Is sixteen really that sweet? For Hazel Hart it was pretty average until she has the nerve to sneak out of her house to visit a mysterious boy who just wants to cook her dinner. Or does he want something else from her?
PART V - DINNER & A MEMORY
Hazel steps into the townhome and sees Erik is still preparing dinner. She sidles up beside him to observe him season, "What is for dinner?"
"It's a recipe from home country," Erik explains, albeit vaguely. He turns and winks, "It's a surprise! It will be a bit before is done cooking, you can tour the home if you like."
Hazel wanders downstairs and sees a den, a chess table, and a television. It's decorated tastefully. His family must have some money because the small space feels simple yet luxurious. A dark palette, but still cozy enough. She wanders upstairs and finds many doors but a framed photo on the wall is what catches her attention.
It's Erik and his family. She wonders why he's wearing a black leotard but only for a second, noticing there's no father figure present. His sister looks cute, though downright unamused, and his mother...she looks like an exceedingly intimidating woman. Hazel wonders if she'll ever meet them.
It's nice though, in a way, to get a look at his home life. Erik never talked much about it at school or any of the times they had interacted while Hazel seemed to chat on and on about her bratty brother and busy parents.
As she comes back down to the main floor, a delicious smell wafts right to her and her tummy rumbles slightly.
"Wow, it smells delightful! I can't wait to try it!"
Erik grins, "Sit down and I will serve to you!"
Not only is there a pork chop, but sides as well. Something with mashed berries and a green sauce. She is happy Erik wants to share this with her.
She also notices the fresh flowers in a vase at the center of the table and how there are only two chairs despite at least three people living there. Her spine tingles with a romantic feeling.
"How do you like it?" Erik asks. He's barely sat down to his own plate and Hazel has scarfed down the mashed berries.
"It's so tasty!" she exclaims, "Thank you for inviting me and cooking for me. You are very kind."
Some unexpected emotion flashes through his features and he coughs, "It's hard, but thank you."
They eat in silence and Hazel decides to ask the question burning in her mind, "I...um...noticed your family photo upstairs. Where are they tonight?"
"Well, I told my mother I was having guest so she went downtown. Elenoire is staying at safe place."
Hazel pauses, wondering what he means by that or if it's a translation error, then asks, "What about your father?"
Erik becomes very quiet and Hazel panics, hoping she didn't offend him. He takes a breath, "My father is dead. When we lived in Ruskslovia, he was ambushed by agents of spies and taken out."
Hazel looks at him struck, not expecting such a thing. It's entirely tragic and her heart goes out to him.
After what seems an eternity of silence she whispers, "I'm so sorry that happened to you."
She picks at the remainder of her food, not knowing what to say after his admission.
"This recipe, it is of his," Erik finally breaks the silence and Hazel blooms with adoration for him. She couldn't imagine what she would do if she had been in his position, to handle that loss but finds it very admirable that he would stay close to his father by cooking the food they once shared.
"I think that's wonderful, thank you for sharing his cooking with me..."
Something pricks her mind all of a sudden, seeming to slow time down and make her feel very sleepy. The room begins to melt and she tries to say something but can only manage, "Wghat is in thghis?"
Worse, Erik's face begins to blur and fade as if someone is turning out the light in the room bulb by bulb.
With a slump onto her plate, Hazel is out cold.
8 Years Earlier
"Mr. Bear it looks like another night Daddy can't tuck us in," Hazel sighed, she tried to stay up as long as she could but her father had yet to return. He'd been away for two weeks and Mommy seemed worried.
"You'll never go away and leave, will you Mr. Bear?" she hugged her stuffed animal tightly. She missed her father terribly. The best was when he read bedtime stories and used voices. She thought she heard something then, her bedroom door opening...
"Daddy!!" she gasped in pure joy at seeing him enter and kneel before her.
"Hello my strawberry," he smiled, "Sorry I am late. Daddy had a lot of business to deal with."
He called her a strawberry because she loved the color pink.
"But to make it up to you, I brought you something."
She watched eagerly as he pulled out a set of dolls in differing sizes, they were dark-haired with striped scarves painted on them.
"They stack into each other," he explained, popping them in half and putting the smaller into the larger ones.
He handed her the big one, "I need you to take care of them okay? They are special."
"Wow!" Hazel chirped happily, "That's neat and I will!"
She took them apart once again with bright eyes, fascinated by how they fit into each other.
Then her father opened his arms wide, and she needed no prompting to jump into them to be lifted off the ground and hugged tightly.
"Thank you Daddy, I missed you soooo much!" she exclaimed and gave him a big kiss on his cheek.
"I missed you too, strawberry. It's good to be home."
He squeezed her even tighter. She had always loved the way her father could lift her what seemed ten feet in the air with no effort. It felt like she could fly.
Being lifted and cradled like that was one of the most comforting feelings in the world.
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