The five of them sat around the long table.
There were not many dishes on the table, but every one of them had been prepared with care.
Tifa had made Loren's favorite cream of mushroom soup. Finely chopped parsley floated on the surface, and the creamy white broth gleamed softly in the candlelight.
There was also the grilled fish Android 18 liked, its skin golden and crisp, its flesh tender and juicy, served with lemon wedges and fresh dill.
For Nymph, there was a vegetable salad. Vegetables of every color had been cut into evenly sized pieces and drizzled with Tifa's special vinaigrette, looking like a colorful painting in the bowl.
There was also a simple plate of garlic bread, crisp on the outside and soft within, its buttery garlic fragrance filling the air.
Nymph was the first to dig in.
She grabbed a piece of garlic bread, took a huge bite, then closed her eyes and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Tifa's bread is the best," she said through a mouthful of food.
Tifa sat to Loren's left, holding a soup ladle as she served everyone.
She filled a bowl for Loren first, then lightly scraped the ladle against the rim so that not a single drop spilled.
Then came Alice, then Android 18, and finally herself.
Android 18 picked up her fork, speared a piece of grilled fish, and placed it in her mouth, chewing slowly.
Her expression did not change at all, but she chewed a little more slowly than usual. That was how she showed that something tasted good.
Nymph noticed and happily kicked her feet, nearly tipping over her own chair.
"Slow down. Eating isn't a competition." Tifa reached out to steady the back of her chair, her tone gentle but unquestionable.
Nymph stuck out