C172 Cooking For The Family

When Alicia and I arrived at the Mooney residence, the mansion was unusually peaceful. Mark was still inside his study dealing with police matters, while Peter and Georgia were comfortably seated in the living room watching television together. It was still a little early for the maids to begin preparing dinner.

The moment we stepped through the front door, Peter immediately noticed us. He quickly put down the remote and stood up dramatically. "Alicia, my granddaughter!" he exclaimed. "I thought you had forgotten all about us. You've been gone the entire day without even telling us where you were." Alicia smiled mischievously before lifting the shopping bags filled with vegetables and fresh meat. "Grandpa, how could I possibly forget you?" she replied playfully. "You're the one delaying buying us our apartment. If we move out too soon, who will keep you company?" Georgia burst into laughter. "My granddaughter is becoming smarter every single day."

Only then did they notice me standing beside Alicia. Peter's smile widened. "Our son-in-law came too." I smiled awkwardly. There was no way I could honestly tell them that I had followed Alicia because I refused to let my wife cook alone after such a long and exhausting day. Instead, I smiled politely. "Grandpa... Grandma... we've both been busy today, so we thought we'd apologize by cooking dinner for everyone."

As I spoke, I raised the grocery bags in my hands. Peter and Georgia exchanged surprised glances before asking at exactly the same time, "You can cook too?" I scratched the back of my head. "Not really." Everyone laughed. "But I can't let my wife do everything by herself," I continued. "She's been working the whole day. Even if I can't cook, I can at least help with the preparation." Peter nodded repeatedly. "Very good."

Georgia smiled warmly. "Helping your wife isn't about knowing how to cook. It's about sharing the burden." Alicia secretly glanced at me, her beautiful eyes becoming gentler. Without another word, she quietly took my hand. "Come on, Mike." Together we walked toward the kitchen. The kitchen was spacious and bright. I immediately placed the grocery bags on the counter before taking out the vegetables one by one.

Without waiting to be told, I began washing them. Carrots. Spinach. Potatoes. Green peppers. Onions. Tomatoes. Fresh herbs. Alicia stopped what she was doing. She simply stood there watching me for several seconds. There was surprise in her eyes. Eventually she smiled. "Mike..." "Hmm?" "You don't have to do this." I continued rinsing another basket of vegetables. "I know." She walked closer. "Then why are you doing it?"

I smiled without looking up. "Because you're tired." She reached out, trying to take the vegetables from my hands. "Leave it to me." I gently pulled them away. "No." She frowned. "Husband..." "You'll handle the difficult part," I replied. "I'll do the easy work." She crossed her arms. "I don't like seeing you work." I laughed. "And I don't like seeing my wife work alone."

For a few seconds she simply stared at me. Finally she gave up. "Fine." "But if you get hurt while cutting vegetables later, don't blame me." "I wasn't planning on cutting anything." She chuckled. "Smart answer." Soon we naturally divided the work. I washed every vegetable. She chopped them with incredible speed and precision. The way she handled the knife fascinated me. Every slice was even. Every ingredient was prepared perfectly.

She seasoned the meat, carefully measured each spice, and slowly stirred the simmering sauce. Watching her cook almost looked like watching an artist create a masterpiece. "No wonder everyone praises your cooking," I murmured. Without looking up, she smiled. "My teacher was strict." "Grandma?" She nodded. "And Grandpa." "They both spoiled me but never allowed me to be lazy."

I smiled. "They raised an amazing woman." Her knife paused for just a second before she continued cutting. "You always know what to say." "I only tell the truth." She shook her head, hiding another smile. As the dishes slowly cooked, rich aromas began spreading throughout the mansion. The smell was impossible to ignore. It drifted through the corridors... Into the living room... Even upstairs.

A few minutes later I heard footsteps. I looked up. Mark had walked out of his study. Without saying a word, he headed straight toward the kitchen. The moment he entered, he froze. His daughter... and his son-in-law...

were standing side by side, cooking together. Neither of us noticed him immediately. He simply stood there silently, watching us. Only after several moments did Alicia finally turn around. "Dad?" She smiled. "Dinner isn't ready yet." "Go keep Grandpa company."

Mark looked at both of us for another few seconds. A faint smile appeared on his usually calm face. "Take your time." Then he quietly turned around and left without another word. I blinked. "Your dad just... came here to check on us?" Alicia laughed softly. "No." "He came because he smelled the food." Not even a minute later... more footsteps echoed through the hallway. This time there weren't one or two people. Nearly ten.

I turned around in surprise. Several maids entered the kitchen carrying small stools. Some stood near the doorway. Others simply leaned against the wall. Two security guards even peeked inside with wide smiles. One maid quietly took out her phone. Another whispered excitedly, "Miss Alicia is cooking again!" Someone else replied, "We're lucky today." Before long, almost the entire kitchen had become crowded.

I stood there completely speechless. Alicia noticed my expression. She couldn't help laughing. "What?" I whispered, "Why is everyone here?" She looked around casually as though nothing unusual was happening. "They're waiting." "...Waiting?" "For dinner." Only then did everything finally make sense. Earlier, I had wondered why Alicia bought so many vegetables and so much meat. There were only four family members living in this mansion. Now I understood.

She had never been cooking only for the family. She cooked for everyone. The maids. The gardeners. The security guards. Everyone. I looked at her with admiration. "You do this every time?" She nodded naturally. "They work hard too." "They deserve a warm meal." For a moment, I simply looked at her. The woman standing beside me wasn't just kind. She genuinely cared about every person around her. And somehow... that made me love her even more.

Soon the last dish was finally finished. As always, Alicia personally served every maid and every security guard before anyone else. One by one they gratefully accepted their meals. "Thank you, Miss Alicia!" "You've worked hard." "This smells amazing!" "Enjoy," Alicia replied with a smile. Only after everyone had received their share did she prepare the dinner trays for the family.

Together, we carried them toward the dining room. Peter was already smiling from ear to ear. Georgia looked just as excited. Mark remained calm as always... though I noticed the small smile that never seemed to leave his face. Tonight's dinner was a traditional Scottish-inspired comfort meal that was rarely served in most households. Even I had never tasted it before.

As everyone gathered around the table, Peter rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I've been waiting for this since the moment I smelled it." Everyone laughed. And for the first time... I truly felt like I wasn't simply visiting my wife's family. I was already becoming part of it.