Page 44 of For Butter or Worse
Jasmine scowled at her. “What now?”
“Exactly!” Dori chimed in. “What’s the harm? She’ll make money. She’ll cook. What could go wrong?”
“Cooking is not just turning on an oven, Mom.” Jasmine parked her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “And cooking for hundreds of people is a job in itself. I already have a full-time job. Remember?”
“Well, Nina could help you,” Cory said. “Couldn’t you, Nina?”
“Um.” Nina looked to Jasmine, who frantically shook her head. But her mom caught sight of the motion.
“Jasmine, if you don’t work hard, you’ll never build anything for yourself,” Dori said, her voice overflowing with concern. “This is an opportunity.”
“Mom, do you know how much work an event like this would be for me?” Jasmine pleaded. “And you don’t always like my food.”
“What are you talking about? We love your food.”
Dori’s puzzled expression seemed to fuel Jasmine, who leaned across the table and said, “What about the bread, Ma?”
“Mini, if your parents aren’t going to annoy you, then who will?” her dad joked back, hugging her in close. She seemed to relent and relaxed against him.
Seeing their closeness made Nina ache for her mother. What she wouldn’t give to be hugged by her in that moment. But she loved seeing Jasmine’s connection with her parents and being included in their meal. This was why she’d gotten into food—bringing people together around a table could be so healing and important.
“Do this as a favor for us,” Dori said, trying again. “We never would ask you to do this if we didn’t believe you could.”
Jasmine looked up from under the crook of her dad’s arm. She and her mother shared an unspoken moment as they stared at each other.
“I will think about it.” Jasmine sat up straight and dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. Then her gaze turned to Nina. “Why don’t you tell Nina what you’ve been dying to ask her?”
“Oh, is there something you need from me?” Nina sat forward.
“Well, we actually do need help with the auction...” Dori adjusted her glasses and looked to Nina.
“Like, um, you need someone to host the auction?” Nina had been asked to host several things since joining the world of TV. She hadn’t committed to any due to her intense schedule. But she’d encouraged Jasmine to cater the event, so now she’d show up for her friend however she could.
“No, actually. We need items to auction off.” Dori tucked her chin closer to her chest, like she didn’t want to finish the thought and was hoping Nina would magically read her mind.
“You want to...” Nina began. “Auction me off?”
“Oh, good gravy, no!” Cory laughed. “But wecouldauction off cooking classes.”
“Ah!” Nina patted her thighs, relieved. “That makes much more sense. Yes, I’m happy to donate my time for your worthy cause.”
“Excellent!” Dori smiled. She pulled Nina in for a hug next to her.
Nina let herself lean in to Dori. She may not have her mother on this earth anymore, but she was glad to allow Dori to mother her a bit.
Cory pulled in Jasmine again. “Now if you could just talk some sense into our Mini...” he said.
Jasmine groaned. Nina smirked. You couldn’t pick your family, but she was glad to be part of theirs. She needed all the love and support she could find, especially with the challenges—to put it mildly—that she had ahead.
17
LEO
Leo swiped. Swiped again. Then paused. A bob of intensely curly hair caught his eye. Dark skin and eyes with hipster glasses, like an edgy librarian.
“Finally found one,” he said.
Gavin looked up from the dough he was rolling out by hand for lasagna noodles. Part of the monthly lunch feast they cooked as a family. Well, Gavin was the one who cooked while Leo and his mom ate. But he stopped cooking to wipe his hands on the apron, then came to the kitchen table to look over Leo’s shoulder.
