Lily quickly dried her tears using a handkerchief I gave to her.
"Alright! Let me help you with your garden for now, I can see there's a lot of messy things here, you didn't set it up completely right!" She said, quickly cheering up and acting like a teacher.
"Aahhh… I-I guess I didn't, huh… Well I still had fun with my Elena." I giggled nervously.
"Well, that's what important but it can always be better, right? Alright, let's get to it then!" Lily got surprisingly cheerful and energetic, as she began helping me in everything she could.
I honestly had a very fun time with her, laughing, smiling, and seeing her smile as well. I felt rather sad when she began to cry like that, it must have been hard for her after all these years of dedicating her blood and sweat to her shop to see how it might inevitably close.
When we finished, we drank some tea that Elisa gifted to me while enjoying the view of the garden, she seemed rather fulfilled after having helped me a lot.
"Phew that was a lot of work…" She sighed in relief. "Hmm, but this tea really makes it all worth it…"
"Yeah, it is amazing right? My daughter's friend gifted it to me, she's a really nice girl." I said.
"Ah, you've got a nice friend for your girl then." Lily said.
She suddenly looked into the garden and the flowers, seemingly slightly sorrowful.
"I wish I could had made a family like you did…"
"Eh? Ah… Well, you might had have your reasons…"
"I… Well, I was never good at interacting with guys… So it was hard for me. I always thought "eventually I'll find the right one", but that went on and on… the years went by and I… I never found anybody."
"Oh…"
"Ah, sorry, I guess it is not really something I should be telling you out of nowhere…"
"No, it's fine. You can talk anything you want, feel free."
"Elayne… you've got such an enormous amount of patience with this old lady…"
"Haha, don't call yourself old, you're only… fifty?" I asked.
"Fifty-two…" Sighed Lily.
"Well, it still very early! You're young and you look almost the same that I remember you when you were thirty, you're a gorgeous woman Lily, have more confidence." I said.
"Elayne…" Lily sighed as she seemed to smile a bit more.
Woah, I never thought I would be the one cheering up people like this.
I was always self-loathing myself and had Mark telling me all these days that I was someone nice that deserved more.
Now I am the one telling others that and trying to cheer them up.
I guess I have indeed changed…
"You think I could find someone one day?" Wondered Lily, slightly embarrassed.
"For sure!" I said. "There's lots of fishes out in the sea."
"Ahh… I wish I could find someone that could accept me how I am… I honestly just want that." She sighed. "I wouldn't even mind how they look or anything… I guess I am slightly desperate, am I? Though I am already way past the age I can have a kid… It was one of my dreams when I was a girl to have a family with kids and all… I can't believe how much I've wasted my life without ever fulfilling that dream…"
"Oh…" I sighed. I quickly patted her shoulders. "There is… well, always other options to have a child, perhaps… But well, it is all up to your own compromise and all of that."
"Hmm… I guess you're right." Lily sighed. "Well, I think I should get going, I don't want to bother you anymore and it's about to be lunch time…"
"Oh, how about you come eat with us?" I asked.
"Eh? M-Me?" She asked.
"Yeah, why not? You can have lunch with me and the girls." I said. "Can you help me cooking?"
"Sure!" Lily quickly answered happily, as we went inside my home and we began to cook a delicious paella. I introduced Lily to Anna and Elisa, as Lily praised how cute they were.
"This is… So delicious…" Lily said. "I don't think I've ever eaten something so tasty since I was a little girl and I was feed what my mother prepared every day…" Lily smiled, recalling her past.
"Eh?! That much?" I asked.
"Yeah! I don't know why but the food is way tastier than before too, it is so flavorful…" Anna said.
"T-This is amazing, not even the professional chefs at my house make such delicious paella!" Elisa said. "Auntie your food is the best of the best!"
"Hm, I don't know how she does it but it keeps getting more tasty." Elena said.
"Ahahaha… Thanks…" I said, slightly embarrassed.
I don't know why but the food was indeed more delicious, and more comforting and warm, as if it had an all-encompassing flavor that granted a sense of fulfillment to the body.
It felt like when I ate the delicious food I made inside the game, somehow.
"Thank you for the lunch, Elayne, I think I owe you so much now…" Sighed Lily.
"It is fine, don't worry about it… I'll be going to my parents' house for half the week but the other half we can meet up again, you can come here or I can come to your house as well." I said.
"O-oh, sure thing! I would love to." Lily said, suddenly giving me a big hug.
"Thank you for everything, really." She said.
"Aww… It is nothing Lily! Take care." I said, as she walked away slowly.
I guess I made a new friend, although deep down, it feels like Lily was always my friend.
And well, now that I've got nothing much to do, I'll go play BNLO until night!
Huh… I wonder if Lily will truly try it out now that she got it. I think it might do her well. She could even find a boyfriend there eventually…
