There's No Turning Back (Elara and Harvey) novel Chapter 3

Harvey's suggestion to have Scotch eggs was, in truth, a ploy to get Mary to contact Elara. He thought he was already offering her a way back into the fold.

"Mrs. Fisher said she isn't coming back," said Mary.

Harvey choked on his coffee, unable to suppress a coughing fit.

Mary sensed something was amiss. "Did you and Mrs. Fisher have an argument, Mr. Fisher?"

"Mind your own business!" Harvey's sharp tone chilled the air in the dining room.

Mary shrank back, not daring to say another word while Harvey tightened his grip on the mug in his hand.

How could Elara possibly not come back? By now, she should already be preparing the homemade lunch she always sent to his office.

Whenever Elara upset him in the past, she would personally deliver lunch to the office as a reconciliation gesture.

…

Bambi sat at the dining table, and her eyes lit up when she saw the breakfast. "Wow! Chicken noodle soup!"

Bambi loved chicken noodle soup, but Beau would gag at the sight of it. At the Fisher residence, Elara rarely made soup because Harvey and Beau didn't like it.

Even Ethel had once remarked that soup was "poor people's food"—a way to stretch ingredients when there wasn't enough to eat. Meals were meant to follow a scientifically balanced diet in the Fisher household.

Even though Elara believed her homemade soup was nutritious and easier for the children to digest, her efforts weren't appreciated.

When she added chicken, vegetables, and soft-boiled eggs for extra flavor, the Fishers would mock it. They would call it "slop" and say it looked disgusting.

One time, she made a simple chicken and vegetable soup without eggs specifically for Beau. But after he dumped it in the trash, she stopped making soup altogether.

She had once tried to teach Beau not to waste food, but he lashed out at her, saying, "This is pig food! How could you give this to me? Mommy, you truly are a country bumpkin!"

The memory stung her deeply. Snapping out of her thoughts, Elara noticed that Bambi had already finished her soup.

Bambi let out a satisfied burp. She gazed at her empty bowl that was licked clean and shining, still wanting more.

"Can I only have chicken noodle soup when we're at Grandma's?" Bambi asked.

Elara said to her, "We'll eat whatever we want from now on. We don't have to worry about anyone else's opinions."

Bambi smiled and said, "Then, Mommy, you shouldn't cook tomorrow. Take a break! Let's eat out instead!"

Elara was stunned by this. She was just following her routine as a mother to prepare breakfast for her daughter. It hadn't occurred to her that she should prioritize being herself before being a mother.

"Alright," Elara replied. Her smile was as warm as the morning sun.

…

After breakfast, Elara drove Bambi to kindergarten and spotted the Fisher family's top-of-the-line Cullinan.

Beau hopped out of the car with his backpack, and Elara quickly averted her gaze.

Beau bounded over to Bambi, waving a paper bag in his hand. "Look! Niamh bought me wax bottle candy!"

He pulled out one shaped like a bear's head and proudly showed it off. "This one's pistachio raspberry flavor!"

Bambi remained unfazed. "Mommy says eating too much candy causes cavities, and wax bottle candy is unhealthy."

Beau stuck out his tongue and made a face. "I have a new mommy now! The old one can't boss me around anymore!"

He added while pouting smugly, "Niamh told me to share these candies with the other kids—except for you, you fat pig!"

Bambi was built sturdy and strong, standing in stark contrast to the naturally frail and skinny Beau.

In the past, Elara had taught Beau not to copy other kids and call Bambi names, but now Beau had become completely unruly.

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