Nita slipped toward the bed, guilt written all over her face. Seizing the moment while Effie was distracted, she dove under the covers and mumbled, "Oh, I totally lost track of time."


    After a pause, she added, "I''m going to sleep first-I''m exhausted."


    Effie looked like she wanted to say something else, but just then her phone rang. Worried about disturbing Nita, she quickly answered and tiptoed into the bathroom to take the call.


    "Hello?" Effie whispered.


    Hearing her hushed, conspiratorial tone, Lyman couldn''t help but ask, "You''re awake? What are you up to?"


    Effie replied, "Yeah, I just woke up. But Nita only just got in, and I don''t want to keep her up, so I''m hiding in the bathroom to take your call."


    "What a shame," Lyman said.


    "Hm?" Effie was puzzled.


    Lyman chuckled. "Nothing, really. You hungry? Let''s get some breakfast."


    "Okay, sounds good."


    Lyman was waiting for her outside, and Effie joined him a momentter.


    He reached for her hand, but she sidestepped him.


    With an exaggerated look of resignation, Lyman said, "We''re out together, can''t I at least hold your hand?"


    Seeing his puppy-dog expression, Effie felt a pang of guilt. She relented, reached out, and took his hand with a sigh. She could never stay tough for long.


    Lyman''s disappointment instantly melted into delight. He squeezed her hand, clearly reluctant to let go.


    "So, where are you taking me today?" Effie asked, curiosity piqued.


    Southern food was so different from what she''d grown up with-new vors, new cooking styles. Ever since she arrived, she''d felt her appetitee alive.


    Lyman grinned. "Remember yesterday, when we had those fresh coconuts? You said you wanted to try the noodle soup from that stall next door-but you were too full, so we skipped it. I looked it up, and there''s a ce nearby run by a chef from the original town-he''s been making it for over a decade, and everyone raves about it. So, I thought we''d give it a try."


    He continued, "Then for lunch, we''ll get seafood at the docks. We can buy it fresh and have it cooked right there at a local restaurant-straight from the sea to our tes. It doesn''t get any fresher than that."


    Lyman kept talking, listing off all the things he knew Effie loved to eat.


    Suddenly, Effie stopped walking and turned to look at him.


    Lyman paused, a little uncertain. "What''s wrong? Don''t like the n?"


    She shook her head. "You''re nning everything I like-but what about you? Don''t you get a say?"


    So, that was it.


    Lyman smiled, squeezing her hand. "If you''re happy, I''m happy."


    Effie''s heart melted, a burst of sweetness welling up inside her.


    Even if Lyman was only saying what she wanted to hear, he made it sound so genuine-unlike certain other people...


    She shook her head, trying to banish that unwanted memory. No point ruining her mood by thinking of the past.


    Soon, they reached the noodle shop. Even from the street, a savory, tangy aroma greeted them, making Effie''s mouth water.


    Though they''d arrived early, there was already a line out front.


    Effie remembered how much Lyman disliked crowds. She squeezed his hand and offered, “There are a lot of people here. Maybe we should try another time?"


    He shook his head. "We hardly ever get the chance toe here. Let''s not pass it up-you''ll regret itter."


    Effie nodded.


    Hand in hand, they joined the queue. The person ahead of them turned and asked, "You two from out of town?"


    Effie smiled and answered, "Yes, we are."


    She knew Lyman wasn''t fond of chatting with strangers, so she took the lead in responding.