Page 34 of Dark Awakening: New World

He frowned. "That's not how it should be. I'll eat whatever you don't like."

"That's so sweet." She motioned for him to return to his bed. "But I'm not the one who almost died and is recuperating from a seven-thousand-year stasis. When the roles are reversed, I'll get to choose."

He didn't look happy. "I love it that we get to eat together, but I wish we had a proper table and another chair."

"I can help with that," Julian said. "The height of the bedside table can be adjusted so it can serve as a dining table, and I'll get another chair in here."

The expression on Ell-rom's face was heartwarming. He looked as if Julian had offered him a great gift or delivered very good news. "Thank you."

Jasmine waved at her chair. "Sit down. And I don't want to hear arguments about waiting for Julian to get the other chair in here."

He looked at the chair with an embarrassed smile, tugging at his lips. "There are no grab bars in here, so I will need a little help."

"Of course." She offered him her arm. "Grab on to me. I will be your grab bar."

He hesitated for a moment but then gently gripped her hand to move from the walker to the chair. He barely put any pressure on it, using it mostly for stability.

"There are no animal products in any of the dishes." Jasmine rolled the bedside table to the chair and adjusted the height. "Bridget found a service that delivers healthy and well-balanced vegan meals."

Julian entered with a chair that was identical to the one that was already in the room and positioned it on the other side of the table. "Enjoy your meal." He turned to leave.

"Wait," she called after him. "Did you take the chair from Morelle's room?"

"Yes, why?"

"We want to sit by her side after we are done eating, but don't worry about it. I will carry the chairs over."

He shook his head. "I'll get two other chairs in there."

"Are you sure? It's really no bother."

"I'm sure." He closed the door behind him.

"He's a good male," Ell-rom said.

"They are all nice people." Jasmine removed the covers from the two trays. "Go ahead and taste each of the dishes. See which ones you like."

He regarded the two trays. "It smells delicious and looks appetizing, but can you tell me what is what?"

"Sure. That looks like lentil and vegetable stew. Lentils are rich in protein, which is important for your muscles. The vegetables are carrots, potatoes, and parsnips, and I can smell thyme and rosemary with a hint of smoky paprika." She looked up at him. "Did the translation make sense? I bet you don't have Kra-ell names for earthly vegetables."

He smiled. "Now I know why it repeated the word vegetable twice. Whoever provided the Kra-ell vocabulary for the translator probably didn't know the names of similar fruits and vegetables that grow on Anumati because that's not what they eat."

That made a lot of sense. The Kra-ell, who Ell-rom and Morelle grew up among, consumed blood, but the gods, who were their neighbors on the same planet, ate everything.

Jasmine wondered if the gods had brought seeds with them to Earth to plant so they would have a taste of home. Still, even if the gods knew the names of those vegetables, their language was not the same as the Kra-ell's, and the translator only knew the latter.

"You will have to learn English at some point, but for now, we will call them the orange and white vegetables."

She pointed to the quinoa, which looked delicious. "This is a grain with vegetables and mushrooms." In addition to the sautéed mushrooms, there were onions, bell peppers, and parsley, and her mouth watered to try it all.

"You seem to like this dish." Ell-rom removed the container from his tray and placed it next to hers. "Eat and tell me if it's as good as it looks."

"With pleasure, and we can share." She unfolded the napkin, draped it over her lap, and lifted a forkful of the quinoa to her mouth. "It's delicious," she said after she was done chewing. "You have to try it." She pushed it toward him.

He dipped his fork inside the dish and lifted a small quantity to his mouth.

His eyes widened. "It really is delicious."

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