Tristan nodded, so distracted by his dinner preparations that he didn't even notice that she had left once again. When Lauren left, the kitchen was quiet, but that didn't bother Tristan at all. Finally, when everything was on the stove cooking, he took a quick break to rest and noticed the paper on the table. With his attentions elsewhere, he wondered how that had gotten there.<br/><br/>He recognized Lauren's handwriting and picked it up to read. He felt his stomach lurch as he read through the letter twice. His heart was thumping madly, and he could feel himself grow hot, then cold. Butterflies began fluttering in the pit of his stomach. In truth, he wasn't sure what he was feeling.<br/><br/>But he knew that he had to do something immediately. He walked out of the kitchen, into the front yard where no one could hear him. Five minutes later, he came back inside. All of the food was done, and he bustled around setting everything onto plates for dinner.<br/><br/>Then he went to the bottom of the stairs and called up to Lauren and her parents. "Dinner is ready!"