My Long Lost Mate

"Miss Violet!!" Bob threw his spatula aside, leaving everything he was working on the moment he saw me. He hurriedly ran over, rubbing his eyes along the way. He couldn't seem to believe what he was seeing, wondering if this was his hallucination. 

As he got closer to me, he waved his hand skeptically in front of me to make sure that I was real. Seeing it, I laughed, as it was the exact reaction Lisa had when she saw me just now. She also couldn't seem to believe her eyes, as I suddenly appeared out of nowhere after being gone for weeks. 

"Bob," I called, and another gasp went out of his mouth.

His jaw dropped open when he realized that I was, in fact, not a hallucination, using his palm to cover his wide-open mouth. He paced around, fanning his eyes to prevent tears from falling. 

"Miss Violet... it's you," he said, his eyes welling with tears, "You're back." 

"I am," I smiled at him, opening my arms to offer him a hug. He hurriedly removed his dirty apron, brushing his clothes clean before accepting my arms. 

"I'm so sorry for what happened to you," he said as he hugged me tightly, sniffling a little.

Ever since I met him, Bob has always been nothing but kind and sweet to me. He always acted more like a father to me than my actual father. I missed him terribly, just as much as I missed his cooking. It felt good to know that someone missed me while I was away.

"Don't be," I patted his back gently, helping him to calm his tears. I didn't expect him to cry for me, as I didn't realize he cared that much about me. I had always ȧssumed he was nice to me because he worked for Luke and didn't want to get on his bad side, that's why. 

Knowing the truth that people actually care for me was pretty... um, surprising. I was so used to people mistreating me that I forgot there could be people who genuinely cared for me. Aside from Luke, of course, because I've realized for a long time that he cared for me the most.

Coming here has been a blessing to my life—truly. 

"W-wait, you guys are suffocating me," I patted the two werewolves, asking them to break away for me to breathe. Breaking away, Bob started with his questions. 

"Are you okay, miss? You've lost so much weight in a matter of weeks," Bob said, shaking his head as he looked at my condition, "Is the food in Gordom not to your liking? Or did they perhaps not feed you properly? Are you still ill? I should hurry go and cook you a—" 

"Bob, I'm fine. I'm not ill," I ȧssured him, smiling at the man. "The people in Gordom were kind to me, and they also fed me well, so you don't need to be worried. You too, Lisa," I glanced at Lisa, who was eyeing me suspiciously. 

"You were just adding up some weight before all of this happened," she grumbled, sad that I had returned to my initial weight. "Look at this. There's nothing to pinch here. The fat is all gone," she said, cupping my cheeks, "You're so tiny that I'm afraid the wind will blow you away."

"She's right, miss. From now on, I should prepare healthier meals for you so you can gain some weight and improve your health," Bob nodded, pulling a note from his pocket to jot down a reminder to make more nutritious meals for me.

Both of them then started to discuss a plan for me to gain some weight, from planning my meals to my workouts. They were so eager about it, genuinely hoping for me to be healthier. Seeing it warmed my heart, as I now found myself more people who cared about me. 

As I listened to the two people's discussion, a smell roaming in the air caught my attention. It was the smell of something burning, so I looked around to see where it was coming from and realized it came from Bob's boiling pot. 

"Bob, your pot!" 

...

"Bob, I don't think I'll be able to finish all of this," I said to Bob, who kept on adding more plates to the table, ranging from meats, soups, vegetables, and fruits. All kinds of food were placed in front of me, asking to be eaten. 

Bob had spent the previous hour preparing a variety of foods for me, saying that it had been a long time since he had cooked for me and that he wanted to cook everything he hadn't been able to for the last few weeks.

Lisa was right when she said Bob would cook an entire feast for me. It has, in fact, happened.

"The food is going nowhere if you don't eat it, miss," Bob said with a smile as he put another bowl to the pile of food in front of me, the final one of the lot. Does that mean I'll have to eat it all by myself?

Despite the amount of food that I had to finish, I couldn't help but feel my mouth water at the sight before me. There was the food I had been missing for a long time, and the scent made my stomach growl furiously. 

I raised my spoon, ready to dig in, but stopped when I noticed how Bob and Lisa stared at me, their eyes set on me without moving an inch away. 

"Stop staring at me like that," I chuckled, seeing how they were staring at me so expectantly. "I can't even eat properly because you guys are burdening me with all those stares."

Hearing it, they tore their gaze away, with Bob going to wash the dishes, while Lisa made herself a tea. Even with their newly found activities, I could still notice the side glances they kept giving me, anticipating my reaction to the food prepared. They wanted to make sure that I was eating properly and if the meal was to my liking or not, which I found very amusing and endearing.

Finally, I took my first bite of the day, and I must say, it was totally worth the wait. Bob, as expected, never fails to prepare a dish that tastes out of this world. The food Bob makes will always be the standard of the food I eat for the rest of my life. I will never get enough of them. 

"Bob, you're amazing," I gave him a thumbs-up, immediately receiving a hearty laugh from Bob. Lisa, who heard my acknowledgment of the food, placed another piece of meat on my plate, asking me to eat more of them. 

"When did you arrive here?" she queried as she didn't hear any news about my return until she saw me in the garden.

"Hmm... I'm not sure. I fell asleep on the way back, but I ȧssume it must be around midnight or dawn. By the time I woke up, I was already in Luke's room," I replied as I ate another spoonful of food, "Right. Do you know where Luke is?"

"No, I didn't even know he's back until I found you," she shook her head, saying, "But I'm guessing he's at his office, knowing that he's a bit crazy about his job. Why? Are you looking for him?"

"Yes. I was actually on my way to his office when I met you," I replied as I handed her an apple, which she politely declined, "But I got lost and ended up walking around the manor several times in an attempt to find my way there."

"So you're lucky you found me," she laughed. 

"Then, while you're at it, miss, may I ask you to help me deliver his meal? It's just in time for him to eat his lunch. I'm afraid I'll have to clean up the mess I've caused," Bob chimed in, referring to the kitchen, which was strewn about after the feast he had made for me.

"Sure, just give it to me," I agreed. I then finished the food that had been prepared for me, eating as much as I could. "Bob, I'm afraid I won't be able to finish everything at once, so could you please help me warm the leftovers for dinner? I don't want them to go to waste."

"I'll be sure to do that, miss," he said, nodding. "I'll also add your favorite chocolate cake for the dessert if you want," he offered, and there was no way I could say no to that. 

"Then, I'll be on my way," I stood up, handing Bob the dirty dishes, as well as waving my goodbye to both Lisa and Bob. "Thank you for the wonderful meal, Bob. You're an amazing chef." 

With a happy heart and a happy tummy, I finally carried out my initial plan to look for Luke, not forgetting to take his meal along with me.