It had been a while.
The house was no longer quiet.
It was… alive.
Warm lights filled the kitchen, casting a soft golden glow over the counters, the stove, and Amara—who was currently in her own universe.
She stood by the stove, wooden spoon in hand, stirring something that smelled suspiciously good for a Swan household.
And she was humming.
Not just humming.
Performing.
Soft swaying.
Tiny spins.
Shoulder movements that made absolutely no sense.
All while humming a tune that—
Had absolutely no business existing in 2004.
"Mm-hmm—ah—yeah, you—something—something—"
She didn't know the lyrics.
Didn't care.
Confidence was key.
It was some soft, dreamy Taylor Swift song from 2020 that had somehow taken over her brain.
And now?
It had taken over her kitchen.
On the stove—
Dinner.
Actual dinner.
Proper food.
Something very American.
Something comforting.
Something very greasy.
Something that didn't involve burning, smoke alarms, or emergency exits.
And—
On the side—
A bowl of salad.
For Bella.
Because apparently someone in this house had to make responsible food choices.
Amara glanced at it briefly.
"…You're welcome," she muttered toward the salad like it might appreciate her effort.
It did not.
She went back to stirring, humming louder now, completely absorbed.
The kitchen door opened quietly behind her.
Then closed.
Neither Charlie nor Bella said a word.
Because what they saw—
Was worth watching.
Amara did not notice them.
At all.
She was mid-spin now, pointing the spoon dramatically like she was on stage.
"—and I—mm—yeah—LOVE—whatever this part is—"
Bella pressed her lips together.
Charlie just stood there, smiling.
Bella leaned slightly toward him and whispered, "Do we… interrupt?"
Charlie shook his head slowly.
"Nope."
They watched.
Amara continued.
Unaware.
Unbothered.
Unsupervised.
She plated the food carefully, still humming.
Added final touches.
Checked everything like a proud chef.
Then paused.
"…Wait."
Lucien.
Her brain finally remembered.
"…Was it a call?" she muttered. "Or a message?"
She frowned slightly, trying to recall.
"…Eh."
She turned around to grab her phone—
And froze.
Charlie.
Bella.
Standing there.
Watching her.
Silently.
Amara jumped.
Actually jumped.
"GEEZ—!" she clutched her chest. "What is wrong with you people?!"
Bella immediately lost it.
A laugh escaped her.
Charlie just shook his head, still smiling.
"You good, kiddo?" he asked casually.
Amara blinked.
"…Yes?"
She looked at him like the question made no sense.
Why wouldn't I be good??
Charlie nodded slowly, like that answered everything.
"Alright," he said, stepping forward. "I'll set the table. You go sit."
Amara stared at him for a second.
"…Sure?"
She didn't argue.
Which was rare.
She walked toward the dining table, still slightly suspicious.
Sat down.
Bella followed her.
Of course she did.
Amara glanced at her.
"You guys are weird."
Bella immediately replied, "So are you."
Amara let out a small chuckle.
"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked.
"Just standing there like creeps."
Bella leaned back in her chair, smug.
"You were in your own world," she said. "I'm pretty sure a tornado could've passed through and you wouldn't have noticed."
Amara narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…Rude."
"Accurate," Bella corrected.
Amara rolled her eyes.
Then—
Bella leaned closer.
Too close.
Amara shifted slightly, giving her a look.
Why are you this close? Back up.
Bella ignored it completely.
Instead, she asked, "What song was that?"
Amara froze internally.
Externally?
Calm.
"What song?" she asked casually.
Bella raised an eyebrow.
"The one you were humming. The full concert performance one."
Amara blinked.
"…Oh."
Think.
Think fast.
"You know," she said vaguely, waving her hand, "just something I heard somewhere."
Bella squinted.
"Where?"
Amara smiled.
"I don't remember."
Bella stared at her.
Clearly not convinced.
But before she could interrogate further—
Charlie entered.
Carrying plates.
He placed everything on the table with practiced ease, like he had already accepted that today was one of those rare days where dinner magically existed.
"Alright," he said, settling into his chair. "Billy and the guys are coming over tomorrow.
Gonna watch the game."
Amara blinked once.
Bella nodded like this was normal information.
"Okay," Bella said.
Amara followed, "Yeah, sure."
Then paused.
"…Wait. How many 'guys' are we talking about?" she asked.
Charlie shrugged. "A few."
Amara narrowed her eyes slightly.
"That sounds like more than a few."
Bella smirked. "It's definitely more than a few."
Charlie ignored them both and reached for his food.
"Just don't make a big deal out of it," he added casually.
Amara leaned back slightly, already imagining the noise.
"Mm-hmm," she said. "So… chaos."
Bella nodded. "Loud chaos."
Charlie pointed his fork at them. "It's just a game."
Amara and Bella exchanged a look.
Neither of them believed that for a second.
Still—
"Okay," Amara said lightly.
"Yeah, okay," Bella echoed.
And just like that, it was decided.
Tomorrow?
The house would not be peaceful.
At all.
There was silence for few minutes.
Then—
Conversation.
Bella and Amara started bickering almost immediately.
"Pass the fries."
"Say please."
"No."
"Then no fries."
Bella glared.
Amara smiled sweetly.
Charlie watched.
Amused.
Very amused.
"You two always like this?" he asked.
"Yes," Bella and Amara said at the same time.
Then looked at each other.
Then continued eating.
Bella nudged Amara slightly.
"You were dancing."
"I was not."
"You were."
"You imagined it."
"I have evidence."
"You do not."
Charlie chuckled under his breath.
Amara tried to look serious.
Failed.
Smiled anyway.
The atmosphere was warm.
Light.
Comfortable.
Just dinner.
Just teasing.
Just… normal.
And somewhere—
Deep in her pocket—
Her phone stayed silent.
Lucien?
Completely forgotten.
Again.
Poor Lucien.
Completely abandoned.
Emotionally.
Socially.
And digitally.
Amara took another bite of food, completely at peace.
Not a single thought about him in her head.
At all.
Hey guys 👋 ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
✨ If you enjoy my story and want to support me, you can leave a tip here 👉 https:// Streamelements.Com / z1ref/tip
Your support means a lot and keeps me motivated 💖
🎁 If you'd like to gift or support me, you can use the link above — it will mean a lot 💕