The doorbell rings.
“That’s the lawyer,” Brock says. “Go tell Ana what you’d like for dinner.”
He leaves, and I head into the kitchen. Ana is still stirring something on the stove.
“What are you making?” I ask.
“Bone broth,” she says.
“What’s that?”
She glances back at me. “You boil bones in water to make a broth.”
“No offense, but that sounds disgusting. What’s it for?”
“Braden. It’s been shown to help athletes heal faster after an injury.”
I walk over to the stove, putting my nose to the pot. It smells awful.
“Have you tried it?” I ask.
“Yes. It doesn’t taste good on its own, but I’ll add some seasoning to make it more palatable.”
Braden walks in. “Is it ready?”
“Not yet,” Ana says. “It needs to simmer a little longer.”
“I’ll be with Dad in his office,” Braden says. “Text me when it’s ready.”
“What’s going on?” I ask Braden. “Why’s the lawyer here?”
He glances at Ana, then back at me, giving me a look that says I shouldn’t be talking about this around Ana.
“Oh, I remember,” I say. “Never mind.”
When he’s gone, Ana turns to me. “What would you like for dinner?”
“I know it takes forever so you can say no, but could you maybe make lasagna? You don’t have to make your own sauce or anything. You don’t even have to make it tonight. I just really miss lasagna. It’s one of the few things my mom used to make.”
Brock must’ve told her what happened to my mom because she gives me that sad look people give me when I mention her. “I’ll have it ready at six. Will that work?”
“That’s great! Thanks! And thanks for agreeing to pick me up Wednesday.”
She nods and goes back to stirring her sauce. She doesn’t seem very happy. I wonder what her life is like outside of work.
When six arrives, I race to the kitchen, smelling the cheesy lasagna the moment I leave my room.
“That smells amazing,” I say to Ana as she gathers up her things.
“It’s plated and on the table. Enjoy.”
“Thanks!” I say as she leaves.
I take the plate from the table, bring it to the kitchen island, and take a seat on one of the metal stools.
“Something smells good,” Brock says, coming into the kitchen. He’s holding a glass of bourbon. He has bottles of it in his office.
“I asked Ana to make lasagna. You can have some. She made a whole pan.”
