The next day, Shirley Thorne woke up bright and early as usual. She ate the breakfast Susan Langley had prepared and then lavished her with over eight hundred words of praise.
Susan Langley was beaming. While humbly insisting she still had a long way to go, she respectfully asked whether Ethan had eaten her cooking.
Shirley Thorne's answer was always to name a dish. "Ethan wants Mapo Tofu for lunch."
"I'll make it this afternoon!"
Susan Langley's eyes lit up. After giving her assurance, she asked again, "What about the roast duck from yesterday? Did Ethan like it?"
"Of course he liked it. Didn't you see the wet trash bin was full of duck bones?"
Shirley Thorne would never tell her that she had eaten that entire pile of bones all by herself.
Upon hearing this, Susan Langley's face filled with uncontrollable joy. She looked just like a mother who, after begging for forgiveness and attention, had finally received a response.
