"Wow, this tastes amazing!"
Paris exclaimed after taking a single bite, her spoon still halfway to her mouth, already full of excitement.
"Mommy, which neighbor gave us this food?" she asked, curiosity all over her face.
"Ahh… it was Maria.." I replied without thinking.
"Huh? Who's that?" she asked, frowning. Her question made me pause—I had just made that name up, and even I wasn't sure who I meant.
"Ah… I meant Tess. Yes, Tess," I said, forcing a smile. "Sorry, I mixed them up. Maria just looks like her. They're practically twins."
But Paris didn't seem convinced.
"Eh? But Mommy… Tess is stingy. How could she afford to give us expensive food like this?" she asked, scrunching her face in disbelief.
"A-ha-ha… is that so?" I said with a nervous laugh. "Well, maybe she got lucky and won the lottery or something. Who knows? The important thing is that we have food now, right? And you've nearly finished your share already—don't forget to save some for your brother."
