"..."
Knowing there was no point trying to talk her out of it, the proprietress—the old woman—simply watched Annie eat in silence. Every now and then, she made a little small talk, and the atmosphere remained fairly amiable.
She was like a patient waitress, sometimes bringing Annie another dish, sometimes refilling her tea. Now and then, her gaze lingered on Annie, carrying an indescribable scrutiny and a hint of hesitation, as if she had something to say but couldn't bring herself to say it.
"..."
(￣~￣) Chew!
Annie, however, paid none of that any mind. She simply kept focusing on the food before her and was mostly unresponsive to the woman's attempts at conversation.
And so, time slipped by amid the unrestrained chewing of a certain troublesome little girl and the occasional small talk between them. The table gradually became a mess of dishes and cups, while the speed and noise of someone's eating finally began to die down.
After licking her lips and stretching, Annie, full and satisfied at last, wore a lazy expression on her little face.
"Ah!"
(`)
Then she leaned back in her chair, patting her slightly bulging tummy and narrowing her eyes, like a contented little cat.
"..."
At last, the proprietress—the old woman—decided the time was right. She set down her chopsticks, rose, and wiped her hands and face with a clean towel from the nearby rack. Only then did she speak out of the blue:
"By the way, I received some news here a while back."
"Perhaps..."
"You should hear it?"
She didn't say what the news was. She merely raised her head and met Annie's gaze.
Then she returned to her seat and poured herself a cup of tea. Her eyes held a hint of gravity and wariness that hadn't been there