Chapter 26: Chapter 26

"What do you want me to cook?" Helena asked after being reminded of her recent activities. She planned to make it a habit. Creating a menu list for the following week. This week, she had explored several types of Thai food, though not all of them were carried out. And before this week ended, she had to determine another menu to enjoy with her husband. And unexpectedly, this method made it easier for her to make a shopping list.

"It's up to you," Aaron replied, entirely putting his choice on his wife.

"Don't be like that. You'll also eat my food later. Or at least give me a recommendation. Asian? Western? African?"

A wrinkle appeared on his forehead as he heard the last word spoken from her lips. "Do you know African cuisine?" he asked doubtfully. Of course. Some people rarely talk about this type of cuisine. It was so rare.

She smiled clumsily. "No. But I can find out," she said while showing her grin. "Do you want to try that?"

He shook his head. "Next time."

"Then?"

He was thinking. His finger perched on his chin and softly rubbed that area. At first glance, he seemed serious about something. In fact, his brain was only sorting out and grouping various foods that he had been tried, seen, heard, or read the name.

"Don't be too serious. It's only for one week, right? After all, we'll choose the menu together." She reminded him after finding that his interlocutor was silent for quite a long time.

"Is that so?" He asked as if he had just realized that fact. But indeed, he almost forgot about that because he was too busy with his thought. Apparently, there were many types of food throughout the world. It was an additional fact which just realized.

Helena muttered softly to agree with his question. Her cheeks bubbled and moved funny due to the food she was chewing. It made his hand move forward to touch, then pinched it lightly.

"I told you to give food recommendations, not pinching my cheeks," she grumbled. She was uncomfortable chewing her food because her husband's hand was still on her cheek.

Aaron chuckled to see her reaction, then moved his hand from the woman's cute face. His wife looked adorable earlier. Right now too. Therefore, he could not bear not pinching her cheeks.

"I've thought about that. What if we try Mexican cuisine?" Finally, he found something in a reasonably long search.

"Mexican cuisine?" She parroted more to herself. Her mind immediately was filled with a variety of food from that country. Not much, actually. Only a few types of food she had often heard. But, calm down. She could find out later. The visual appearance and recipe to make it.

"Yes. Can you?"

She nodded confidently. Although there weren't many foods she tried, it didn't mean she couldn't make it. There was always the first in everything. "I can. Later, we'll determine the menu together."

He nodded in agreement. If he could be honest, at first, he felt a bit strange with Helena's idea about trying a variety of dishes from every corner of the world, including Indonesian cuisine, of course. He thought it would be troublesome for her. She could cook what she could. That was enough for him.

However, he forgot the fact that his woman's hobby was cooking. So, it was natural if Helena wanted to try a variety of new menus to hone her ability and add to her culinary knowledge. After all, there was no harm in him to pass on his wife's idea. He could learn new things when helping to prepare those foods. Ah, anything would be fun as long as Helena was by his side. "Roger," he agreed to her last sentence.

Then, the atmosphere turned quiet. There was no advanced conversation between them. Helena was still enjoying her breakfast, while Aaron was preoccupied with the activity of looking at his wife.

"After shopping, how about we have dinner outside?" he asked, opening new talks.

"Where?"

"Don't know yet. To be sure, I want to have a romantic dinner with you."

She again fell silent. She imagined the romantic situation, as Aaron said. Then, her mind surfed the restaurant candidate to realize their image. "What if we have dinner at home?" she asked after not finding a suitable place to go.

Actually, it was not about her not finding an excellent restaurant for their romantic dinner, but the time was not right. Saturday night was a time she avoided roaming outside the house. Almost all corners of the city were crowded. And that made her feel uncomfortable.

"Wasn't our dinner always romantic? Only both of us in this house, right?" Her persuasion was increasingly aggressive. "You can request whatever you want. Or do you want to make something like what you often did back then?"

In the past, when their status was still a pair of lovers, he often invited her to dinner outside. Of course. They could not have a romantic dinner at their respective homes. So, dinner outside was indeed the only choice. And the place used to realize it was none other than Helena's Café. Yes, her cafe.

Usually, both Helena and Aaron preferred to cook their own dinner menu. Certainly by utilizing the kitchen of her cafe. Where else? They made the food varied. More often, Western cuisine, surely, and it was accompanied by a bottle of wine. A romantic dinner at her cafe repeatedly happened. Really, Helena's Café had such a great part in their relationship.

Then, it was time for Aaron to think about her idea. Her words were valid. Wherever the place they were, it should be a romantic dinner for only the two of them. Maybe, he needed to turn off the lights and light on the candle to create that situation, as often appeared in movies. "Okay. Tonight I'll cook for our dinner." Finally, he agreed to his wife's proposal.

Helena smiled, looking satisfied. She was happy because she did not have to join the crowded people to enjoy Saturday night with her husband. But a second later, her facial expression changed. Her brows knitted into one while staring at Aaron. "Why suddenly discuss a romantic dinner? Does this relate to our chat last night? About Beatrice?" Her eyes were full of suspicion.

Aaron shook his head dramatically. His hand stretched forward, then lightly flicked her forehead. "Don't always prejudice me. I do that because you really want to be closer to me. Also, we're husband and wife. It's common to have a romantic atmosphere when we're together?" His protest was at length.

She pursed her lips while holding her forehead, which, actually, didn't hurt. "I don't seriously say that," she admitted. She really didn't mean that. She only guessed Aaron's purpose. He would usually launch his teasing in a situation like this. So she needed to prepare herself.

"I know," he said briefly. Yes, he knew for sure his wife was not serious about her words. And he didn't take that seriously either.