"Wow, Ally..." Lizzy was quite familiar with the cake; it was the exact cake she had seen in her favorite drama. She used to imagine that the smell must be fantastic, and now she could smell it for real. Suddenly, she felt hungry.
Allynna smiled at Lizzy before responding, "Yes, it's done. Do you want to eat it now or later, after dinner?"
"Wait, what? After dinner? Why would I eat it after dinner when I can have it now? You know I like chocolate cake; of course, I want it now!" Lizzy answered her in a hurry. Afraid Ally will keep the cake away from her.
Allynna chuckled at her friend's spoiled child act. "Alright, you wait on the sofa. I'll serve it soon—" Allynna needed to place the cake on a pretty plate and sprinkle powdered sugar on top as a garnish.
Once she finished, she promptly brought two cake plates, one for Lizzy and one for herself. Lizzy impatiently accepted the plate from Allynna and began cutting into the cake with a small spoon.
When the spoon touched the center of the cake, the chocolate liquid oozed out from the inside. Lizzy's eyes widened in surprise.
"Ally, is this it? Lava chocolate?" Lizzy asked. She had never imagined her best friend could make this cake, and now she looked at Ally with a newfound respect.
Allynna could only smile at Lizzy while nodding, confirming her curiosity. "How does it taste? Try it, hurry…." Allynna wanted to know Lizzy's opinion.
Lizzy immediately tasted her cake. She was surprised by the soft texture of the cake blending with the melted chocolate as it touched her tongue. She couldn't find the words to describe her feelings at that moment; it was simply fantastic. With her mouth still busy chewing the delicious cake, she could only raise a thumb towards Allynna.
After finishing all the cake on her plate, she could finally speak.
"Ally, the cake was fantastic! So tasty… I don't think one serving will be enough for me. Can I have more, please?" She blinked several times, trying to make a cute face at her best friend, hoping for more cake.
Allynna didn't pay much attention to Lizzy's gaze. She was pretty pleased with her achievement in baking.
'Another masterpiece!? Wow!! Congrats, Ally...' Allynna silently praised herself inwardly. She had now mastered the art of making a Choco Lava cake.
Allynna was amazed by the cooking she had done so far. When she cooked and baked, she followed her mother's recipes but relied on her instincts when measuring the ingredients. Her brain, hands, eyes, nose, and tongue worked together when she cooked or baked; what she did felt natural.
She didn't think she was doing anything extraordinary; she followed her instincts and intuition. The results surprised her, and her friends praised her many times.
'Am I possessed by the god of cooking?' A peculiar thought crossed her mind, leading to a giggle at that quirky idea.
"Ally, please give me more... huh!?"
"NO!! You must help me first, and then I'll give you more," Allynna said to Lizzy with an intense expression while trying to hold back her laughter.
"Gosh, you are so heartless. But no worries, I still love you, Ally," Lizzy grinned. "Well, my friend, I'm lucky you found your talent now. Imagine if you had discovered it a year ago. I would've been fat."
Allynna "..."
"Okay, Ally, what do you want me to do so I can get more of this?" Lizzy asked.
Allynna didn't answer Lizzy right away. She tried her cake first, and her eyes widened as she tasted it. Lizzy was right; this cake tasted like heaven. It melted in her mouth, and the chocolate's sweetness made her crave more. The sweetness was perfectly balanced—sweet, but not overly so.
'Gosh! This is delicious...' Allynna couldn't help but praise herself.
...
After finishing the cake, they headed to Allynna's parents' room on the second floor.
Allynna had prepared a box to store the items to be donated.
"Ally, aren't you sad about giving these things to other people? These are your parents' belongings," Lizzy asked carefully, fearing that her best friend would feel sad again after losing her parents a few weeks ago.
Still fresh in Lizzy's mind was the memory of Allynna locking herself in her room after her parents' passing. She never left the house, not even for groceries or food. When Lizzy visited her one day, she found Ally's refrigerator empty. Ally hadn't eaten all day; her face was pale, she had lost weight, and she appeared dull and depressed.
At that moment, Lizzy panicked upon seeing her best friend's condition and immediately informed her parents. Her parents then helped fill Ally's fridge and continued providing her with food.
Over the past few weeks, Ally's mood had significantly improved. She became more cheerful and started doing new things like cooking, cleaning up, and donating her parents' old belongings.
This was a positive development, and Lizzy wanted to ensure Ally remained in this improved state.
"I'm not sad, Lizz. You knew my mom, right? She loved helping people in need. I'm doing this for my mom. I know she must be happy up there..." Allynna explained with a smile as she began sorting the items for donation and those she intended to keep.
She didn't plan to donate all her parents' things. But she will keep a few—especially those with lovely memories of her parents.
Lizzy didn't ask any more questions and assisted Allynna in packing all the items to be donated. By the time they finished, it was already dark outside, and Lizzy's stomach was growling.
"Oops, sorry, Ally... it looks like I'm starving right now." They both laughed and promptly carried the boxes downstairs to the first floor.
...
Tonight, Allynna will cook a simple meal for dinner. She only makes grilled chicken with salad and potato wedges. She immediately grilled the marinated chicken, which she already marinated this morning, and prepared other ingredients.