Kaylee was busy washing the countless plates in the dish pit when she noticed the sudden presence of a figure at the doorway. She turned to the person and saw Vivian staring at her weirdly.
Vivian body leaned on the door frame with her arms wrapped under her bust.
Vivian couldn't stop staring at Kaylee with dissatisfied expression. After a long while, she moved from the doorway, sauntering towards Kaylee.
"I see you are doing a great job here." Vivian complimented half-heartedly.
"I'm flattered." Kaylee said.
"Don't be reckless. There is nothing to flatter about." Vivian said sternly.
With a slight smile at her, Kaylee nodded once.
Vivian turned around to leave but she appeared to remember something as she halted and turned to Kaylee.
"Remember to tidy up the restaurant after we are done in the restaurant for today. Would you mind?"
The cleaner wasn't feeling well in the morning and he pardoned a leave. Vivian could order other cleaners to do it but she wants Kaylee to do the cleaning tonight
Kaylee uttered no words but nodded once.
"Fine then," Vivian said while she forced a smile on her lips before leaving the kitchen.
Kaylee didn't take a break from washing the dishes until it was already night and by then the restaurant had closed. Everyone had left the restaurant except Kaylee.
After Kaylee was done with the dishes, she started mopping the big five-star restaurant alone as Vivian instructed.
Every corner and place was getting dark. On the other side, Ellie's small hands trembled slightly, her nails tapping nervously against her thighs.
The moonlight cast a soft glow on her worried face, illuminating the faint lines of anxiety etched across her forehead. Ellie's usually bright eyes were clouded with concern, their usual sparkle dimmed by the weight of her unease.
As she sat on the threshold, her legs swung back and forth, a restless motion betraying her inner turmoil. Each passing moment felt like an eternity, as if time itself had slowed down to match the beating of her anxious heart and her gaze remained fixated on the closed low wooden gate.
The night air carried a hint of a familiar scent, her mother's perfume, which only intensified her longing for her mother's return.
Suddenly the door behind Ellie opened when Bella stepped outside and saw the little girl was still outside waiting for her mother.
Bella moved to Ellie, squatted down. "Ellie, why don't you come inside and have your dinner and after that, you can wait for your Mama? It's not okay to starve yourself."
Ellie didn't spare Bella a glance as she only shook her head.
Bella couldn't persuade the little girl anymore. She had said a lot of things to make the Ellie less worried but the little girl didn't want to listen.
Bella thought for a while before saying. "We only live once, Ellie. I don't think it's a good idea to wait for your Mama here in the dark, the night is growing darker." Bella paused when she saw the persistence in the little girl's body as her eyes were still fixed on the low gate again.
"Alright, Please come inside while we wait for your Mama. She wouldn't be happy with me if she saw you outside on a cold night."
"Is Mama coming back soon? I can't eat and go to bed without Mama." Ellie said out of the blue as her voice trembled a little.
"Yes, your mama will be back. I think she might be stuck in traffic or there is a lot of work to be done but I know she will be back at any time." Bella said, trying to make the little girl's nerves calm. She raised her hand to rub down Ellie's head. "Let's go in while we wait for her to join us for dinner."
Ellie decided not to be strong-headed after a long time persuasion from Bella as she stood up from the threshold and went into the house with Bella.
Meanwhile, Kaylee was striding up the alley, returning from the restaurant. Her legs hurt a little probably because she stood up the entire day as she washed the dishes.
Fortunately, the street lights were still working and the moon was shining brightly in the dark sky. Kaylee didn't appear scared while walking alone in the desolated street since she was already close to Bella's house.
After walking up the alley for some time, Kaylee heard the soft wail of a lovely animal crying pitifully ahead of her.
"Whoof! whoof!"
She went further and saw a puppy lying on the side of the street, looking frightened and lost in this world.
Kaylee looked around carefully to know where the puppy came from. Did the puppy lose its home or had no home? She wasn't sure.
Scorching her eyes for a short time and couldn't see any trace of where the puppy came from, she moved to puppy and bent down next to it.
When the puppy saw it was a stranger, it thought of running away but it couldn't even move rather it was crying in pain and fear.
"Did you lose your way home?" Kaylee said to the puppy.
Kaylee held out her hand to carry the puppy into her arms. She noticed how the puppy struggling and appearing uncomfortable in her arms. She lowered her gaze on the puppy leg leg and saw a fresh wound on one of its legs.
Kaylee didn't know if to take the wounded puppy with her at Bella's house and she couldn't let the wounded puppy suffer from pain and cold at midnight. In addition, it was late and the veterinary clinic around had closed at this hour.
Thinking briefly about what to do with the puppy, Kaylee decided to take it home with her. Just as the puppy was crying in Kaylee's arm, she tried to make the scared puppy feel safe as she did a gentle rub on its back along the fur and continued that way.
Ellie sat on the couch impatiently and jerked up when she heard the sudden doorbell rang twice.
It was her Mama! Ellie fastened her short legs to the door and then opened the door.
Seeing the figure in the dark, Ellie called softly in relief. "Mama you are back!"
Kaylee raised a finger on her lips, signaling Ellie to be quiet. "Shush. Don't wake the puppy." She smiled sweetly at Ellie before stepping into the house.
Ellie closed the door and trailed behind her mother to the parlor.
Kaylee took her seat on the couch and laid the sleeping puppy on the couch there.
"Mama, did you get a new pet?" Ellie questioned in curiosity.
It was the first time, Ellie had seen her mother with a pet and they never had one in their hometown.
"No, Ellie. I saw the puppy crying on the street and it was hurting so I thought to bring her home. Tomorrow I will visit the veterinary clinic close by and get it treated. The owner might come for the puppy."
"How thoughtful of you," Bella muttered from the other end of the couch.
Kaylee looked at Bella and a smile curled her lips. She was used to Bella teasing so she didn't fight back this time around.
Ellie's eyes gleamed brightly, staring at the black and brown colored puppy as it looked so pretty to hold in a warm embrace without hesitation.
Ellie ran into the room and not too long, she returned to the parlor.
Ellie stretched out a white handkerchief in her hands to her mother. "Take this Mama. The wound should be covered so it won't get infected."
Kaylee collected the handkerchief from Ellie and tied it loosely on the puppy's wounded leg.
Bella was busy gnawing on her snacks. There was so much food ordered on the table and the young lady appeared to eat almost all of the ordered food on the table.
Realizing, Ellie must have been on an empty stomach up till now, Kaylee felt upset with herself for letting the poor little girl starve. She stood up and moved to the kitchen.
When Bella saw Kaylee in the kitchen while trying to make something for dinner, she said. "I ordered a lot for us tonight but Ellie doesn't seem to like it."
Kaylee took a glance at the young lady who laid lazily on the couch while eating.
"Ellie only eats homemade food."
"Oh, I see." Bella exclaimed with raised eyebrows.
Bella is the type who hardly made food for herself due to her work and since she was the only one staying in the small apartment. She couldn't afford to waste food in such a difficult society so she always made orders. Now Kaylee was here, she wouldn't yearn for homemade meals or make orders again, Bella thought with a nod while watching her favorite tv-show.
Seeing the puppy was sound asleep and noticed her mother in the kitchen, Ellie left the puppy and moved to the kitchen as she assisted her mother in cooking.
After some time and the food was ready, they had dinner together and after dinner Bella and Kaylee chatted for a while.
At the the other hand, Ellie fell asleep on her mother's lap. Bella couldn't hold her sleepy eyes anymore as she went to her room and snoozed off there while Kaylee put on a warm cloth on the puppy before taking Ellie to her room.
Ellie was already asleep and Kaylee couldn't read a night story so she covered the little girl with a warm blanket and also had her sleep.