"Claire, be honest. Did you put some kind of spell on me last night?"
How else could she explain her own weird behavior? Shirley glanced at her, looking both suspicious and embarrassed.
"Absolutely," Claire answered without hesitation, not even blinking.
"Oh, I see how it is. You little troublemaker!" Shirley chased after her, half-joking, swinging her hand like she was about to catch Claire.
Right then, Kitty came running out of nowhere, pounced on Shirley's leg, and gave her a few quick swats with her paw.
Claire couldn't hold back her laughter.
Kitty always knew how to stick up for her people.
"Good Kitty. You're such a smart girl." Claire scooped Kitty up and gave her a little treat as a reward.
“Claire, you're such a bully. Even your cat's in on it!"
Shirley kept grumbling, but it was clear she had a soft spot for Kitty. She trailed behind Claire, sneaking in some extra pets whenever she got the chance.
Breakfast was a treat that morning. Patti had made some wontons and sent them
over.
Pandora dropped them into boiling water, and in no time, everyone was gathered at the table, ready to dig in.
Fresh greens and scallions floated in the broth, and Patti had thrown in her signature spicy sauce too.
Without the sauce, the wontons tasted pretty ordinary. But add a little of Patti's secret blend, and every bite was on a whole new level.
"Patti's cooking is next level," Claire sighed in delight.
On such a cold morning, the spice worked its magic, warming her up right away.
Even Shirley had to admit, "Seriously, this is amazing. Is there any more of that spicy sauce? Can I take some home?"
Only Shirley could make herself at home this fast, asking for takeout without a second thought.
But Pandora didn't mind at all. She actually loved how straightforward Shirley was. "Of course. I'll ask Pearce to pack some up for both of you before you go."
Patti always made plenty of that sauce, not just for Pandora, but because her own son loved it too. Since he lived abroad and didn't visit very often, she always made sure to have a few spare jars for him to take.
After breakfast, when it was time to leave, Claire and Shirley headed straight to Patti's house, faces thick as could be, to claim their jars of sauce.
Each walked away with two.
Shirley looked at her jars like she'd just struck gold, grinning from ear to ear.
"I'll bring you all gifts next time, I swear!"
Honestly, she seemed reluctant to leave at all.
The people in the village were so friendly Patti was amazing. Pearce was quiet and a bit shy, but always there if you needed something.
He'd even gone up the mountain first thing in the morning to pick wild fruit for them, just because the day before the girls had mentioned seeing a tree full of big, red berries they couldn't reach. 'FindNovel.net
By breakfast, Pearce had brought a basketful, like it was no big deal.
“Claire, I don't want to leave. Can I adopt your grandma too? It's just so peaceful here, nothing like the city."
Claire refused to let her get too sentimental.
"Away from the city... and away from your milk tea, your ice cream, hotpot dinners, all those fancy restaurants..."
The more Claire teased, the less Shirley felt like complaining.
"Fine, I get it. I'll go home. But the next time you're back, make sure you call me. I want to come too."
"No problem,” Claire agreed.
Edison came to pick up Claire and Shirley, and Jenny joined them for the ride.
Vicki saw them off, looking sad to see her grandson go.
Before they left, she couldn't help but fuss one more time.
"Edison, when are you and Jenny going to get married? I'll be waiting for good news, you know. It's not good to date forever. When it's time to settle down, that's what you do. Be responsible, especially to the girl. And don't go thinking you can Jenny differently just because she's
treat
from somewhere else."
Jenny was actually touched by Vicki's words. She took her hand, smiling softly.
"Don't worry, Grandma. Edison and I won't keep you waiting."
"That's good. I'm glad to hear it," Pandora added, giving Jenny's hand a gentle squeeze.
Claire shot Edison a playful smile.
"So, Edison, now that you've got everyone excited about the wedding, when are you going to make it official?"