“Wanna watch me turn a 25¢ bag of dried noodles into a culinary masterpiece?”

I lowered my book. “Excuse me?”

“Deluxe ramen from a bag.” Sylus held a packet of chicken “flavored” ramen.

“What?” I replied flatly.

“Trust me. I can make a feast out of this bad boy.” He shook the bag. “Want some?”

I sighed. Cheap instant food wasn’t exactly my favorite thing in the world. But it was low effort and Sylus was offering.

“Fine.” I sighed.

“You won’t regret it.” He winked and weave walked to the kitchen below.

I shrugged. It’d probably be delishious, but I couldn’t help but have my doubts.

The scent of boiling noodles and vegetables wafted up the stairs. Unexpected. Some actual chicken? A little fish? I cocked a brow.

Some time later Sylus returned with two heaping bowls of steaming soup.

“Here.” He offered me one on a plate. With it came a pair of wooden chop sticks and a deep ladel-like spoon. I put my book down, took it and sat it in my lap.

Sylus settled on the couch and immediately dug in.

I stirred the bowl. It was full of all kinds of incredients and not just cheap noodles. All of it erred on the more affordable side, but I couldn’t deny the diversity.

I scooped a bit of everything up, blew it off, and shoved it directly into my mouth.

To say it was delicious was an understatement. Likely tempered by my very low expectations, I found Sylus’ ramen to be one of the most savory things I’d ever eaten.

Slurping the last of the broth, I put the bowl down on the bookshelf beside me.

“That was amazing, Sy.”

“Mm.” He nodded. “A real flash from the past.” He forced a somber laugh.

“How did you turn cheap noodles into something that actually resembled a hearty meal?”

He shrugged. “You learn a thing or two when you’re homeless and have to feed a kid with zero budget. Usually all that extra stuff was near expiration or past it’s shelf life so I could either haggle for it or, well, pilfer it.” He shook his head. “Ramen nights were Daniel’s favorite. Thankfully,” he placed his empty bowl on the center coffee table, “those days are long behind both of us.”

A sobering cloud filled the room.

“Oh don’t be down about it.” He laughed. “The past is the past. We learn and grow from it. Can’t let it tear us down, can we?”

I crossed the room and sat beside him on the couch. Resting my head on his shoulder I took a deep breath. “I suppose we can’t, can we?”