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22. Family Dinner 2.0

“Really, mom, really?” I whisper urgently as we get started on making dinner. Ethan, dad, and Eli are all in Ethan’s room, playing a video game or something. And I was left to make the food for dinner with mom. Not that I minded. Well, I didn't not like it; I’m not a cooker, so that’s why. But still!

“What, Cassia?” my mom asked innocently, as if she didn't think she was doing anything wrong. Oh, she was most definitely doing something wrong! This dinner was going to break me; there wasn't even a slight possibility that it would make me. No, I knew my family, and – even though I love them to bits – they are extremely embarrassing. They were going to run Eli out of the house by the end of the night. And I would be standing out there watching him speed out of the neighborhood, in the cold, almost boyfriend less. “Now, I thought that you liked this boy.”

“That’s the point!” I yell without thinking. I put my hands over my mouth as we both look towards Ethan’s room. When it’s all clear, mom turns her attention back to me and gives me a look. “I’m sorry, I just… I don’t want you guys to scare him off.” Mom laughs easily, holding her sides after a while.

“What do you mean by that, Cassia? It seems as if you're trying to say ‘don’t embarrass me.’ We’re not even that embarrassing!” Mom just laughs at that, and I feel like it someone saw my face, they would've thought that I was in pain. And that what it felt like; I was so screwed.

“OK, mom, just keep on washing that chicken thigh.” It was still a little early, only about 3:30 in the afternoon. So, mom and I went slow while cooking. We were actually making this dish that I first found and made called Honey Pecan Chicken Thighs. It was really good, according to my family, the way I made it, so every now and then I would make it if I felt like they were lucky. I was also peeling a couple of apples so that I could cut them up and put them in the apple pie I was baking. And then there was a salad. Of course, there always had to be a salad with mom in the house.

“How’s the apple peeling going, honey?” Mom asked, putting some spices in a small bowl. I shrugged my shoulders, getting up with the peeled apples and rinsing them all off. “Well, that didn't take as long as it usually does!” she exclaimed, smiling at me as she rubbed my back. I smiled down at my mother, shaking my head. I sliced the apples, and put all of the necessary ingredients with the apples in a bowl and mixed them together, in order for them to be sweet. I watched as mom poured the spice mixture over the chicken thighs as I poured the apples into the crust slowly. I rolled my eyes before dumping them in at once, and then I mixed honey, mustard, and garlic together so that mom could pour it over the chicken. We covered and put it in the fridge.

I made another crust to cover the top of the pie, and started to read a book. Mom and I had to wait on the chicken for two hours so that it could chill, making it close to 5:30. We brought the chicken back out, pouring a couple of pecans over them and putting them in the oven for 40 minutes.

“Hey, honey,” my dad came in the kitchen, with Ethan right behind him, going through the kitchen to the pantry, sticking his head in not a second later to find a snack. “How’s dinner coming? Need any help?” I watched as Eli came out last; he was looking at the ground with his hands in his pockets. He had a side smile on his face when he looked up at me, and I couldn't help but give a little smile to him. And then I heard giggling.

“John, stop!” I heard my mom exclaim, and then they both started to laugh. I put my head in my hand, already feeling like I wanted to die of embarrassment. I peeked up at Eli, and he was smiling at me, obviously trying to keep in his laughter that had resulted from my embarrassment.

“Mom, dad, please!” I say, looking at them with pleading eyes. I couldn't take this right now. My parents just shook their heads at me, and split apart. “Dinner won’t be ready until another thirty minutes,” I tell all of the boys. Ethan claps, handing Eli a granola bar, who took it gratefully.