The Sway and Slide of Love

Inside the bag was a thermos of soup she had made that morning. It was made with chicken and mushrooms she had bought early at the market. She had simmered them for half an hour, and as soon as she opened the lid, the rich aroma of the soup spread throughout the hospital room.

Hendrix suddenly remembered the bowl of soup Noelle had given him late that night two days ago. Good food was never something he lacked. In fact, to him, food was just a necessity for survival. But that night, something about that simple bowl of soup had brought him to the brink of tears.

He had found her. There had been a time when he truly believed she had vanished from this world. He thought he would never see her again. It was also in that moment that he fully understood what Noelle meant to him.

After all, he had seen the light, so how could he ever return to the darkness? His life had been set on a certain path. Even Beatrice had never cooked him a bowl of soup before, and he had accepted that kind of life.

But then, Noelle appeared. She was like the missing piece of his life, the one that fit perfectly, making him feel whole. So, how could he bear to lose her again? If that were to happen, he would rather die.

Now, as Hendrix looked at the bowl of soup in front of him, that overwhelming emotion surged through him once more. He stared at it in a daze, unable to respond or move.

It wasn't until Noelle asked nervously, "You don't like it?" that he snapped out of it.

As she spoke, she began to slowly pull her hand back. But Hendrix quickly caught her wrist.

"Of course not," he said.

Noelle couldn't tell if it was just her imagination, but his voice seemed to carry a hint of hoarseness. She wasn't sure where that emotion came from, but just as she was about to take a closer look at his expression, Hendrix suddenly looked up.

He had already composed himself and was smiling faintly. "I like it very much. It's just that I've injured my arm, so I can't feed myself."

Noelle was taken aback. "But your other hand is fine, isn't it?"

"I'm not used to using my left hand. How about you feed me instead?"

Noelle had been about to suggest another solution. But when she heard Hendrix's words, her eyes widened. "Me? Feed you?"

"Is that not okay?" Hendrix looked at her seriously. "Your mom may be old, but she's got some strength. The doctor said my arm is fractured and will take at least three months to heal. It's only the first day today. Besides, didn't you just say you were grateful to me?"

Noelle had no response to that. In the end, she resigned herself to picking up the spoon. Before feeding Hendrix, she blew on the soup to cool it down, checking to make sure it wasn't too hot. Only then did she bring the spoon to his lips.

"Here." Noelle's voice was soft, carrying a tenderness she wasn't even aware of.

Hendrix lowered his gaze and

noticed her fingers were trembling

slightly. Moreover, the tips of her

fingers had turned white fromnoveldrama

gripping the spoon too hard. It

wasn't out of fear but nervousness.

Hendrix raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything. He simply opened his mouth and drank the soup from the spoon.

Noelle quickly scooped up another spoonful. Before long, the entire bowl was emptied.

Just as Noelle thought this torturous task was finally over, Hendrix said, "Didn't you ask me earlier why I was getting out of bed?"