𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥

"Funny enough, I thought we could start with brownies since it's simple enough and doesn't require too many ingredients. That's only. if you're up for it of course."

Brownies sounded like a great idea to Ela, and her face lit up at the thought. "Brownies sound perfect! And you're right, starting with something simple like brownies sounds like a great way to get started." She paused for a moment before adding, "I can already imagine that amazing smell filling up the kitchen," she said with a giggle. "What ingredients do we need?"

As she continued to sift, she asked, "Do you have a hard limit budget that I should be mindful of?" With the news that Ela had mainstreamed her way out of the spotlight, no one dared to question what that meant in terms of how her life was funded and Lily felt it was rude to ask, so instead asking for limits felt much safer. "Ah ha! Here we go, I really think at least for the living room spaces you may have you can never go wrong with this swinging seat."

Pausing for a moment, she contemplated the notion without giving in to the temptation of exceeding a reasonable budget. "Let's say around $4,000?" she pondered aloud, acknowledging that it couldn't be the extravagant budgets of the past. She chuckled, remarking, "My salary definitely can't support that kind of spending anymore."

Ela's excitement was palpable when her gaze landed on the swinging seat before her. She had come across it in pictures on Pinterest the night before. "This is perfect! A swing seat is something I've always wanted," she gushed, a smile directed at her friend. "And of course, I'd love to have an assortment of vibrant pillows to go along with it."

Ellie gasped and tilted her head. "Why do you like cheese? Do you like all kinds?" She glanced at her drink and smiled when she could see the puree. "It was! It was also very hot so that cooled us down! You should come to our summer party later. You won't go hungry." That made JJ smile and let out a soft sigh. He'd tell Ela all about it later. "Ya huh! It was a surprise for us all. But I have a best friend. That's the boy!" She nodded again as she grabbed her drink with both hands and started to puncture it with the spoon. At the moment he saw his phone and switched it to the video mode just to see Gunnar and Mikey were still fast asleep. He'd have to go up and check up on them in a few. Ellie nodded. "Very much so. I know they will be boring for the first few weeks but I don't mind. My brother was boring when he was born but he's okay now. He likes bubbles."

"I'm relieved that we don't, otherwise we'd end up finding everyone cute, and I doubt it would be as enjoyable as it might sound," she chuckled. "Of course, I'm a part of your cheerleading squad." After pondering his question for a moment, she shook her head. "I haven't, why?"

"I grew up in a house with multiple languages; men, I did not realize how impressive that is until I had Gunnar." Seeing her son learn his native Swedish in addition to picking up English now that he was in Cape May was truly fascinating. Then there was the fact he'd learned Swedish Sign Langauge before he'd even learned spoken Swedish. It had allowed him to communicate his needs months earlier. "He is like his mamma. He loves languages." She beamed as she glanced down at her son, watching him carefully as he ate. He was usually good with taking proper bites and chewing his food; but she still worried. "Tavşan..." The brunette mused aloud, repeating the Turkish word for 'rabbit'. "Gunnar, kan man säga tavşan?" She was curious to see how the little boy would react to the new word in a new language.

Gunnar just glanced up at his mamma for a long moment before shifting his attention to Ela and ultimately to the bunny on the front of the book. "Tav!" He exclaimed, pointing at the bunny. Close enough.

"Ja, älskling. På svenska kallar vi djuret för en 'kanin'. På engelska kallar vi djuret en 'rabbit. På turkiska kallar de djuret för en 'tavşan'… Språk är så roligt!" She was so glad her son seemed to share her enthusiasm about language. "Och kom ihåg det på teckenspråk?" With that said, she then demonstrated the sign for 'rabbit' in TSP.

She continued, "It's truly impressive. I used to speak Turkish exclusively until I started school and had to learn English. Even after living in the US for years, I still have doubts and feel most comfortable in my native language. But it's bittersweet, as I sometimes find myself thinking more in English or forgetting Turkish words since I don't get to use it as much as before. By the way, do you speak any other languages besides Swedish and English?"

Gunnar caught on to the Turkish word for 'rabbit,' and Ela couldn't hide her excitement. "Tavşan!" she repeated, encouraging Gunnar's language development.

Ela observed closely as Gunnar demonstrated how to sign 'Rabbit' in TSP and eagerly tried to recreate it, looking at him with a smile. "Am I doing it right?"

On her way to the bakery, Ela's sweet tooth led her towards temptation. Though her aunt had often scolded her for indulging, she couldn't resist the allure of sweetness in her life. As she strolled alongside a house, the gate unexpectedly swung open, revealing a delightful surprise – a beautiful puppy!

Ela's heart swelled with affection, an immediate urge to claim the adorable pup as her own arising within her. Yet, she knew better than to act on impulse. "No, but he's sooo cute," she exclaimed, unable to resist approaching the puppy for a gentle petting.

"Hur säger du det här på engelska?" There had been a handful of times where Gunnar had managed to say the name of his favorite animal in English; so Agnes figured she'd prompt him now to see if he could share the English name with Ela. Pointing to the bunny on the book's cover, the brunette waited for her son to answer. When he didn't give an answer after several moments, she prompted him with the first sound of the word: /b/. This led the little boy's eyes to widen as the gears began turning in his brain. It wasn't long after that he finally spoke up. "Bunin!" He proudly shouted, having combined the English name with the Swedish one. Agnes just chuckled. "He loves bunnies." She shared with her friend. "His favorite crackers are shaped like bunnies. That is where it started." The toddler had been obsessed with bunnies ever since.

Ela couldn't help but smile at the little boy's charming attempt to blend English and Swedish names for the bunny. "Bunin," she echoed with a chuckle. "That's adorable! It's amazing to witness how children's minds effortlessly connect different languages and the things they adore." She admitted that she sometimes experienced the same phenomenon; when she first arrived, she would mix English words with Turkish. Pointing to the bunny in the book, she turned her attention back to Gunnar. "I love bunnies too. They're so soft. In my language, we call them tavşan," she shared, then turned to Agnes with a warm smile. "Oh, that's just so cute!"

𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐍'𝐓 help but laugh with him when he gave his opinion on her expectation, her dimples appeared once she laughed. ❛ I see. So we have one thing in common then. Single for four years. ❜ She teases him. ❛ Starting over again is a little awkward. I had a bad experience in my last marriage. Safe to say, I'm just a little lost on how it works. Besides, I kept myself busy with work too, it wasn't like I had time to think of this kind of stuff. ❜ Which in a way was a blessing. After the divorce which was hard to finally get, she threw herself at work to forget her personal issues. Things between her and her ex-husband were so much out of hand that he can't get near her, this is why she is in this city in the first place.

❛ Just a little, but my father isn't a chef but he cooks well, it's a family tradition that we MUST cook well or average. I cook average, I supposed. I have two older brothers and one of them is actually a chef. ❜ She explained as her tone was soft as she spoke about her father. Upon hearing his origins… ❛ I am picky about Italian cookery but in regards to the others, I am not picky at all. One dessert I do very well is Tiramisù. ❜ Now she just wants to eat one. ❛ Poutine? Maybe I could taste it one day. I could show you a pasta traditional of my family. Also, I thought you as a Canadian take pride in maple syrup. ❜ She teases him back and winks playfully taking a sip on her drink. Okay, this time she is truly having fun with a pretty face. Hopefully, the rest of the night continues the way it is. Never judge a book by its cover… He seems very nice.

❛ What are your hobbies? ❜ Allegra was curious if he is an adventure seeker like her.

He couldn't help but find her laughter infectious as they joked about their singlehood. A warm smile spread across his face as he appreciated her sense of humor. When she opened up about her difficult experience with her previous marriage, Hunter's eyes softened with sympathy, realizing that she had been through a lot. "I’m sorry to hear that your marriage was not a good one," he sincerely expressed, giving her a small reassuring smile. “I don’t think we made it this far the previous date, what’s your work?” he asked, getting more interested about the woman sitting across him.

When Allegra spoke about her family's cooking tradition, Hunter listened attentively. It was fascinating how easily he was getting to know her this time around. “Do the rest of your family lives back in Italy?” he asked as he started to peruse the menu. "I love tiramisu. My neighbor growing up was Italian, and sometimes he invited us over for some tiramisu," he shared, fondly reminiscing about one of the few cherished memories from his childhood. "Well, yeah, maple syrup is great, but it has nothing against poutine. BeaverTails are amazing too," he mused, feeling a bit nostalgic. "I’d be honored to try your pasta."

𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 trying her best to forget their awkward last encounter and put it behind the past. Despite her memory showing glimpses of it as if it was a cinema trailer. Part of her was very surprised he was willing to start over. In general, the men she met so far were garbage, and she hasn't been patient with this kind anymore. The Italian blonde was a true believer in second chances, so maybe this is the reason why she was so… Open to starting over again. He has a punchable smile, on how perfect it looks. That's made her mad.

❛ Grazie. ❜ A small shade of red appeared on her cheeks due to her shyness. She does not know how to take compliments in general, she feels awkward, but it was welcomed, after all, who does not like to be complimented? ❛ I'm not sure what I was expecting, like you, I didn't build much expectations but I was hoping to get laid tonight since had been a while for me. Although, I'm not fond of nightstands. It took me a while to be on the game… I am divorced. I'm divorced like four years ago.❜ She never talked much about her ex-husband, and yet he still torments her life. Not that she loves him, but they had a very toxic relationship.❛ As an Italian, was a little nervous about the menu. Food is very important to me. I cook. ❜ She was worried with the 'menu' of this blind date.

Upon witnessing her cheeks turn a gentle shade of red in response to his compliment, Hunter couldn't help but feel a touch of pride. He truly found her attractive and was pleased that his words had been well-received.

As she openly discussed her plans for the evening, Hunter was taken aback by her straightforwardness, yet he admired her honesty. It was unexpected, but he found it refreshing and it immediately put him at ease with her. "I must say, that's a very reasonable expectation for a first date," he agreed with a chuckle. "I completely understand. Starting to date again can be quite awkward. I've been single for about four years." He hadn't pursued any serious relationships since calling off his engagement, as he had been focused on living abroad and advancing his career.

𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 disappointed that this was somebody from her past, not somebody new to start an adventure. She sighs deeply, taking a huge gulp of her champagne. ❛ I could say the same thing about you, Hunter. ❜ She refers in regards to not forgetting his name. They started on the past on the wrong foot. The last thing she wanted is to have an unpleasant night. ❛ I don't really want my night ruined. I'm good if we start over, and ignore the awkwardness from the last encounter. ❜ She confessed.

❛ Not gonna lie, but you're looking good, Hunter. ❜ She refers to the way he was dressed up. ❛ So, what do you expect from this night? ❜ Small talk never hurt anyone. She didn't know what else to talk.

Hunter's thoughts drifted back to the disastrous Tinder date they had shared in the past. The memories of awkward silences, misaligned interests, and the lack of chemistry flooded his mind. Despite the discomfort of their previous encounter, Hunter was determined to make amends and improve the present situation. He admired Allegra's willingness to start over and hoped they could discover some common ground this time.

"I completely agree. Let's put that night behind us," he said, trying to hide his nerves behind a coy smile.

"It would have gone horribly wrong if I had panicked then we both would have lost it." She laughed just the thought sending her into a mild fit of laughter. "But you kept your cool which now I know was just a façade! You're also lucky that isn't one of my fears." She smiled and nodded. "I am glad that our friendship came from that moment."

She froze momentarily as she always did when she heard someone compliment her. She wasn't always prepared for compliments. "Thank you so much. I hope that I am ready to go from being a mom of zero to a mom of three overnight." She clapped happily. "Yay!"

Amid her playful taunts about his calm facade, he chuckled. The truth was, he shared the same anxiety she felt, but he couldn't reveal it. "I never realized it was a fear until it happened, but if it were to occur again, I believe I'd handle it better," he remarked with amusement. "At least something positive emerged from that experience, don't you think?"

"Listen, if there's anyone capable of handling that transition, it's you." He empathized with Lucy's worries. Being a first-time parent was challenging enough, let alone with three babies, but she had a strong support network. "By the way, have you considered any names?"

"Oh I know. Little man Gunnar loves them and whenever I see him eat them, it's the cutest sight. Think he's the only one capable of making that look adorable." There was a proud smile on JJ's face. He had always loved being a mixologist. All that schooling weren't in vain. He loved making drinks. He loved creating things that wouldn't normally be seen in a bar. And loved making things that catered to each patron. So when Ela complimented him he couldn't help but feel that pride wash over him. "Thank you. That means a lot. It's one of my biggest passions in life. Also thank god all that money didn't go down the drain."

"Little kids make everything adorable, especially if they are as cute as Gunnar," she said with a chuckle. Ela smiled warmly as she listened to JJ talk about his passion for mixology. She found his enthusiasm endearing, and it was evident that he took great pride in his craft. "You're welcome, JJ. It's well-deserved praise. I'm glad your passion has paid off," she replied with genuine admiration.