A large pot of water went on the stove to boil. Tristan hummed as he chopped up vegetables for his medley, not noticing how quiet it had gotten in the kitchen. Usually he worked by himself in the kitchen, and he was so focused that other things--conversation, distractions, anything--settled into the dim background. Amy had hated that.<br/><br/>Lauren's mom dropped a kiss on the top of Lauren's head before disappearing, chuckling to herself. Her daughter thought she was hiding her feelings well, but to her mother, the love Lauren had for Tristan was obvious. She had hope that they would finally get together.<br/><br/>Tristan dumped rice into the pot with a floruish, then sat down. "We'll be done in less than an hour," he told Lauren. "Hey, where's your mom?"