Frog bumped into her hand, demanding pets when she stopped for Thario to open the door.
“Hey, Frog, what do you want?”
Thario chuckled. “He wants your attention. He probably misses you.”
“I missed the two of you.”
She wasn't sure why she'd said that out loud where everyone could hear her say the words. Thankfully, neither Elowen nor Griz said anything about what she'd said.
Elowen was cutting potatoes, which made Calla's mouth water. Then again, most food made her mouth water because she was finally allowed to eat without Brent watching her every move.
"What can I help you with?" she asked as she moved into the kitchen.
Elowen glanced around, then angled her chin at the refrigerator. "I already washed the lettuce, but I wanted to cut some strawberries for the salad. I think that would be refreshing."
“Sure. I can wash and cut the strawberries.”
“Thank you. That would really help.”
Working in the kitchen to get food ready for everyone felt so different from cooking for Brent. Griz came in from the grill and joked with Elowen. Thario was in and out, grabbing a beer for Griz and water for himself. Elowen hummed when they were alone, and both dogs were there, seeming to worship them.
Calla finished cutting the strawberries and added them to the salad. “Do you want anything else in the salad?”
Elowen’s lips screwed up to the side. “Um, I have some cherry tomatoes and cheese.”
“Sure, I can add that.”
With the salad prepared in the refrigerator, she poured herself a glass of tea, which was a treat. She leaned against the cabinet, taking in everything.
“It’s funny, I cooked so many meals for Brent, but this feels different. It feels good.”
Elowen turned to her and smiled. “I’m glad it feels good. Being with friends is fun. I’m glad you’re here.”
Calla thought about saying something about the guy who’d stalked her, but Griz came in and she decided to wait. Bringing it up may make bad feelings surface, and that was the last thing she wanted.
“The burgers are almost done.”
“Good. The potatoes are close. I think I need to stir them a little more.”
“Sounds great,” Griz said.
Elowen grabbed the buns from the pantry, then opened the refrigerator and pulled out condiments. Calla's heart felt full with happiness. It was such a little thing, but having people around was nice.
Thario opened the patio door. “Griz said it’s done. We’re about to come in.”
“Awesome. Thank you.” Elowen opened the device she was cooking the potatoes in and used a spatula to flip the fries over.
“Those smell good.”
“I love wedge fries. I hope you enjoy them.”
"I know I will. I like fries of any sort. It's one of the things I missed the most. That and chocolate cake. Also, I missed burritos and tacos. There are so many foods I haven't eaten in so long."
“When I make my grocery list, we’ll figure out what foods to make.”
“Oh, you don’t have to. I don’t want you changing what you’d normally buy.”
Elowen moved closer and put a hand on Calla's shoulder. "Listen, you being excited about little things is fun for us, too. We like helping you, and that includes you getting excited about food. You may think that's not a big deal, but we enjoy it."
