(A.N.: As an apology for me keeping you all waiting for the fifth chapter, take the next chapter early. Does this make up for it? Hehe)

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[Chapter 6: Of Divine Turkey]

Homura stared into the water. Ripples scattered out through the surface and the shine of the fluorescent light bulb got distorted by each wave. The water was warm and cozy, in which, Homura could just forget her worries and feel her muscles relax.

Her precious bath time.

Her skin was surrounded completely by warm water, which not only enabled her to unwind after a stressful day, but also put her in deep thought.

Like now. She kept thinking about Madoka. She wondered how she'd act when the pink haired girl ever met her again. Her head was the only thing above the water. She giggled lightly as the thought of the newly made friend of hers, combined with the feeling of warmth that enveloped her, sent shivers down her spine.

Pure bliss for the bashful teenager.

Eventually, she finished taking her bath, because she didn't want to get sick. Her mother had kept some neatly folded clothes near the bathroom, and Homura changed into them as soon as she went out. She dried her long black hair with a towel, before hanging the towel up for it to dry.

Homura looked at her clothes after wearing them. A simple white t-shirt, and a pair of black trousers. No designs. Just the way she liked it.

Her mother had prepared dinner already. She could smell the delicious curry from where she stood, and it made her mouth moist.

She brushed her hair as fast as she could, tied it up into a neat and temporary ponytail, before heading to the dinner table to eat that delicious curry she was craving for.

Upon entering the dining room, she saw her father, who greeted her with a smile.

"Homura dear," he gestured to the chair in front of him, across the table, with high enthusiasm. "Sit down, sit down! Your mother is about to blow our collective minds with this dish."

She smiled at her father's antics, and couldn't hold back her excitement either. She sat at her chair and noticed that her mother's chair was empty. She noticed that the curry she was craving for, was already at the table. She frowned. What was it, that her father had gotten so excited about, if not the curry?

As if on cue, her mother brought out a large plate as she came out of the kitchen. Homura's eyes widened as she inspected what was on that plate... And she couldn't believe her eyes...

*A turkey.*

A well-cooked turkey, that smelled fantastic.

Her father was delighted at this point, looking at the turkey like it was the Holy Grail. Her mother sighed at the man's affection for the dish.

"Honestly, dear," Homura's mother said as she set the turkey down on the table, before looking at her husband. "I think you married me because of my cooking."

Homura's father didn't break eye contact with the turkey, from which emanated a beautiful aroma.

"Yes, my love." He said with a straight face. "As correct as always."

The lady giggled and punched her husband lightly on the shoulder before he smiled back as well.

Homura couldn't hold back her amusement, and her laughter came out in a brief snort, before she burst out in a fit of giggles.

The couple looked at each other in surprise, the at their beloved Homura with warm smiles. Their daughter happy like she was now, was something they always wanted for her. Seeing her this joyful made their hearts full of warmth and affection.

Homura's father took this chance.

"Someone is awfully happy today," He grinned. "Why don't you tell us about your day, over this amazing turkey I love so-"

"Hey!"Homura's mother interrupted.

"...Sorry", He said before continuing. "...Over this amazing turkey that was cooked by someone I love." He looked at his wife for approval of the statement.

The lady, however, groaned and rolled her eyes before she gave a silent nod.

"Excellent," Homura's father said, now looking at Homura with a warm gaze. "Let's dive in!"

Homura's giggles stopped, but she had to brush away a few tears from the corner of her eyes, before joining.

"Thank you for the food!" The three of them chanted in unison.


"I'm home," Madoka said, with a straight face as she set foot into her family's cafe. The house was remodeled in a way, such that the ground floor could fit the entirety of the cafe. The rooms of the family members were located upstairs, on the second floor.

Madoka passed by her parents before she proceeded to her room.

"Nah," her father, who was wearing a blue apron, said without looking away from the oven where a batch of cupcakes were being baked. "Your mother and I have it under control, dear."

Madoka's eyes darted around to locate her mother, and eventually did so. She was in her apron as well, and had a notepad and a pen in her hands.

"Go join your friends, honey. These are our last customers," she said, gesturing towards a table where only two office-men sat.

Madoka smiled and nodded, then jogged her way to her room.

The door was painted a girly pink, with her name written in sparkly English alphabetical blocks. Upon entering, she saw her friends look at her with visible interest.

"Oi, Madoka's here," Kyoko poked the back of Sayaka's neck with her foot, from her place in Madoka's bed.

Sayaka was sitting on the floor, and upon feeling the rude gesture Kyoko made, didn't get offended. They didn't care about such formalities at this point in their friendship.

"Oh, Madoka," Sayaka chimed, radiant with over excitement. "How'd it go?"

Madoka looked at her wide eyed friends and felt the need to explain to them the event in vivid detail.

So she did just that.


"This Madoka girl sound very responsible," Homura's father said with amazement. He was visibly surprised when he heard the story of Madoka returning the umbrella to her daughter. It was a decent thing to do, but the waitress of a shop doing such a thing for a complete stranger was something he thought was impossible.

"And very sweet too," her mother chimed in, with a warm smile. "You two sure get along very well." There was no hint of sarcasm in her tone, and she honestly did mean it.

Homura, upon hearing her parents praise her friend, felt very joyful. It was a big deal for her, that her parents liked her friend. Made her feel more proud.

But she smiled and chose to not say much. She wanted to tell them more about Madoka and how amazing she was, but she didn't want to bore them. It was dinnertime after all. It was not good manners to talk so much that others had difficulty eating. After all, there would be time for that later.

The turkey was well cooked. Homura could feel it melting into a river of flavors with every bite. Paired with the amazing curry made by her mother, dinner felt nothing short of divine.

But alas. After a full feast, none of the three had space in their stomach for any more. Homura's father wiped away a fake tear, saying goodbye to the turkey as he finished the last piece.

Homura giggled a bit at how over dramatic her father was being. But her mother was not having any of it.

"Its your turn to wash the dishes, dear", she said with an innocent smile. "We'll wait for you to finish, okay?"

"Blasphemy, woman!" He said with a frown. "You will not make me perform such a tedious task." He deepened his voice to sound more royal. "I am a king, not a dishwasher."

"King of the kitchen now, it seems," Homura said as she gazed up at the ceiling. She just said whatever came to mind, and had no intention of making a witty comment.

After a brief pause, her parents started laughing. And Homura took a bit longer to get the joke. She was partially embarrassed that she said such a thing, but relieved that her parents didn't get offended. Her father abruptly stopped laughing and remembered that he was laughing at his own fate. With a solemn face, he went to the kitchen.

"I'll make those dishes clean," He said in the same royally deep voice as before. "My kingdom shall be shiny!"

"Get ready for bed, dear. You have school tomorrow, right?" Homura's mother advised her.

"...But tomorrow is a Sunday, mama."

Homura's mother frowned for a moment, deep in thought. Then her face visibly brightened.

"Then lets watch a DVD today!" She suggested with enthusiasm. Homura got excited as well, and joyfully nodded in agreement. "But you have to go to sleep after that. Deal?"

Homura murmured an 'Okay' and followed her mother to the living room, while her father toiled away, hell-bent on making the plates shine.

-(End of Chapter 6)-


As FoldedHands mentioned, there is a flaw in logic. I realize it now, and I'll try making that flaw a part of the story. I could just edit that chapter and everything, but where's the fun in that? Also, thanks to all who have followed/Favorited/reviewed the story. You guys are literally what keeps my motivation up. Trust me when I say that. Every e-mail notification is a thank you note. (insert smiley face here)

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Stay Safe

DSH99