Filed to story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
Everyone was stunned, not even catching how she did it.
“Bella, did you make a fortune as a chef? You not only can make tarts but such intricate ones at that?”
Her brothers were in disbelief. Their little sister, a maestro in the making!
“Grannie Grace taught me a while back.” Mirabella said with a casual smile, her heart wandering to memories of Grannie Grace.
Sensing her mood shift, they all knew she was missing Grannie Grace.
“In the afternoon, each family will have the afternoon tea. Let’s honor Grannie Grace by enjoying the cheese tarts she taught you to make.”
Before Louisa could finish, Kenneth chimed in, “Exactly, we owe her so much. As her parents, we should pay our respects.”
“I want to thank her for raising my precious granddaughter so well.” Grandma Cornelia’s voice wavered with emotion, imagining how much livelier it would be if Grannie Grace were still with them.
Belinda added, “We’d like to thank her too.”
“We’ll join as well,” said David. “If the Melton family doesn’t pay tribute to Grannie Grace, then we, the Collins family, will make sure she knows we care about her. We’ll never forget what she did for Bella.”
Moved by their words, Mirabella replied, “If Grannie Grace can hear us, she’d be delighted.”Afterward, Mirabella crafted various creative tarts which the chefs baked and served. Everyone clamored for a taste.
Grandpa Bernard snatched three cheese tarts from the emptying plate.
“I’ve never had the chance to taste food made by my sweet granddaughter.”
“You’re stealing food from the elderly.”
“Has the Collins family starved you lot?”
In the end, the older folks commandeered the cheese tarts from the younger ones’ plates.
“Wait a minute, Bella made a whole bunch of tarts, how come there’s only few of them here?”
Louisa had barely finished her sentence when the chef brought out another cheese tarts. She quickly snatched up three and was about to go for a fourth when the plate was wiped clean.
“You bunch of pirates!”
David was fuming; he hadn’t managed to get his hands on a single tart since the meal started. Before he could vent his frustration, the chef arrived with another plate. As soon as it hit the table, everyone dove in.
“Those aren’t made by Bella, are they?”
“Who made these ugly tarts?”
Everyone withdrew their forks simultaneously, not a single tart taken, their faces filled with distaste.
“These are made by David.”
The chef’s revelation drew everyone’s gaze towards David. If they heard right, David himself had called his own tarts ugly and was the first to pull back his fork.
Out of everyone, only Mirabella reached out, took a tart, and took a bite. “Not bad, tastes good.”
“Bella, you don’t have to force yourself.”
“They’re a hot mess. How can you even eat that.?”
“If they were salvageable, the chef wouldn’t have brought them out like this. That means even the chef couldn’t save these.””Seriously, they’re good.” Mirabella urged everyone to give them a try.
Out of respect for Mirabella, the others considered trying one, but in the next second, the chef came out with another plate, making a point to mention, “These are made by Ms. Bella.”
The scramble began anew.
The older brothers watched in disbelief as plates were cleared in seconds. They never imagined their elders could be so fierce in the battle for food.
Eventually, the meal ended amidst the chaos.
In contrast, Serena’s situation was much more subdued.
She ate the gingerbread house Martin had made for her alone, checking the new smartphone he bought her. Just as she logged into Facebook, she saw her brothers had all updated their page.
Hans: The taste of home.
Chasel: My sister, the crafty one.
Clark: My sister’s cheese tarts are just too delicious.
Sean: My sister made these! Everyone, give her some praise!
David: Not only do my sister’s cheese tarts look great, they’re super tasty too!
Each brother posted pictures, with David also sharing a short video.
Hans’ post featured a close-up of the tarts. It was clear that Mirabella was skilled at making various intricate tarts.Chasel’s photo showed the tarts after they were baked, looking flavorful and appetizing.
Clark posted a photo of everyone at the table reaching for the tarts. It was clear there were a lot of people dining. Serena counted at least 15.
Could it be that their uncle’s family had also come? But that still wouldn’t account for so many people.
Who were these extra guests?
Could it be that Romeo was there too?
Or perhaps Grandpa Phillip and Grandma Shirley had joined?
No way.
Sean’s photo was a repost from the eldest brother.
David’s video showed the chef placing a plate on the table, and everyone immediately reaching in. The plate was emptied in a flash, laughter and chatter filling the room.
Serena hadn’t expected that, even in her absence, they could still laugh and enjoy themselves so heartily.
From the video David posted, she heard her grandparents’ laughter filling the air, and the beaming smiles of Kenneth and Louisa.
Their smiles were genuine, not a hint of pretense.
She hadn’t expected that losing her would have no impact on their lives. They carried on, feasting and toasting, celebrating the year with such abundance.
A pang of discomfort twisted in Serena’s chest. There she was, battered and bruised, freshly snatched from death’s clutches, while her once-loving parents and grandparents laughed heartily without her.
They truly didn’t care about her absence.
Serena watched the video over and over, each viewing stinging more than the last. Memories of belongings discarded like trash, of past joys and happiness, sowed the seeds of resentment deep in her heart.
After lunch, they brought flowers and went to pay respects to Grannie Grace.
Once arrived at the graveyard, they were surprised to find that the stone was clean and there were flowers in front of the stone. Who could possibly remember Grannie Grace?
The others shared his surprise. The Melton family, clearly the culprits, wouldn’t bother.
Who could it be?
Once Mirabella spotted the unique wrapping paper on the bouquets, she knew it was Romeo.
That wrapping, those flowers—only one florist in the area carried them, and she had taken Romeo there once. To her surprise, he had not only remembered but also brought flowers to honor GrannieGrace.
“It’s Romeo, no need to guess,” she declared.
Hearing Mirabella’s words, everyone was somewhat shocked.
Louisa was especially moved, “Romeo remembered! That boy is so thoughtful.”
She hadn’t expected him to be the first to honor Grannie Grace..
Bernard and Cornelia couldn’t help but feel teary-eyed as they expressed their gratitude to Grannie Grace.
Darren and Belinda sincerely thanked Grannie Grace for her kindness to Mirabella.
Kenneth and Louisa were moved to tears.
“She was Bella’s grandmother, and that makes her ours too. We’ll honor her every year,” David promised.
“Bella’s doing well now, Grannie. You can rest easy,” Hans added.
“We’ll all take good care of her, just like you did,” Chasel affirmed.
“I’ll lay down my life to protect her,” Sean vowed.
“Tomorrow is Bella’s homecoming celebration. Her true identity no longer needs to be hidden. That way, Grannie Grace, you can rest peacefully,” Clark said.
Mirabella said, “Grannie, I’m doing well. I have my family and Romeo. You can be at peace.”
A gentle breeze seemed to whisper Grannie Grace’s tender reply.Mirabella spoke quietly, then left with everyone else.
