Page 19 of Kyle

I hear my brother’s bike roar away. I’m now alone with his girlfriend. Well, except for the half-dozen people waiting in line for food.

Sutton ties on her apron. “So, what do you make?”

“The specialty is chicken chili tonight, but it’s not ready yet. I was late setting up. Right now, they’re ordering tacos.”

“Oh.” She sounds less than enthused.

“What doesohmean?” I shove a paper tray at her. “Two beef. One chicken. All soft shell.”

She shrugs and begins filling the order. “Nothing.”

“Tell me.” I work side by side with her, filling the next order.

“It’s just… every truck in town sells tacos.”

“And I need something more original, right?” I pass the orders out the window.

“Maybe.”

At the end of the line, I go back to tending the chili. “That’s what this is for. It was our mother’s recipe.” I grab some curry and twist the cap off, about to shake it into the pot.

“Wait. What is that?” She puts a hand on my arm.

“What is what?” I reply.

“What are you about to add?”

“Curry powder.”

She makes a face. “What would you add that for?”

“It’s my mother’s recipe.”

“You sure about that?”

I grab the recipe I have under a magnet on the stainless hood and hand it to her. It’s in my mother’s handwriting. “Says so right here.”

She scans it. “I don’t see curry on here.”

“Right there.” I point.

“That’s cumin. That’s an m, not two r’s.”

I grab it out of her hand and squint at the cursive. “You sure?”

“Pretty sure. I guess you could call and ask her.”

I do just that. “Ma? It’s Kyle. What’s this ingredient in your recipe? I thought it said curry, but Sutton says it’s cumin.” I study her. She’s standing before me with her arms crossed, so sure of herself. “Okay. Thanks.”

I disconnect, and Sutton throws me a big grin.

“I was right, wasn’t I?”

“Yeah.”

“Good thing I saved the chili. No one would have liked it with curry.”

“You don’t know that.”

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