalaya, biscuits 'n' gravy, key lime pie, chicken fried steak, macaroni and cheese, and more—all prepared by Cordelia herself. She wanted him to savor every bite, to feel the warmth of home once again.
Noah, accustomed to starvation and unpleasant meals, looked down at the array of food before him, feeling overwhelmed by his mother's efforts. Despite his diminished appetite, he picked at the mac and cheese, his mother's favorite.
"That's your favorite," Cordelia remarked with a smile, her eyes filled with maternal love. Noah returned the smile, masking his internal turmoil.
"How did you find him?" Cordelia turned to Julius, her expression curious yet tinged with concern.
"The hospital called me," Julius replied, exchanging a knowing look with Noah.
"Hospital?" Cordelia's smile faltered, worry etching lines on her face.
"Yeah, I had a little accident," Noah interjected, trying to lighten the mood, but Cordelia's concern only deepened as she rushed to his side.
"How? Where?" Her questions spilled out in a rush, her hands fluttering over him in anxious inspection.
"Mum, I'm fine," Noah reassured her with a chuckle, "I slipped by the road, dashed my head on an object, and blacked out." He narrated fabricating a story to ease her worries.
"Look at that bruise," Cordelia exclaimed, her fingers tracing an old bruise on Noah's head. Noah glanced at Julius, silently pleading for assistance. Julius laughed, attempting to diffuse the tension.
"Let him eat, Cordelia. Come on, take it easy," Julius urged, earning a sheepish smile from Cordelia as she took her seat beside Noah.
"So, where did you go finally?" Rita interjected, her curiosity piqued. "You disappeared, and we were worried sick. Till we got—" Before she could finish Cordelia shot her a glare.
"Got what," Noah's suspicions stirred, but he kept his gaze fixed on his plate, feigning ignorance.
Cordelia intervened, "Nothing, just eat up. We'll discuss it later." Her words hung in the air, laden with unspoken tension.
Noah reached for the cobb salad taking a spoonful, surprising Cordelia, who remembered his allergy. Panic seized her as she frantically called for assistance.
"Get the shot, Julius! Amanda! I told you no salad!" She yelled in panic, Mark ran to her side and so did the maids.
"I'm fine, mum," Noah said while touching her hand gently.
"No you're not, remember y-you told me years back, and you had those allergy reactions after eating salad, you almost died!" She recounted.
Noah froze as he recalled the moment, all a lie, he needed a solid one and he got it, she stopped serving him salad for good, his father told her he was fooling but she wouldn't listen, clearing his throat while sitting up, he brought her gently to her seat.
"Not anymore..." He started, clearing his throat again. "I lied," Noah confessed, regret weighing heavily in his words.
Cordelia glared at him sharply, then she sighed as if preparing to put up with the headache that he was. The maids and Mark watched the scene, unable to predict further words. "I'm sorry," Noah added.
"Is okay." She muttered her disappointment palpable as she returned to her meal so did Noah, shortly after she withdrew to her room for the night, leaving Noah and her siblings to grapple with the aftermath.
YOU ARE READING
Days Are Numbered
Teen FictionNOAH MERRIDEW is your typical popular kid who can't keep his emotions composed. Being the only child of a rich couple he is spoilt and rotten to the core with all his caprices being answered. However, thing takes a different turn when his father die...
