The Next Morning
Morning sunlight streamed through the large windows of the Rodriguez mansion, filling the spacious kitchen with warmth.
The kitchen was spotless.
Fresh vegetables, eggs, bread, butter, milk, and other ingredients were neatly arranged on the marble countertop.
In the middle of it all stood Santino and Cassandra.
Both stared at the ingredients...
Then at the pots and pans...
Then back at each other.
An awkward silence filled the room.
Santino broke it first.
Santino: "I can't believe that, as a lady, you don't know how to cook."
Cassandra immediately folded her arms.
Cassandra: "And I can't believe you don't know how to cook either."
Santino: "Hey, I'm a businessman, not a chef."
She raised an eyebrow.
Cassandra: "Really? But you have a child."
Santino: "Leon usually eats what the chef prepares."
Cassandra looked around the empty kitchen.
Cassandra: "Then where's the chef?"
Santino cleared his throat.
Santino: "I gave all the staff the day off after the wedding."
Cassandra's eyes widened.
Cassandra: "Why would you do that?"
Santino: "Because I thought we'd be able to manage one breakfast."
She let out a sarcastic laugh.
Cassandra: "Clearly you thought wrong."
Santino pointed at the ingredients.
Santino: "Can't you at least fry an egg?"
She pointed back at him.
Cassandra: "Can you?"
"...No."
She smirked triumphantly.
"Exactly."
The two glared at each other across the kitchen island.
After a long silence, Santino sighed.
Santino: "This is going nowhere."
He picked up his car keys from the counter.
Cassandra: "Where are you going?"
Santino: "To buy breakfast on my way to work."
He headed toward the kitchen door.
Cassandra blinked.
Cassandra: "Wait... what about me?"
Without turning around, Santino replied,
Santino: "Figure it out."
He walked out of the kitchen.
Cassandra stared after him in disbelief.
A few seconds later, she shouted loudly enough for him to hear.
Cassandra: "You're seriously leaving your wife to starve on her first morning?"
From the hallway came Santino's calm reply.
Santino: "I have faith in you."
Cassandra grabbed a wooden spoon from the counter and waved it in the air.
Cassandra: "When you get back, this is the first thing you're getting served!"
Santino's laughter echoed from the front door just before it closed behind him.
Cassandra looked back at the untouched ingredients scattered across the kitchen.
She sighed dramatically.
Cassandra: "How hard can cooking be?"
Cassandra rolled up the sleeves of her oversized sweater and stood confidently in front of the counter.
Cassandra: "I'm Cassandra Clifford. I can run a company. Cooking can't be that difficult."
She picked up an apron hanging on the wall and tied it around her waist.
Her eyes wandered across the ingredients.
Cassandra: "Okay... eggs, bread, vegetables..."
She grabbed a frying pan and placed it on the stove.
"So far, so good."
A few moments later, she frowned.
"Now... how do I turn this thing on?"
After pressing several buttons at random, the gas burner finally ignited.
The sudden flame startled her.
"Ah!"
She took a step back before letting out a nervous laugh.
"Right... that's supposed to happen."
Feeling more confident, she poured cooking oil into the pan.
A little too much.
"...Oops."
Shrugging, she cracked an egg.
Half of the shell fell into the pan.
Cassandra stared at it.
She carefully picked out one piece...
Then another...
Then gave up.
"It'll add... crunch."
A few minutes later...
Sizzle!
The oil began popping violently.
Cassandra yelped and jumped backward.
"Why is it attacking me?"
She grabbed the frying pan with both hands, trying to move it off the heat.
Instead, the pan tilted slightly, spilling a little oil onto the burner.
A cloud of smoke immediately rose toward the ceiling.
The smoke alarm blared throughout the mansion.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Cassandra froze.
"Oh no..."
Outside, the security guards looked toward the mansion in alarm.
One of them quickly spoke into his radio.
"Everything all right inside?"
Back in the kitchen, Cassandra frantically waved a kitchen towel beneath the smoke detector.
"Stop! Stop making noise!"
The alarm continued to ring.
Covered in a little flour, with smoke drifting around her and a badly burned egg in the pan, Cassandra let out a defeated sigh.
At that exact moment, her stomach growled loudly.
She looked down at it.
"You're really choosing this moment?"
Her stomach growled again.
Cassandra sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
She reached for her phone.
"I'll just order breakfast."
Just as Cassandra placed her phone on the kitchen counter, the home telephone rang.
Ring... Ring... Ring...
She looked at it curiously.
"Who still uses a home phone?"
It rang again.
She walked over and picked up the receiver.
Cassandra: "Hello?"
A gentle laugh came from the other end.
Mrs. Eva: "Good morning, Cassandra."
Cassandra immediately smiled.
Cassandra: "Good morning, Grandma."
Mrs. Eva: "I hope I'm not disturbing you."
Cassandra: "Not at all. I was just... trying to make breakfast."
Mrs. Eva chuckled knowingly.
Mrs. Eva: "Trying?"
Cassandra looked at the burned frying pan and the smoke-stained kitchen.
Cassandra: "Let's just say the kitchen survived."
Mrs. Eva laughed warmly.
Mrs. Eva: "I'll teach you one day."
The two continued talking, moving from one topic to another.
Mrs. Eva asked how her first night at the mansion had gone.
Cassandra avoided mentioning the awkwardness and simply replied that everything was fine.
They talked about the wedding, Leon's excitement, and even Santino's stubborn personality.
After nearly half an hour, Cassandra glanced around the enormous mansion.
It felt unusually quiet.
She hesitated before speaking.
Cassandra: "Grandma..."
Mrs. Eva: "Yes, dear?"
Cassandra: "Would it be okay if Leon came back today?"
Mrs. Eva sounded surprised.
Mrs. Eva: "Already? I thought I'd keep him with me for a few more days."
Cassandra smiled softly.
Cassandra: "The mansion is... boring, it'll be lively if there's a kids around".
She looked toward the empty living room.
"It'll be nice if a kid is around."
Mrs. Eva's smile could almost be heard through the phone.
Mrs. Eva: "I was wondering how long it would take before you missed him."
Cassandra quickly denied it.
Cassandra: "I didn't say I missed him."
Mrs. Eva laughed.
"Of course you didn't."
After a brief pause, she agreed.
Mrs. Eva: "All right. I'll have one of Leon's nannies bring him over."
Cassandra's face brightened.
Cassandra: "Really?"
Mrs. Eva: "Yes. He'll be thrilled to see you."
Cassandra smiled.
Cassandra: "Thank you, Grandma."
Mrs. Eva: "Take good care of my two boys."
Cassandra blinked.
Cassandra: "Two?"
Mrs. Eva chuckled mischievously.
Mrs. Eva: "Leon... and Santino."
Before Cassandra could respond, Mrs. Eva laughed softly and ended the call.
Cassandra lowered the receiver with a helpless smile.
Cassandra: "That grandma really knows how to tease people."
One Hour Later
The sound of a car pulling into the driveway echoed through the quiet mansion.
Cassandra, who had been sitting in the living room watching television out of boredom, glanced toward the window.
A warm smile spread across her face.
"They're here."
She walked to the front door just as the doorbell rang.
Opening it, she found one of Leon's nannies standing outside, holding the little boy's backpack.
Beside her stood Leon.
The moment he saw Cassandra, his eyes lit up.
Leon: "Mommy!"
Without waiting another second, he ran toward her and wrapped his little arms tightly around her waist.
Cassandra laughed softly, instinctively hugging him back.
Cassandra: "Easy there, little guy."
Leon looked up at her with the biggest smile.
Leon: "I missed you!"
Her heart melted.
She gently pinched his cheek.
Cassandra: "It's only been a day."
Leon shook his head.
"It felt like forever."
The nanny smiled at the sweet reunion.
Nanny: "Mrs. Eva asked me to bring Master Leon back. She also packed some homemade cookies for the two of you."
She handed Cassandra a small basket.
Cassandra: "Thank you."
The nanny bowed politely.
"If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call."
After saying goodbye to Leon, she returned to the car and drove away.
The mansion became quiet once again.
Leon looked around excitedly before taking Cassandra's hand.
Leon: "Mommy, can we play?"
Cassandra smiled.
"Of course."
Leon's face lit up with excitement.
He grabbed her hand with both of his and happily led her toward the living room, already talking about all the games they were going to play together.
For the first time since arriving at the Rodriguez mansion, Cassandra no longer felt like the house was too big or too quiet.
That Evening
The sun had begun to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold.
Laughter echoed through the Rodriguez mansion.
Cassandra and Leon were sitting on the living room floor, surrounded by building blocks and toy cars.
Leon burst into laughter as Cassandra purposely stacked the blocks crookedly, making the tower collapse.
Leon: "Mommy, you lost again!"
Cassandra: "I let you win."
Leon: "No, you didn't!"
Before Cassandra could argue, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the mansion.
A familiar pair of footsteps approached.
Santino had returned from work.
The moment Leon heard them, the cheerful smile on his face disappeared.
He immediately stood up, quickly putting the toys back into their basket before standing properly with his hands behind his back.
Leon: "Good evening, Daddy."
His voice was polite and careful.
Santino loosened his tie as he walked into the living room.
He gave Leon a single nod.
Santino: "Good evening."
He briefly looked around the room before his eyes landed on Cassandra, who was quietly observing the interaction.
There was no hug.
No laughter.
No excited questions about each other's day.
Just a formal greeting.
Cassandra frowned slightly.
The atmosphere between father and son felt... distant.
Respectful.
But far too strict for a five-year-old.
Santino noticed the neatly packed toys.
"You cleaned up."
Leon nodded immediately.
"Yes, Daddy."
"Good."
Leon didn't say another word.
He simply stood there, waiting as though expecting further instructions.
Cassandra glanced from Leon to Santino and back again.
She could clearly tell this wasn't the playful relationship she'd imagined between a father and his son.
It felt more like a disciplined student standing before a strict teacher.
After a few moments, Santino spoke again.
"You may go and wash your hands. I brought something for dinner."
"Yes, Daddy."
Leon nodded obediently before hurrying upstairs.
Once he was out of sight, Cassandra turned to Santino.
She folded her arms.
Cassandra: "Don't you think you're a little too strict with him?"
Santino looked at her calmly.
Santino: "I'm raising my son to be responsible."
Cassandra shook her head.
Cassandra: "There's a difference between being responsible... and being afraid to relax around his own father."
Santino was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable as he looked toward the staircase where Leon had disappeared.
Santino remained silent for a few moments before walking past Cassandra toward the dining room.
She followed him.
Cassandra: "I'm serious."
Santino stopped and turned to face her.
Santino: "So am I."
He loosened his tie and placed his briefcase on a nearby chair.
Santino: "Being a father isn't easy."
Cassandra looked at him expectantly.
Santino: "Every decision I make affects Leon's future. I don't want him growing up spoiled or irresponsible."
Cassandra: "I understand that."
She took a step closer.
Cassandra: "But being strict doesn't mean you have to be distant."
Santino was quiet.
Cassandra: "When you came home, he immediately stood up straight like he was reporting to his boss instead of greeting his dad."
Her words lingered in the air.