The Cherished Wife

Noelle found them a quiet corner to settle down in. The class bell had rung not long ago, so the place was buzzing with students, mostly in small groups, full of life and laughter.

Suddenly, Noelle felt a twinge of envy for those college kids, thinking back to her own university days that had slipped away.

It was a popular restaurant, and even with wait staff on deck, they were stretched thin. Noelle and Charles waited patiently before they finally got to order their meal.

The place was a hit with students and teachers because they could always count on getting a mountain of food. Noelle could still remember their first visit when they ordered way too much and ended up stuffed to the gills with leftovers in tow back to the dorm. That time around, Noelle kept it simple with just two dishes and a soup. She glanced at Charles. "Do you think that's enough? Want to grab anything else?"

She slid the menu his way, but Charles just waved it off with a smile. "We're good!" He was never one for big meals. "This is plenty!"

The waiter zipped off with their order, and the place was buzzing with the post-class rush, filling up fast. Students were wandering in, looking for seats in vain, and a few girls who walked in locked eyes on Charles and Noelle right away.

two of them. It was not every day they saw folks like them in a student joint, and

that guy even from

at our school look that sharp? Anyway, he looks older

a professor or one of the big shots from the administrative

a knockout. They're not, like, together,

caught a bit of their chat. He quirked an eyebrow. "Hear that? They think you're

they're talking about you!" Noelle chuckled. "Weird, though. Isn't the university supposed to be quiet

ages since I've cracked open a book. I can't even remember what a school

"Guess not. These days, all I've got in my head

was interrupted as their meal arrived, and it was just as Noelle had guessed, it was a huge portion. The two dishes and a soup seemed like a