Elora left the kitchen without saying anything and sat back on the sofa.
Mrs. Ormond brought her some snacks and said, âElora, if youâre really hungry, you should eat a
couple of these. Theyâre not too sweet. I know you donât like sweets, so the pastry chef used less
sugar.â
Elora didnât take any. âWhen Iâm not home, the pastry chef makes the snacks for you. Theyâre based
on your taste, not mine. Even if they arenât too sweet, I still donât like them.â
It wasnât just about the sweetnessâshe simply didnât enjoy the pastry chefâs style.
âHow about some other snacks?â Mrs. Ormond said, feeling sorry for her. She then suggested, âOr
you could have some fruit. We always have fresh fruit that you like.â âMom, thereâs no need. Sit
down, you donât need to keep getting me things. Tatum said the soup will be ready in half an hour.
Iâll just wait.â
Elora also didnât like eating fruit on an empty stomach. She usually had it after meals. âTatum
shouldâve known you wouldnât eat airplane food. Why didnât he make some snacks for you to take
on the trip?â Mrs. Ormond said, complaining a bit.
Her daughter was clearly hungry.
The water in Eloraâs cup had cooled, so she got up, refilled it with hot water, and took a few sips.
Hearing her motherâs complaint, she replied, âSnacks are best when theyâre fresh. After a long trip
from the hotel to the airport and then on the plane, they wouldnât taste good anymore, especially in
this cold weather. Theyâd get cold quickly.
I told Tatum not to bother. I had breakfast before we left, and usually when Iâm busy, I donât feel
hungry. But now that Iâm not doing anything, I feel it more.â
Mrs. Ormond nodded, âWhen youâre busy with work, you tend to ignore hunger, so you
donât notice it.â
Elora sat back down, waiting for Tatum to call her when the soup was ready. Feeling bored, she
stood up and told her mother, âMom, Iâm going to check on the little ones.â
Mrs. Ormond replied, âGo ahead, but put on your coatâitâs cold outside.â Elora grabbed her coat
and left the house.
Outside, her two younger brothers were still building snow turtles. They had made a row and were
stacking them up around a tree.
Elora quietly approached, watching the boys play. Despite the cold, they werenât bothered, fully
focused on their snow turtles. She felt a little envious of their carefree fun.
Although they would face responsibilities in the future, for now, they were free to enjoy life.
Being the youngest in the family, the boys were adored and spoiled by everyone. When they wanted
to climb the roof, the elders would even help set up the ladder for them.
Fortunately, Elora and her sisters were stricter. While the boys were loved, they werenât allowed to
become spoiled brats. They also did well in school. The family business would eventually be passed
down to them, so they needed to be well-prepared.
But Elora believed in a balance between work and play. When it was time to have fun, they should
enjoy it. When it was time to study, they needed to focus and avoid distractions.
âSister!â
Alonzo noticed Elora watching them. He turned and happily called out to her, standing up as if to
run into her arms.
Elora, teasing him, said with mock disgust, âYour hands are dirty! Donât come near me or youâll get
my clothes dirty. Youâll have to use your New Yearâs money to buy me a new outfit!â