Chapter 486 Voluntarily Washing Dishes
Passing through the courtyard, they saw a two-story house that looked a bit old.
The yard was spotless and full of flowers, showing Esme's love for cleanliness and attention to detail.
Inside, the dining table was already set with food. Esme invited them to wash up and get ready to eat.
"Mom, take a break. We can handle it," Rachel called out, leading Nicholas to the bathroom to wash their hands.
"Setting the table isn't tiring. Don't worry," Esme said, continuing her work.
The three of them sat down to eat together.
The table was covered with Rachel's favorite hometown dishes, and she dug in happily.
Esme smiled at her daughter. "Rachel, don't just eat by yourself."
Rachel looked up and saw Nicholas's empty bowl. Her mom must have known he was coming because the dishes had less chili today. She quickly filled his bowl with his favorite foods, smiling. "Nicholas, enjoy. My mom's cooking is better than mine."
Nicholas smiled, took a bite, and looked up at the two pairs of eyes watching him. Grinning, he said, "Mrs. Ximena, your cooking is definitely better than Rachel's."
Esme beamed and urged him to eat more.
Thanks to Esme's warmth, Nicholas relaxed and wasn't nervous anymore. He liked flavorful dishes and could handle some spice, so the Frostpine dishes were perfect. They hadn't eaten on the plane, just had some water, so they both ate a lot before putting down their utensils.
Rachel had told Nicholas that Esme used to be a teacher at the town's elementary school before she had retired. Teachers' salaries were low, and after her father passed away, they had lived frugally. Esme had raised Rachel on her own.
Nicholas thought Esme would be strict because all his teachers had been, which was why he had been so nervous. But Esme turned out to be kind and friendly, making him feel very welcome.
After lunch, Nicholas offered to clear the table and wash the dishes.
Esme tried to take over. "I'll wash them. You two rest. It's just a few dishes."
"Mrs. Ximena, you rest. I'll wash them. You've worked hard cooking all this," Nicholas said, carrying the dishes to the kitchen.
The more Esme looked at him, the more she liked him. She happily followed him into the kitchen, showing him where the dishwashing tools were and how to get hot water. She stood at the kitchen door, smiling as she watched him wash the dishes.
Finally, Rachel couldn't stand it anymore and pulled her to the sofa. "Mom, just sit and rest for a while."
Esme smiled and sat with Rachel, whispering, "You've found a good boyfriend. Nicholas seems reliable and quite handsome. You have good taste."
Rachel glanced towards the kitchen, where she could only see Nicholas's back as he diligently washed the dishes. She turned back, smiling at Esme. "Isn't he better than the ones before?"
Esme also looked towards the kitchen and commented seriously, "The last one was diligent, but he was a bit short and not as handsome as Nicholas."
Rachel gave Esme a thumbs up.
Last time she visited Frostpine, her aunt had insisted on introducing her to someone. She couldn't refuse, so she had gone to meet him. Her date back then was really short, even shorter than her. Because of his height, even Esme didn't like him and politely declined on her daughter's behalf, saying she had to consider the next generation.
Esme was pretty open-minded. Over the years, although she would nag whenever Rachel came back or called, she had never really forced her to go on blind dates or pressured her to get married. It was her aunts who were more anxious, occasionally introducing someone. Every time she went back, they would ask her to meet someone.
Parents naturally cared about their children's marriage, especially when it was a daughter.
Esme had raised Rachel alone, so she had a more relaxed attitude. She just worried about how Rachel was doing living alone. Her daughter had gone through a lot over the years, and it was better to let things happen naturally with marriage. Finding someone she liked to spend her life with was more important. If she rushed into a decision and ended up unhappy, it would be better not to marry at all.
Seeing Rachel bring her boyfriend back this time, and Nicholas being so outstanding, Esme was relieved.
Nicholas was meticulous.
Seeing that he was still washing, Esme took Rachel upstairs.
There were two rooms upstairs, one was Rachel's, and the other was always empty. There was another room downstairs where Esme usually slept. Rachel's room was regularly cleaned by Esme, and the other room, which had been used for storage, was cleaned out and had a bed made up for their visit.
Upstairs, in Rachel's room, she immediately threw herself onto the bed, hugging a pillow. It felt so comfortable. She hadn't slept in this bed for a long time and missed it.
Esme looked at Rachel lying on the bed without any image, her eyes full of affection.
"Is the quilt too thin? Do you need another one? You should check Nicholas's room later. There's no air conditioning there, and I gave him the thickest quilt. I don't know if it will be cold at night. It's cooler here than in Horizon City, right?" Esme nagged, worried that something wasn't prepared properly.
Rachel listened to her concerned nagging, feeling warm inside, like she was back in her school days, always a child in front of Esme. "It's enough, Mom. No need for another quilt. This one is definitely warm enough."
She touched the thick quilt on the bed, much thicker than the one she used in Horizon City, so it definitely wouldn't be cold.
Esme smiled and continued, "Alright, go check Nicholas's room to see if anything is missing. I'll go downstairs and see. He probably doesn't know where to put the washed dishes."
Rachel got up from the bed, stood straight, and smiled. "Got it."
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