Lunch was nearly ready when En and Alina came downstairs to join everyone. Little Posy was perched on the dining table with Rosa, while Sasha remained in the kitchen, plating the final dish.
"Sister! Jiejie! Finally, you're here!"
Posy greeted the two women.
As Alina approached the little girl, she took an envelope from her bag and handed it over to Posy. Inside were photos from Posy's recent birthday, a thoughtful gift to commemorate the special day. The little girl's face lit up with excitement as she looked through the photos with Alina and Rosa, eagerly scanning each picture and reminiscing about the birthday celebration. En excused herself from the table and headed to the kitchen to help Sasha with the final touches of lunch.
En entered the kitchen and asked, "Do you need help with anything?"
Sasha replied, "This dish is done, but could you grab that pitcher of drink and bring it to the table, please?"
Then, with a mischievous smile, she added, "And oh, by the way, next time, keep it down a little bit."
En's face turned red at Sasha's words. She quickly turned her head, her nerves evident, realizing she hadn't expected their noise to be heard all the way downstairs.
"I went upstairs earlier to tell you that lunch was almost ready. But you seemed a bit busy, so I just went back down. Don't worry, no one downstairs heard it."
Sasha explained, barely containing her laughter.
En felt slightly relieved by Sasha's explanation but remained a bit embarrassed, knowing her friend had overheard the intimate moments she and Alina shared earlier in her bedroom.
"Not a word about this to Alina. Don't make her feel embarrassed, Sasha."
En said, her voice a mix of command and nervousness.
"Mum's the word, boss!"
Sasha responded with a grin.
Everyone enjoyed the delicious dishes brought by Alina and prepared by Sasha during lunch. The group had a great time browsing through the photos from Posy's birthday. Bian also joined them, bringing a lovely dessert that added a sweet finish to the meal.
After their satisfying lunch, En took Alina on a tour of the farm. They spent the entire afternoon feeding the farm animals, watching Sasha and Bian teach Posy how to ride a horse, and relaxing in the garden.
"It feels nice to stay in the countryside and breathe fresh air every day. It's so calm and quiet. The town is always busy with people and cars. It just feels good to be in a quiet environment sometimes."
Alina sighed contentedly as she lay on En's lap.
"You're right. Nature reduces stress. I've always liked a tranquil environment myself. It helps clear my thoughts."
En said, stroking Alina's hair.
"That's why I always love going to that cabin on 73rd Street. Only a few people know about it, and it's far from all the noise of vehicles."
Alina shared.
"Hmmm... That's my new favorite place now," En said with a smile.
Alina got up from lying on En's lap, took her hand, and with a cheerful gaze, said, "Let's visit that place more often, together. Even just once a month, to escape the stress and busy days."
"I like the sound of that."
En answered the woman.
"You promise?"
Alina asked En.
"I promise, baby."
En answered as she laid a gently kiss on Alina's forehead.
The past few weeks have been busy on the farm as they prepared the animals for sale. Regular buyers were scheduled to come and select the animals they needed. Rosa's expertise in breeding had been crucial in ensuring the animals were healthy and ready for sale.
Despite the busy schedule, En managed to free herself late every afternoon to go to town and spend time with Alina while waiting for Posy's classes to end. En personally picked up her sister each day, which also allowed her to see Alina. Both women would spend their time at the coffee shop where they first met while waiting for Posy to finish school. They enjoyed their time together there, and after picking up the little girl, they would spend some time with her each day before heading home.
En and Alina walked hand in hand, watching Posy skip ahead. They had just finished sharing some snacks at the commercial place and were heading to Alina's place to drop her off.
As they approached Alina's place, a sophisticated woman stepped out of a vehicle parked in front of the house.
"Mommy!"
Alina cheered seeing her mother.
"Hello dear. I've been waiting for a while. Where have you been?"
Alina's mom greeted her.
"We were just strolling around the commercial place. By the way, this is En and that's her sister Posy. En, this is my mom."
Alina introduced everyone with each other.
"Hello ma'am. It's a pleasure meeting you."
En greeted the woman with a smile, extended her hand to offer a handshake.
Alina's mom simply nodded and offered En an insincere smile in response. En could feel the tension in the response but made an effort to hide it, not wanting Alina to notice, especially since she looked so happy to see her mom.
"We'd better go before it gets dark. Auntie Rosa might worry if were not home before then."
En says to Alina.
"Okay, you two be careful on your way home. Message me when you get home."
Alina answered smiling while clinging on her mother's arm.
En said goodbye to Alina and her mom, and then she and little Posy made their way home.
YOU ARE READING
Bus 732
RomanceEn thought that moving into the new, unfamiliar place would be her biggest struggle - but she was wrong. . .
