Chapter 71 Good News

KIA

I was unable to get back asleep and instead remained up for the entirety of the night. After experiencing that terrifying dream, I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep normally again. At this very moment, a lot of questions are running through my thoughts. The one and only question to which I am interested in obtaining a response is, "What exactly did he want from me?"

During that time, as I stood in our bedroom staring at the ceiling, I was unable to get my thoughts away from the man who had been following me. Is that you, Vince? Because I am familiar with the inflection in which he speaks, I do not believe that it was him. We have been together for a very long time, and I know all there is to know about him with the exception of the fact that he cheated on me with Asteria, my half-slutty sister. There is a chance that it wasn't him; if that's not the case, then who did it?

Argh!

When it started going off all of a sudden, the alarm on my clock surprised me. Everything that I had been considering earlier disappeared from my thoughts. A split second later, I suddenly became aware that Ares was moving, and I saw him grab for the alarm clock in order to silence it. He got to his feet in a sluggish manner and dragged his body towards the light switch. He was taken aback when he turned the light on and saw that I was standing behind him. I was lagging behind him and following him.

"You're up already?" he asked me in surprise.

"I can't sleep—"

"But today is the first day of class. You are not going to attend your class today, are you? Ares spoke up to intervene.

"It is imperative that I go to my class. On top of that, I only have two classes a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon."

"Are you certain that you will show up to your class first thing in the morning? You need sleep, hon. Just go to your afternoon lesson and get some rest for the time being. When you're too tired to pay attention, you won't learn anything."

"I'm fine… Since we have just taken the midterm, I highly doubt that there will be any classes scheduled for today. I am crossing my fingers that they will reveal the mark for the midterm exam, and I get the impression that they will. I have to know right away whether or not I did well on the test.

"I'm sure you passed it. Please try not to worry too much."

"Okay, well — Oh! I'd like to start the day off with a bowl of chicken macaroni soup. Would you be willing to prepare it for me? When I'm sick or just not feeling well, my go-to meal for comfort is macaroni and cheese soup.

Ares grinned at me and rubbed my head before running his hand through my hair while doing so. "I will take care of things for you, sweetheart."

While I was getting ready in the locker room, he went to the kitchen. Because I failed to remember to get things ready the night before, I have no choice but to get it done straight away. After I had finished what I was working on, I made the decision to go to the kitchen to check on what Ares was preparing.

“Hey! Are you okay?" I inquired after noticing that he appeared to be experiencing a great deal of unease while watching a video on YouTube.

He gazed at me while pursing his lips into a pucker. "I don't think I've ever tried chicken macaroni soup before. Does it look like this, hon?"

“Seriously? You have never tasted it before? — This creamy chicken noodle soup meal is really simple to make, and the name of the dish is Chicken Macaroni Sopas. I responded while grinning at him since I thought he was so adorable.

“Ohh… Okay, while I get your breakfast ready, you should probably go take a shower first.

“Well… Since you do not know how to cook it, I have made the decision that I will assist you instead so that the next time you will be able to make it on your own without my assistance.

My husband eventually gave up his objections and invited me to assist him in preparing our morning meal. "Alright, first, we need a 1 pound chicken and the skin should be removed, 2 ounces of ham, half a pound of elbow macaroni, 4 stalks of celery, one medium yellow onion, one large carrot, one and one-half cups chopped cabbage, four cups of chicken broth, six to eight cups of water, one and one-half cups fresh milk, three tablespoons of butter, and lastly, salt and pepper to taste," I said as he was running around the

After gathering all of the necessary components, I assisted him in getting everything ready so that we could finish the cooking process more quickly.

"Hon, I would like to prepare it on my own. Can I?” Ares questioned out of the blue.

When I stared at him, I was perplexed, but then I realized that he wanted to do it by himself so strongly that he wanted to prepare it for me. I was surprised by this revelation. I am aware of how much of an extraordinary effort it is for him. "Alright, let me just tell you what you will need to do, and then you will do everything I said, okay?" "Okay, I will just tell you what you will need to do."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"The water must be brought to a boil before you can continue."

He boasted by saying, "That's a piece of cake." After what seemed like an eternity, the water did not take long to start boiling.

"Now, add the chicken, and then cook it over low to medium heat for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender—" "Now, add the chicken."

"45 minutes? Why don't you just run off and take a shower while we wait for you to finish telling me what I need to know?

When I check at the clock, it tells me that it is already 6:03 in the morning. The first moment of my morning class will occur at 8:30. I suppose it's necessary for me to provide him with the directions, but will he be able to commit them to memory and carry them out?

“Okay… When the chicken has reached the desired tenderness, take it from the water and let it to cool down on its own. The water that was used to boil the chicken should then be saved for later use. You will require it in the future. After the chicken has cooled to room temperature, shred the meat with your hands to remove any large pieces. It is imperative that you get rid of the bones. Only the portion containing the meat will do. In the meantime, bring a large, clean cooking pot up to temperature. After that, add the butter, followed by the oil. The onion, carrot, and celery should be sautéed for three minutes once the butter and oil have reached the appropriate temperature.

"Wait, for a period of three minutes? Right?”

“Yeah! After that, stir in the shredded chicken and the ham that has been diced. It only takes two minutes to cook. After that, pour in the remaining water that was used to boil the chicken together with the chicken broth. Continue to stir it as it boils. After that, keep a low simmer for twenty minutes. After another 20 minutes, the elbow macaroni should be added and cooked for an additional 15 minutes. You can add more water if needed. After that, add the milk to the mixture. Continue to stir it as it boils. The final step is to season the dish with salt and pepper to taste.

He questioned, "Is that it?"

"That pretty much sums it up. Have you taken in everything that I've just said?

He responded with "Hmm" and a head nod. It would appear that he comprehended everything that I stated.

To be honest, I really do...

“Okay. Are you sure you don't have any questions anymore?"

“No.”

"All right, then, allow me to take this opportunity to visit the restroom. If you have any questions, just knock." I had just finished saying that before heading to the restroom.

After a half an hour had gone, there was still no sound of anyone or anything knocking on the door. It would appear that he does not have any further inquiries. I emerged from the restroom and moved deliberately in the direction of the kitchen. I noticed that he was vigorously moving about. It would appear that he is no longer in need of my assistance. I head inside the bedroom where we sleep and get ready to leave. After that, I walked into the living room where I sat down to watch the morning news while I waited for Ares to complete preparing breakfast.

I have no idea how long I have been waiting here, but I can immediately detect the aroma of freshly brewed milk. When all of a sudden, my phone began to ring, I was just getting ready to stand up and head to the kitchen. It's a call from Miaree, so please pick up.

“Hello?”

"How are you this morning, girl? While I was practicing mindfulness in the bathroom, Marcy gave me the news over the phone. Guess what?

“That?”

That we did well enough on the midterm exam!

“What? Really?”

“Wait! I have not yet completed this! And he commented that you did an excellent job, lady! You scored the highest out of the whole group! Congratulations!”

I apologize for my inability to respond. The information that Miaree shared with me absolutely floored me. Is it indeed the case that I have the greatest score out of the group? That means I have the potential to make it into the Dean's list!