Chapter24
Dora looked down at the drumstick in her bowl, a quiet warmth rising in
her chest.
Back at the Hendrix family, everything at the dinner table was about etiquette. Seats were spaced a meter apart, talking during meals was forbidden, and sharing dishes was out of the question.
Besides, Jerrold and Audra were rarely home. After the two Hendrix brothers were sent abroad, she usually ate alone.
But the Acosta family was nothing like that. Here, they shared everything- good food, lighthearted banter, warmth. Even though they were all
crammed into a 70–square–yard apartment, the place was full of life. This felt like a real home.
“You all are busy with school, and your dad’s been out taking taxi jobs,” Chris said as she rubbed her hands a little nervously. “I was thinking maybe I could set up a little street stall: My boss at the temp job said he can get me some small toys at wholesale prices. I thought I’d buy a batch and sell them outside the elementary school. I don’t really have any experience, though. What if I lose money.”
Before she got married, Chris had been the pampered daughter of her family. She helped around the house occasionally, but never had to worry about money. When she married Alberto, his business was already doing well, and she became a full–time homemaker. She’d never had to earn a living on her own.
After the bankruptcy, she’d thought about getting a job to help ease the burden. But Linda always insisted that someone needed to take care of things at home, and that being a stay–at–home mom was the better choice.
But the truth was, being a homemaker was exhausting. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, shopping–it was all physical work, and by the time she finished everything, the day was gone. There was nothing “easy” about it.
Still, she agreed–because she wanted the kids to come home every day to a hot meal. She told herself she was the backup support team, holding the family together behind the scenes.
Now that Dora was back, the whole family felt re–energized. Everyone. wanted to fight for a better future again–and Chris wanted to do her part,
- 100.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Keith said right away. “Mom, you’ve been
cooped up at home doing chores with no one to talk to. Getting out there, doing something meaningful, even if it doesn’t earn much–it’s still good for your peace of mind.”
“I agree,” Alberto added, setting down his chopsticks and gently taking his wife’s hand. “You’ve worked so hard all these years and never really done anything just for yourself. Everyone wants to feel like they matter. If this is something you want to try, then go for it.”
Encouraged by their support, Chris finally let out a breath of relief. Then she turned to the one person who hadn’t spoken yet. “Dora. what do you think?”
Dora thought for a moment, then said, “Selling toys means stocking a wide variety, which increases your upfront cost. And since elementary school kids don’t have much pocket money, it’ll take a while to earn it back. Near our school, though, there are lots of food stalls during drop–off and pick–up–selling breakfast, snacks–and they’re doing pretty well.”
“You might want to consider selling snacks instead. Ordstead, Yredo Middle School, and the others are all in that arca, so you’d have plenty of customers. Business won’t be a problem. The only thing is, if you want to sell in the morning, it’ll be a bit tough–you’ll need to get up really early to prep the ingredients.”
Dora’s response clearly meant she supported the street stall idea. Chris let out a relieved laugh. “I don’t mind the hard work, really. It’s just… I only know how to cook simple home–style dishes. I’ve never made the kind of fancy snacks people sell at stalls.”
“Mom, come on–have some confidence! Your cooking’s way better than half the restaurants out there,” Dora said encouragingly. “Besides, we’re not trying to go gourmet. Just something tasty and filling for breakfast- there’s definitely a market for that.”
As for what to sell exactly, she couldn’t offer much advice.
There were plenty of food stalls near her school, but she had never bought anything from them–or even paid attention to what they were selling.
Back when she was the Hendrix family’s heiress, she had to watch her figure, cat clean, and maintain her image at all times. The Hendrix family always believed street food was beneath them–and indulging in it would tarnish their reputation. A love of snacks was seen as unrefined, even disgraceful.
Years of living like that had worn away her appetite entirely. In fact, the Hendrix family’s eldest son had gone through multiple chefs trying to figure out why she barely touched her food.
Chapter25
