And what would she do-would she have to endure some hideous culinary experiment with a straight face?

She swallowed her food calmly, then picked out a tender piece of fish and placed it on Sheldon's plate.

"Eat quietly," she said with quiet affection.

Sheldon chuckled, then focused on his plate, while secretly daydreaming about the delicious family dinner to come.

In his young mind, each shared meal brought his parents one step closer to reconciliation.

After dinner, Tilda quietly joined Elma to tidy up.

Meanwhile, Sheldon grabbed his father's hand and dragged him to the sofa, insisting he sit.

"Dad, you have to watch cooking videos online later. You need to impress Mom, not scare her off. Promise you'll try your best?"

The child's big, earnest eyes were impossible to ignore.

Lyndon reached out and gently pinched his son's soft cheek. "You fret too much. Aren't you worried you'll get wrinkles before you even hit twelve?"

Sheldon pouted dramatically. "If you were more attentive to Mom, I wouldn't have to worry about anything!" Then, after a beat, he added with the solemnity of someone far beyond his years, "Women appreciate sweet words. If you don't say nice things to Mom, someone else might-—and then she might fall for him!"

Upon hearing his son's words, Lyndon's expression clouded as thoughts of Reggie surfaced unbidden in his mind.

Just then, his phone rang-Mylo, his assistant, calling with urgent work updates.

Lyndon ruffled Sheldon's hair, then rose to his feet, answering the call as he strode toward the staircase.

As his father's tall, commanding figure vanished up the stairs, Sheldon scratched his head, his brows knitting together in concern.

He wondered if his father had truly taken his words to heart.

If Dad didn't patch things up with Mom soon, she might leave him for someone else.

Meanwhile, Tilda tidied the kitchen alongside Elma and emerged with a colorful plate of freshly cut fruit.

She discovered Sheldon sitting alone on the sofa, his eyes distant, clearly lost in contemplation.

Lyndon, she noticed, was nowhere to be seen.

"What's troubling that brilliant mind of yours?" Tilda asked, setting the fruit platter on the coffee table before sinking into the cushion beside Sheldon.

Sheldon blinked himself back to reality and blurted, "Mom, did Mr. Potter have feelings for you before?"

Tilda chuckled as she pierced a juicy piece of fruit with a fork and guided it toward his mouth. "Couldn't you ponder something more age-appropriate? Keep fixating on romance like this, and everyone will think you're some kind of oddball."

Sheldon accepted the fruit, chewing thoughtfully before declaring, "I'm a genius, not an oddball."