Karin sat on the far edge of the couch, her body slouched over, elbow resting on the side. Yuna comfortably sat in the middle, her posture normal. Mike sat across from the two, behind the table, with his legs crossed. Ryan walked over to sit on the other edge of the couch. He could’ve sworn he saw Mike glare daggers at him, but it happened so quickly, so he wasn’t sure if it happened or not.

  “Hey, how are you feeling?” Yuna asked. “Any better?”

  “Yeah,” Ryan replied.

  “That’s good to hear. Maybe when we finish up, we can give you a brief tour of our base?”

  “Sure, that sounds good.”

  A pleasant aroma filled his nostrils, making his stomach grumble louder. Yuna took notice and giggled, pointing that out. Ryan crossed his arms and looked away, his face flushed red. No one else seemed bothered by it, however.

  After a while, Taylor pushed through the beaded curtain and walked to the group. He took his time getting over, carrying a pot of broth with mitts in his hands. Yuna helped distribute the bowls and spoons across the table ahead of time, so there was no time lost in that department. Taylor carefully set the pot down in the center of the table, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

  Mike offered to help, but Taylor insisted on taking care of it himself. He left real quick to grab a ladle to stir the pot of contents in. Smoke rose out of the silver pot. Everyone in the group could be enveloped in the rich aroma through their nostrils, making their stomachs rumble. After a long day, they could hardly wait for something to fill their bellies. Taylor returned with the ladle and stirred the contents of the soup some more before distributing them to each of the bowls. Then, he helped himself to a little serving.

  As the warm bowl rested on his lap, Ryan looked down at his reflection in the soup. Chunks of vegetables dipped in and out of the liquid, the scents they each gave blended together in perfect harmony. Pieces of potatoes, carrots, celeries, and more rested in the broth.

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  Ryan took a spoonful and blew on it a few times before slurping it down. The warmth of the soup soothed and calmed his nerves and was enough of a kick to wake his brain up. Before he knew it, he took another spoonful. And then another. Each of the vegetables he chewed on had a nice crunch to it. The broth soaked into them, adding more flavor to them than before. The liquid hit him as it slid down the back of his throat.

  Maybe it was cause he hadn’t eaten in a while, or he was just tired. Maybe he was used to eating takeout or fast food in his prior life. Ryan couldn’t explain it, but something about the soup clicked for him.

  At that moment, life flashed before his eyes as memories resurfaced in his brain. How long had it been since Ryan had a meal this good and shared it with other people? Moments where he ate by himself at a diner, when he’d eat lunch at work, whenever he tried Daisy’s home cooking at her place, or ate at a lovely cafe.

  As Ryan blinked, his vision suddenly became foggy. A single water droplet fell, landing on his lap with a soft plop, almost hitting the side of the bowl. The unexpected shift in his emotional state left him momentarily stunned. He looked around and noticed how everyone stared at him with concerned expressions. Ryan placed a hand on his cheek as water ran down his fingers. He couldn’t believe it; it was coming from him. He was... crying?

  “Hey, is something the matter?” Taylor asked, breaking the silence.

  Ryan shook his head and gulped the broth. “It’s just so delicious, I couldn’t stop myself.”

  “Well, I’m glad you like it, but don’t go too fast. We only have so much to go around for the night.”

  “Right, sorry.”

  “No, you’re fine. Would you like seconds?”

  Ryan wiped his eyes and nodded.

  The rest of the dinner went by in silence. Ryan had so much on his mind that it was hard to process everything. There were so many questions about the future for himself and everyone around him. It didn’t help thinking about it, though. For now, he chose to live in the moment and enjoy this small dose of freedom while he could. None of them knew where things would go from here, but that could wait. At least it was better than being alone.