Work Text:
Rowen set the pot of water on the stove, and turned it up to high.
It took longer than they expected, but eventually, the water began to boil.
They added the noodles to the water, and steadily stirred them.
After a few minutes, they turned off the heat, poured the noodles into a strainer and then a bowl, and mixed in the flavor packet.
... No incident.
Rowen felt a surge of pride as they carried the bowl up to Martlet's room. It had taken months of instruction from Kanako, but they had finally cooked a bowl of instant noodles without burning anything.
As they entered their mother's room, she quickly sat up in her bed and began asking them questions, her voice strained from her illness.
"Did it go okay? Did you burn anything? You didn't burn yourself, did you?"
Rowen was quick to gently shush their mother.
"It went fine."
They handed her the bowl of soup, and she smiled warmly at them.
"Thank you, Rowen. You don't have to do all this, you kn-"
Rowen shushed their mother again.
"You're sick. Let me take care of you."
"...You're a good kid, you know that, Rowen?"
"You raised me well."
Martlet beamed with pride, and began eating her noodles.
As she ate, Rowen got their guitar from their room, and sat down on the chair by Martlet's dresser.
"Oh! Are you... going to play for me, Rowen?"
The young human silently nodded, and began to play. It was a familiar melody, one that their brother had taught them many years ago.
Martlet knew the melody well. After she finished her noodles, she laid back, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep as her child continued to play the song.