Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
She heard his stomach grumble.
Candice was starving as well. She had opted to breastfeed her son. Going to the fridge, she saw some packaged meat in the bottom, fresh vegetables above it, and so many goodies to choose from. Everything looked inspiring. She opted for some of the lovely- looking chicken breast, fresh broccoli, and she also grabbed the Parmesan cheese.
Closing the door, she started to look around the kitchen, opening cupboards. With each door she opened, she felt a little more at home. She found some pine nuts, granulated garlic, and there was an abundance of fresh basil.
“Would you like to know what we’re having for dinner?” she asked, turning back toward Antwone.
“I’m happy to watch.”
She nodded, and then got to work making the pesto. There were fresh lemons, and she always loved her pesto to have a citrus kick.
Adding lots of washed basil leaves to the blender, she didn’t bother to toast the pine nuts. Sometimes she did, other times she didn’t as she tended to burn them, which always made her pesto taste horrible. It was a lot easier to just add them in without that additional step. She grated a lot of cheese, and seeing as she hated the taste of fresh garlic, she only added a sprinkle of the granulated stuff. Her mother had loved the taste of fresh garlic, but she never had.
With the garlic dealt with, she zested and juiced a whole lemon, and then blended, adding a little oil. She didn’t like hers to be too oily, and so she cut open another lemon and added it to the pot. Once it was blended, she gave a taste, added some salt and pepper, and this time mixed it by hand.
“So good,” she said.
She put the spoon into the pesto and allowed Antwone to have a taste.
“That is good, but I would have gone with the fresh garlic.”
Candice wrinkled her nose. “Would you like to cook?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Nah, I’m happy to watch you.”
She looked at him and realized it was the first time since they’d been married that he had laughed in her company.
Leaving the pesto in a small bowl, she found a skillet, along with a chopping board and some knives. She got to work on the chicken, which she seasoned with salt, pepper, granulated onion, and garlic. She added some oil to the pot, and then added the chicken, loving the sound of the sizzle. It was a good and welcoming sound.
She allowed it to get some good color on each side, and then brought a pot of water to boil. She prepared the broccoli, keeping the stalk as it was good. The stalk and pasta went in at the same time, along with a good pinch of salt. Once that had cooked for a few minutes, she added in the broccoli florets.
Everything was coming together.
She gave the pasta a quick stir and then a quick taste to check for the bite. Satisfied with how it tasted, she drained the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. She tossed the pasta and broccoli into the chicken, added the pesto, along with some of the cooking sauce.
Candice couldn’t resist a small grating of parmesan, and she gave it another stir, and then was ready to serve it.
She had to go hunting for some bowls, and was able to find them, decant the food, and now Antwone was already there, carrying their bowls into the dining room.
It was strange to be walking around the house without seeing someone. She was used to the soldiers guarding the doors, or constantly checking on the house.
Antwone placed her bowl next to his, so she had no choice but to sit beside him. Candice didn’t mind. She wasn’t going to make a problem out of nothing.
She found the knives and forks. Not that she thought they would need the knives as she’d cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, and the pasta was a similar size.
Picking up her fork, she speared a piece of chicken and pasta, and then popped it into her mouth. She closed her eyes. Her mother often cooked pesto chicken and pasta, making different versions. If she didn’t have the broccoli, she’d use cauliflower or zucchini. The vegetable would often change to whatever was in season when she cooked it. The pesto rarely changed, unless her mother wanted to try something new.
“This is good,” Antwone said.
She reached out and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He looked at her and then at their hands. She waited a moment and then let him go.
Everything was going to be all right.
****
They had gotten into a comfortable routine.
Antwone knew that after four months of Luke being in their lives, coming home wasn’t difficult, and in the early weeks of his marriage, he didn’t mind being home. Candice had been cold toward him, but he understood why.