Abigail wandered through the room, admiring the subtle details that filled every corner. Sebastian truly was a man of great attention to detail. She turned to find him speaking. “You’ll be here in half an hour? That’s fine. We haven’t started yet.”

Approaching him, Abigail lowered her voice. “Is that James?”

“Mm-hmm,” Sebastian replied, his hand reaching up to affectionately ruffle her hair.

“I’ll go prepare the ingredients then,” Abigail said before making her way to the kitchen.

“See you later,” Sebastian said quickly into the phone, ending the call and then reaching out to gently take Abigail’s hand. “Aren’t you curious about the study?”

“We’ll look later,” she replied with a smile. “Let’s get the ingredients ready first. It’s our home, after all, we can see the study whenever we want. It’s not going anywhere.” With that, she tugged him toward the kitchen.

Sebastian followed her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Together, they moved toward the kitchen, an easy intimacy settling between them.

By the time they had prepared the ingredients, James and Warren had arrived. As they stepped inside, James immediately began surveying the room.

“Well, this place looks nice. I imagine it’ll look even better in the spring when the trees outside are in full bloom,” James said.

“Why don’t you two head to the living room and watch TV? I’ll cook with Abigail,” Sebastian said as he gestured toward the kitchen.

Warren nodded, but both he and James walked into the kitchen together. The kitchen was much smaller than the ones Sebastian was used to. With all four of them in the space, it felt crowded.

“What’s cooking?” James asked, leaning against the counter.

Sebastian, sensing the cramped space, frowned slightly. “You’ll see when it’s on the table. Hurry up and head out. There’s barely enough room to move in here.”

Warren pulled James out of the kitchen, chuckling softly.

“Why move into a small place like this? It’s nice enough, but the space is so cramped,” James murmured once they were in the living room.

Warren seemed less concerned, his tone casual. “Well, it’s a housewarming gathering, I suppose. We didn’t bring any presents, though.”

They continued to look around the house. When they confirmed that there was only one bedroom, James, unable to resist, remarked with a smirk, “Just one bedroom…”

Warren stifled a laugh, glancing at James. “I said we didn’t bring a housewarming gift.”

“Guess we’ll make it up next time. Seems like he wanted us to come over for dinner to celebrate, huh?” James said, still not fully understanding. To him, it didn’t seem like much of a celebration. It felt more like something they were settling for.

Once the food was on the table, James couldn’t be bothered to make any more comments.

He picked up his fork and knife, eagerly taking a bite of the pan-seared bass Abigail had prepared. After a moment, he nodded in approval. “Not bad. Tastes fresh, and really retains the fish’s natural flavor. It’s delicious!”

“Is it because I made it, or are you just saying that to be nice?” Abigail teased with a grin.

“Not at all. You think I’d do that?” James replied, taking another bite.

“Are you guys interested in roasted chicken?” Abigail asked as she headed back to the kitchen.

“Of course! We go out to eat it all the time,” James said without hesitation.

Abigail returned with a large platter of roasted chicken, potatoes, and carrots, placing it carefully on the table. James and Warren both noticed the simplicity of the meal, wholesome, comforting dishes. Abigail sat beside the table, and Sebastian emerged from the kitchen shortly after.

As he sat down, James, clearly impressed, spoke up. “I have to admit, this feels like home.”

Sebastian, serving the dishes with a smile, casually asked, “How does this compare to my place? Anything different?”

James, always quick with a retort, grinned. “Feels like the kind of home where your parents would take care of you two kids.”

Abigail let out a soft laugh, finding his comment amusing.

Warren immediately interjected, “Can you not drag me into this?”

“I’m not about to have a son as old as you,” Sebastian said, laughing despite himself.

James reached out to take the plate Sebastian offered him, still smiling. “I’m serious. The way the steam rises from your face, it’s exactly like how I feel when I’m with my mom.”

“Cut it out, or I’ll have you kicked out of here,” Sebastian warned with a mock glare, handing a plate to Warren.

“Hey, give it to Abby first,” Warren said, not wanting to take it yet.

Abigail, with a smile, responded, “You’re the guests today, so you go first. Don’t be shy.”

Warren, seeing no point in refusing, finally took the plate. James, thoroughly enjoying the meal, took his time tasting each dish. After a moment, he asked Abigail, “So, most of these dishes were made by you, right?”

“Yeah. Not your thing?” she asked lightly.

“I like them. It’s just different from what Sebastian makes. I can tell.” Though James' words were casual, his mind was preoccupied with the question of why they had decided to move here.