C165 Alicia's Cooking

The moment the front door opened... Time itself seemed to pause. Standing outside the Chambers residence was the entire Wood family. Kelvin stood at the front with his usual composed expression, while Tracy stood beside him carrying a polite smile. Slightly behind them stood Sarah, whose eyes instinctively searched the room the moment she stepped inside. They landed on Chris. Their gazes met. Chris smiled awkwardly. Sarah smiled back, relief quietly washing over her face.

Standing beside Sarah was Samantha, gently carrying little Monica in her arms. The baby looked around curiously before laughing at the unfamiliar surroundings. David was the first to recover. "Mr. Wood..." Kelvin nodded politely. "Professor Chambers." The two men exchanged respectful handshakes. Although neither of them had met properly before, they had both heard plenty about each other through Chris and Sarah. "Please... come in."

The Wood family slowly entered the house. Only after stepping into the living room did they notice the familiar faces already sitting there. Mary. Quinton. Me. And Alicia. Kelvin smiled faintly. "So you all are here as well." I stood up. "Good afternoon, Uncle." Quinton also greeted them politely. "Good afternoon Mr Wood." For a brief moment... The atmosphere became strangely quiet. David's family and the Wood family were practically strangers.

The Smith family knew the Woods because my parents had worked for them for years. But the Chambers family... This was their first real meeting. Nobody quite knew what to say. Even Chris, who normally never stopped talking, quietly lowered his head. Sarah secretly glanced at him before lowering hers as well.

Just then... A rich aroma drifted from the kitchen. Everyone subconsciously turned toward the source. Tracy smiled. "Something smells wonderful." Mary laughed. "My daughter-in-law insisted on cooking." Kelvin looked surprised. "Alicia?" David nodded. "We weren't even allowed inside the kitchen." "She chased all of us out."

Almost as if on cue... The kitchen door slowly opened. Alicia walked out first, still wearing Valeria's apron. She carefully carried a large steaming pot before placing it in the centre of the dining table. After placing them she quickly returned to the kitchen ... She picked up other several serving dishes. The aroma instantly filled every corner of the house.

Traditional Scottish Cock-a-Leekie soup. Freshly baked oatcakes. Roasted vegetables seasoned with herbs. Honey-glazed salmon. Slow-cooked beef in rich onion gravy. Creamy mashed potatoes. Freshly baked butter rolls. Finally... A warm apple crumble rested in the middle of the table. Alicia smiled shyly. "I wasn't sure what everyone preferred..." "So I prepared several different dishes."

For a few seconds... Nobody spoke. The table looked more like a banquet than an ordinary lunch. Mary's face lit up with pride. "My daughter in law really can do everything." Valeria nodded enthusiastically. "Every time I think I've learned enough from her..." "She surprises me with another recipe."

Everyone slowly took their seats. The atmosphere was still slightly awkward. After all... Most of them had only just met. Kelvin picked up his spoon first before tasting the soup. His eyes widened almost immediately. "This..." "...is excellent." Tracy tasted it next. "The flavour is incredible." David nodded repeatedly. "I could eat three bowls of this." Soon... Everyone began helping themselves. Only Samantha remained still.

Her eyes quietly rested on Alicia. She remembered every misunderstanding between them. She remembered losing Mike. She remembered standing opposite Alicia so many times. Looking at the food... She hesitated. Sarah noticed her sister-in-law's silence. "Sam..." "Aren't you eating?" Samantha looked at the table before slowly reaching for a spoon. "I'll... try a little."

She scooped a small amount of soup into her bowl. Then carefully took a bite. Her movements suddenly stopped. Everyone noticed. Tracy smiled. "How is it?" Samantha looked at Alicia almost absentmindedly. "...It's delicious." No... Delicious wasn't enough. The flavours were perfectly balanced.The vegetables remained fresh. The soup was rich without being overwhelming. Even the herbs blended together perfectly.

For the first time... She understood why everyone spoke so highly of Alicia's cooking. Without realising it... She reached for another spoonful. Sarah quietly smiled to herself. "I told you." Soon... Everyone was eating happily. As the meal continued... The awkwardness slowly disappeared. Conversations naturally began flowing around the table. David spoke about his university students.

Quinton laughed while sharing stories from his younger days working under the Wood family. Mary proudly talked about how Alicia had taught everyone to cook. Valeria occasionally interrupted with funny stories about Chris growing up. Even Tracy found herself laughing several times. Chris finally relaxed enough to joke again. "I knew asking Alicia to cook was the right decision."

I looked at him. "You asked?" Chris grinned shamelessly. "No." "But I'll happily take the credit." Everyone burst into laughter. Even Kelvin couldn't help smiling. The tense atmosphere that had greeted both families earlier had almost completely disappeared. It no longer felt like two unfamiliar families sitting together. It simply felt like people sharing a meal. Even little Monica laughed happily as Samantha gently fed her tiny pieces of mashed potato.

The lunch continued for nearly an hour. By the time everyone had finished... Not a single dish remained untouched. Alicia looked around the table with satisfaction. Seeing everyone enjoying her cooking... Was enough to make all her effort worthwhile. Valeria leaned back and sighed dramatically. "I've officially given up." Mary laughed. "So have I." "We'll never catch up to our daughter." Everyone laughed again.

The cheerful atmosphere lingered for another few moments. Then... Kelvin slowly placed his teacup onto the table. The soft sound immediately drew everyone's attention. His expression gradually became serious. The smile on his face faded. One by one... Everyone instinctively straightened in their seats. The room became quiet once more.

Kelvin looked around the table before speaking in a calm but firm voice. "...The food was wonderful." He paused. "Now..." His eyes slowly swept across everyone gathered there. "...let's discuss what we came here for." The smiles around the table slowly disappeared. No one spoke. The real reason for today's visit... Had finally begun.