Chapter 355: Moments in the House We sat together in the living room of our home. Aeri was wearing the same oversized gown she had worn during her stay. It looked loose and comfortable on her. She held a glass of water in her hands while I sat on a chair right beside the couch.
*Tap*
She softly placed the empty glass on the tea table in front of her and relaxed, slumping back against the couch with a satisfied sigh.
"Phewwww... home water also tastes good," she said slowly, exaggerating her words with a big smile.
I looked at my own glass of water and took a sip. "Water is water," I said sarcastically. "It doesn’t matter where you drink it from."
"Oye, that’s not true!" Aeri said, sitting up straight on the couch. "There’s a special vibe to the water at home which can’t be replicated anywhere outside." She spread her arms out wide like an excited child, trying to prove her point.
I raised one eyebrow and looked at her flatly. "I thought the taste was supposed to be different... now it’s the vibe?"
Sweat beads suddenly formed on her forehead as she realized I had caught her. She looked a little embarrassed but quickly tried to cover it up.
"Ezra! Just accept it, will you?" she said, pouting her lips and leaning forward. She reached out and pulled both of my cheeks with her fingers, stretching them playfully.
"Yeesss! Yesss! You are right," I said quickly, my voice sounding funny because she was pulling my cheeks. "Now leave my cheeks. It hurts..."
I stumbled a little, trying to keep the water glass steady in my other hand. I didn’t want it to fall on the floor and shatter.
"Good," Aeri said, finally letting go of my cheeks. She folded her arms across her chest and sat back on the couch with a satisfied look. "Just learn to accept like a good kid."
I rubbed my sore cheeks and shook my head, laughing a little under my breath. Even though she was still recovering, Aeri’s playful energy was slowly coming back. It felt good to see her acting like her old self again in the comfort of our home.
The living room felt warm and familiar. Soft afternoon light came in through the windows, making everything look peaceful. Aeri leaned back on the couch again, looking relaxed and happy to be home. I took another sip of water and watched her with a small smile.
She glanced at me again, still smiling. "See? Home water really does taste better."
I just chuckled and nodded. "Yeah... sure, Aeri. Whatever you say."
"Ohh, it’s afternoon already," Aeri said, glancing up at the wall clock that showed 1 pm. She sounded surprised at how quickly the time had passed since we got home.
"Yeah... time flew by very fast," I agreed, looking at the clock as well. The morning had felt long at the hospital, but now that we were back home, the hours seemed to disappear.
"I need to cook the lunch," she said, starting to push herself up from the couch.
Before she could stand properly, I quickly moved forward and placed both my hands on her shoulders, gently pressing her back down onto the couch.
"Just stay seated... will you?" I said in a flat, firm tone, letting out a small exhale.
"But we need to eat, right?" she asked, raising her eyebrow at me with a slightly confused look.
"I will cook. You stay rested," I replied. I leaned down closer to her face, looking straight into her eyes with a serious and commanding expression. "You just got discharged from the hospital. You still feel weak, and I don’t want you moving around too much."
"B-but..." she tried to argue again, her voice soft but stubborn.
I didn’t let her finish. I leaned in and pressed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. Her eyes widened in surprise, and a deep blush quickly spread across her cheeks. We stayed locked like that for a few quiet seconds, the kiss warm and slow, before I slowly pulled back.
"No buts," I said quietly, still close to her face. "You need more rest. You’re home now, but your body is still recovering. Let me take care of things today."
Aeri didn’t reply right away. She just exhaled softly and raised her fingers to touch her own lips where I had kissed her. A shy, sweet smile slowly appeared on her face as she looked down, clearly embarrassed but happy.
"Idiot..." she muttered under her breath, almost too quiet for me to hear, as I turned around and walked into the kitchen.
I started pulling out pots, pans, and ingredients from the shelves. The familiar smell of our kitchen felt comforting after the sterile hospital air. From the living room, I could hear Aeri shifting on the couch. She picked up a soft pillow from the side, hugged it tightly to her chest, and buried her face in it for a moment, still smiling shyly to herself.
The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the windows, lighting up the living room in a warm, golden glow. I could hear the faint sound of Aeri moving around on the couch as I chopped vegetables and put water on the stove to boil. The clinking of utensils filled the quiet house.
Even while cooking, my mind kept drifting back to everything that had happened — the hospital stay, her lost memories, and the unanswered questions about Sonny. But I pushed those thoughts aside for now. Today was about making sure Aeri felt safe, comfortable, and taken care of in her own home.
From the kitchen, I called out softly, "Do you want rice or roti today?"
Aeri’s voice came back from the living room, still carrying that shy tone. "Whatever you make is fine...I don’t want to sound picky.."
"You can be..as much as you want.." I smiled to myself and continued preparing the simple lunch. The smell of spices slowly started filling the house. In the living room, Aeri stayed curled up on the couch, hugging the pillow and occasionally touching her lips again, replaying the kiss in her mind with a small, secret smile.
The peaceful afternoon continued as I cooked for both of us. Every now and then I glanced toward the living room to check on her. She looked relaxed and content, something I hadn’t seen much of in the past few days. For the first time since the hospital call, things felt a little more normal.