Page 77 of The Life Experiment
35Layla
The Life Experiment: Daily Questionnaire
Property of OPM Discoveries
How would you rate your level of contentment today? (1 represents low contentment, 10 represents high)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
would you rate your energy level? (1 being very low energy and 10 being very high energy)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
What are two things you are grateful for today?
Angus’s cooking. He brought me a box of cookies he’d baked yesterday that were AMAZING! And, speaking candidly, talent in the kitchen is quite attractive…
Maya sending me a photo of Jayden in his school uniform. He looks so grown-up, it hurt my heart (in a good way!)
What are you struggling with today?
I’m enjoying my job so much more, but it’s still a heavy workload
Do you have any additional notes on what you would like to discuss in your upcoming counselling session?
How I can support Angus. He’s worried about his dad – something I know a lot about! – but I want to make sure I’m saying the right things
‘Is something burning?’ Angus called out from the living room.
Dropping her phone mid-reply to Michelle, Layla glanced at the risotto simmering on the hob. Or the risotto that had been simmering a moment ago, at least. Now it was sticking to the pan.
‘Shit,’ Layla whispered. Scurrying to the cooker, panic set in. With Rhi at work and the apartment free, she’d convinced Angus to let her cook for him, but now Layla realised what an error that was. She didn’t have his culinary skills. In fact, she didn’t have any culinary skills.
Grabbing a wooden spoon, Layla tried to stir the rice, but it was no use. The bottom layer had cemented to the pan.
‘Is everything okay in there?’
Angus’s shout made Layla grimace. She’d ordered him to stretch out on the sofa with a glass of wine when he arrived at her apartment. Her aim had been relaxation. Hilarious, given that a few more minutes of Layla ignoring the stove could have resulted in a fire.
‘Everything’s fine,’ Layla replied, failing to disguise her stress.
Scraping the spoon harder, Layla tried to chip charred rice from the bottom of the pan. Chunks of risotto flew everywhere, splattering the kitchen tiles with dull, soggy blobs of rice.
‘Are we redecorating?’ came a chipper voice from the doorway.
Blushing, Layla faced Angus. ‘I swear I only turned away for a second.’
‘A second is all it takes,’ he replied, placing his hands on Layla’s hips and nudging her out of the way. His touch made her face flush, but Angus was distracted, laughing at the damaged dinner. ‘For someone so intelligent it’s like you’ve never seen a kitchen before, let alone cooked in one.’
‘Well, we can’t all attend cooking classes in Italy, can we?’ Layla teased. She knew Angus had gone to Italy a few years ago, but she’d only learned about the cooking classes earlier that evening. Layla hadn’t stopped joking about it since. Cooking retreats in Italy sounded like something the Senior Partners at work did. Incredible trips, and something Layla would love to do, but dreams like that had always seemed out of reach.
Lately, though, Layla had started wondering if that was true or if it was her self-doubt talking. After all, if two years was all she had left, why not splurge on cooking classes and bottles of wine and experiences that would make her heart sing?
Maybe you and Angus could go together, her brain suggested. Bristling, Layla ignored the thought before she became too attached to it.
‘It’s a good job I like my risotto crispy,’ Angus said, turning off the hob. ‘Do you have another pan?’
From the cupboard under the sink, Layla pulled out a pan that gleamed like new. ‘Before you say this looks like it’s never been used, let me remind you that takeaways are my best friend,’ she said as she handed it over.
