The juice was for the kids. Luca and Luke preferred just water.
"Alright. I'll go and prepare some fresh juice now,” said the female owner with a beaming
smile as she walked into the kitchen.
After the chef served all the dishes, he returned to the kitchen. He did not want to disturb
the family while they were having their meal.
The restaurant recommended by Jason had always been great. The food here was
delicious, and it felt completely different from the meals at other places. The three kids
really enjoyed it.
During the meal, Luca took care of serving the kids the food, while Luke continued to pile
food onto her plate.
"Daddy, I want you to serve me too!" Tommy, who was sitting in the toddler's dining chair,
noticed that he was only serving Luca food. He could not help but smile mischievously.
Luke glanced at the child, picked up a piece of pork rib, and put it on his plate. Then, he
placed the pork ribs on Lanie and Rainie's plates too. He treated them equally.
Tommy nibbled on the pork rib. His eyes were fixed on the two adults.
Their father continued to serve their mother, but their mother was eating slowly. The food
on her plate was piled up like a small mountain.
However, their father showed no signs of stopping.
"Daddy, Ms. Luca's plate is getting full," whispered Tommy.
Luke shot a glance at Luca's plate, which was filled with her favorite dishes.
Luca felt a little embarrassed and reminded him, "That's enough. I can't finish this
much..."
"Have more," replied Luke. Then, he served her a piece of fried pork rib. "You love fried
pork ribs."
Luca looked at the mountain of food in front of her, feeling a bit overwhelmed. She did like
fried pork ribs, but she would be too full if she finished all the food on her plate.
"Daddy, Ms. Luca can't finish all this. Can you get me some?" asked Tommy as he cradled
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇthis plate. His wide eyes were fixed on Luke. His tender heart was brimming with eager
anticipation.
He felt a bit neglected today and longed to be loved by his dad...
Tommy looked at him with hopeful eyes.
Luke had no choice but to serve him some sauteed greens.
Tommy immediately pouted his lips and protested, "I don't want to eat sauteed greens."
"You have to get your greens in," replied Luke with a stern expression as he looked at
Tommy's plate.
Tommy blinked his eyes. "I want more meat. It'll help me grow faster."
"Tommy, you have to balance it out. Eating just meat without any greens won't help you
grow tall, and you might end up packing on the pounds,” explained Rainie. Seeing how
close their parents were made her feel really happy inside.
Even though their father might have neglected them today, it did not matter as long as he
loved their mother!
When Tommy heard what Rainie said, he immediately buried his head and started eating
his vegetables.
Luca watched the kids' interaction and could not help but sigh. She had missed many of
her children's milestones during the years of her abduction. Even though she was together
with them now, she could not make up for past regrets.
However, she was grateful that Luke had done a great job in raising the kids over the
years. Now, the kids were responsible and could even teach the younger ones.
Despite still being kids, their words sometimes carried more weight than those of adults.
Tommy was more willing to listen to his siblings.
The meal was filled with joy, and with the kids playing around, Luca felt some of her
worries dissipating.
Even though it was temporary, she cherished these moments when she could clear her
mind for a while.
After dinner, the female owner served them her homemade desserts.
The kids were overjoyed because they had already had dinner, so they could indulge a bit
more with the dessert.
The two owners were truly skilled. Every dish tasted fantastic from the main course to the
post-dinner sweets.
Rainie handed a small cookie to Luca and said, "It's really delicious, Ms. Luca. You should
try it."
Luca slightly opened her mouth, took a bite of the cookie, and nodded. "It's good."
The female owner smiled when she heard that. Then, she handed over two neatly packed
boxes. "These are packed with cookies. The kids love them. So, take some more with you."
"Thank you." Luca did not refuse as the kids loved the cookies. Also, such family-style
restaurants often prepared small gifts for their guests.
"Thank you!" the three kids all said in unison.
The female owner smiled and could not help but admire the kids' upbringing.
After Luke paid the bill with his credit card, the family left the restaurant.
Back in the car, Luca still sat in the back seat with Tommy beside her. He patted his round
belly and said, "It was good."
"Did you eat too much?" Luca asked, looking at his visibly bulging stomach while trying
not to laugh.
"Yes. I ate a lot, but it's okay. When we get home and watch cartoons, I'll walk around to
help with the digestion!" Tommy had a penchant for overeating, so he was experienced in
dealing with overindulgence.
Luca smiled and shook her head. "I'll give you a digestive tablet when we get home."
"Sounds good!" Tommy smiled and accepted the idea.
Luke was driving in front, retracing their path back to the villa. After the three kids hopped
out of the car, they walked ahead while the two of them strolled leisurely behind.
As summer's embrace drew closer, the sky slowly darkened. There was still a hint of
twilight's soft light at this hour. The garden's solar lights began to twinkle, adding a touch
of charm to the garden.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmLuke reminisced about the countless nights he had spent walking with Luca. He reached
out and firmly held her hand.
Luca was startled for a moment. Then, she returned the squeeze.
Back inside the house, Luca finally let go of Luke's hand and got a digestive tablet for
Tommy.
"Thanks, Ms. Luca!" Tommy took it from her with a smile on his face. After he swallowed
the tablet, his gaze was back on the cartoon show.
Lanie and Rainie were seated, while Tommy stood there watching TV.
Luke looked at the harmonious scene and said to Luca, "I'll go handle some work matters."
"Sure," replied Luca with a smile and sat down on the couch. She had not gone upstairs
when she returned, so her briefcase was still here on the sofa.
She took out several documents and planned to review them while she had the time.
After watching TV for a while, Tommy could not help but pout and complain, "I'm so tired."
After that, he touched his round belly and looked at Luca with a pitiful expression.
Luca found his behavior both amusing and exasperating, but there was nothing she could
do. The child had insisted on eating more, and she did not want to deny him in front of
others.
"Now that you've eaten so much, it's time to aid digestion or you'll feel uncomfortable
when it's time to sleep."
"Ms. Luca..." Tommy leaned against Luca's thigh, giving her a woeful, longing look.
"Your belly is still so round. Isn't it uncomfortable?" Luca smiled and gently patted the
child's belly.
"It feels really uncomfortable after eating too much. I promise I won't overeat again,"
Tommy pouted.
"You've said that more than once," Lanie chimed in. He had noticed that his younger
brother would complain when he felt uncomfortable after overeating. Lanie had a slightly
frustrated look on his face. "You say the same thing every time."