Arthur and Helena repeat their daily routines. Arthur usually wakes up first and starts his day very early. He cooks his own breakfast, makes sure she is making extra for Helena to eat, and then packs a sandwich for his lunch.

In return, Helena cooks dinner for the two of them, but she makes it a point to eat dinner earlier to avoid having it with Arthur, as it would make her uncomfortable around him. Same thing about waking up late so she could have breakfast alone.

While Arthur is away doing his exploration in San Antonio, Helena spends her time writing her novel. And she loves nothing more than a quiet and calm place where she can let her thoughts run wild while creating vivid scenes for her to write.

Her novels usually finish 2 to 5 months before she can submit them to her editor. And then revise them if need be. Having Arthur at home motivates her in writing since he is the story's male lead.

One afternoon, Helena was surprised to hear Arthur's pick-up truck coming as it was only a quarter to 5 in the afternoon. Arthur went home earlier than usual while she was cooking dinner. She knew she would be forced to have dinner with Arthur, which wasn't good.

"Hi, how can I help?" Arthur puts his backpack on the sofa.

"Why are you early?" Helena ignored the question, hoping Arthur would forget about it and just proceed to edit his photos.

"I just thought of coming home earlier since I already explored the place I planned to explore today; I'll continue tomorrow," he walked to the kitchen and picked up the other knife on the counter.

Arthur insisted on helping, which Helena couldn't refuse. He started to chop the onions as he knew Helena hated chopping onions. He wasn't a fan of chopping onions, but he was doing it to please the woman before him.

"Why are you so good at cooking?" Helena asked.

"I'm not as good as you."

"Maybe, but you're way too good to most men I've met."

Well, I learned cooking as my parents had taught me earlier in the days until they kicked me out of the house when I was 18. They both have the principle of making us independent and making our own living would amount worthy as their children."

"That's a brutal way of raising children. This is a widespread way of raising children, but it feels wrong. When you're 18, you still don't know how to go about life. Yeah, you know how to make a living, but doing everything independently is quite a hard grasp. But anyway, you did great in life. Your parents must be proud of you."

"Still not. You don't wanna know how much I've been through. It was a phase in life where I didn't want to keep retelling, but I learned so much from that stage. Still, I couldn't stress enough how grateful I am to my parents for making me an independent man."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but it seems that you're doing what you love because you're exploring San Antonio. And it's good to know that you don't forget all the good things your parents taught you."

"Yeah, it's not just a hobby for me. It's my bread and butter," Arthur said proudly.

"Oh, nice. Do you make a living by exploring? Are you kind of an influencer and earning to promote your travel videos?"

"No. I don't like being seen in the camera. I like capturing beautiful things in nature, though. I sell my photos online. I've been doing this for a decade, and it's enough to make ends meet and do what I love simultaneously."

"For me, it's even rewarding that you do what you love and earn from it. That's what I'm doing," Helena paused for a bit. It was too late when she realized she was sharing a thing about herself that she vowed she wouldn't do anymore.

"What is that?" Arthur was eager to know what Helena does for a living.

"I write novels for a living. I basically love art. After losing my drive to paint, I continued my passion for writing novels, which started in grade school."

"That's amazing; we finally have the same thing in common," Arthur said happily, waiting for that perfect moment. He was smiling ear to ear, which Helena found hilarious, yet she didn't show a little smile on her lips and shook her head.

Helena looked across the table at Arthur and locked eyes with him. She saw the same gentle expression in Arthur's eyes and felt a strange magnetic pull toward him. She quickly averted her gaze and turned away to grab a pan, flustered by her feelings' intensity.

"Can you please bring the ingredients close?"

Arthur was glad to oblige and brought the ingredients closer to Helena. He could feel the heat emanating from Helena's body as he handed them. Their fingers brushed against each other, and Helena felt a jolt of electricity run through her body. She quickly turned away, hoping Arthur didn't notice her reaction. Her heart was racing as she put the fire on to start cooking.

As they continued to cook together, Helena couldn't help but steal glances at Arthur. She had always thought of him as annoying, but now she was starting to see him in a different light. She was drawn to his easy going nature and his passion for life. She found herself wanting to know more about him, to understand more about what had shaped him into the person he was today.

"You seemed to have good parents as they supported you in everything you did," Arthur opened up a topic to eliminate Helena's uneasiness around him. He knew the woman wasn't that comfortable every time they were close to each other.

It took a while for her to answer. "I couldn't ask for more, but they were taken from me too soon."

"I know. That must be painful for you. I'm sorry to keep reminding you."

"How about you? Didn't your parents support you in your hobby and a way to make a living?"

"I wish," Arthur said in almost a whisper.

"You said they want you to be independent. Here you are making your own way of life, yet they're not happy?"

"You don't wanna know. It's more complex than that. My parents were too demanding and narcissistic."

"I'm sorry if I'm pushy about it. It's not my life, and I shouldn't be making assumptions."

"No, I don't mind. But it would be better to discuss supportive parents like yours."

"Yeah. My mom abandoned me in a foster home when I was a baby. I've had 3 foster parents who adopted me but eventually sent me back to a foster home. Mom, Sally, and dad Jack were the only couple who showed me how to be loved as a daughter and child. They had me when I was already 7 years old."

"That's tough, transferring from one parent to another. I'm sorry to hear that," Arthur said sincerely.

"Thanks. I don't wish anyone in the same situation as I did. But every pain disappeared when I found the right parents for me."

"Everyone deserves to have wonderful parents; I'm glad you found them, and they supported all you do."

"They do. My passion for writing and painting started almost simultaneously, but I was more passionate about painting when I was young. When I lost my parents, my passion for painting died with them. The only reason I enjoy writing is that it has a deep connection with me. When I had anxiety and depression, writing and journaling was my confidant."

"You sure have deep reasons for doing what you do. Same thing about me. I remember we were happy then as a family. I've had beautiful memories with my parents and my siblings. When I was young, we traveled a lot. At that time, I realized I wanted to be a photographer and make it my day-to-day life. My family was my inspiration then."

They had a good conversation while cooking together. Despite their differences, they found common ground in their passion for their respective crafts.

Helena was confused why she slipped and shared her life with a stranger. It was out of her character after swearing not to let other people in her life again. She regretted it.