"They're boring," Billy complained.
"It's not as inedible as Mace's cooking," Isaac said. He was a teenager, and they were all hungry all the time. "It's just bland."
"Food shouldn't be fun; it's about energy," I said.
"They still need to eat. They're growing boys," Penny said. "If the food isn't tasty, they won't eat enough."
"When I cook, I carefully calculate out what they're supposed to be eating," I said.
"Do you all switch off cooking?"
"Yes, but Mace and Archer have their girlfriends cook for them," Billy interjected.
"Well, that's not sending a great message," Penny said with a laugh.
"Exactly," I said. "That's why I cook."
"But Hazel is a much better cook than you," Arlo said.
"Well, it's difficult to do better than outsourcing food to Hazel," I growled at them playfully.
Nate laughed. "I bet you're a better cook than Garrett, too, Penny."
"I can come by and help cook," Penny said.
"I already had all the ingredients for grilled seafood delivered," I countered.
"Gross," Henry said.
"Gross!" Davy shrieked.
"You've never even eaten fish," I told him. "You spent the entirety of your life until now living in the desert."
"I had fish sticks," Davy said with an exaggerated frown.
"That’s not real fish," Penny said to Davy.
"My fish won't be that bad," I told him.
"You should come cook!" Arlo said to Penny.
"No. She has more important things to do," I told my little brothers.
"I need to come back over in the daylight anyway," Penny said.
"You don't—"
"I'll come by," Penny said firmly. "I think between the two of us, Garrett and I can come up with something better than bland fish."
17
Penny
Trisha called me on the way back to the old rambling Victorian house.
"Any progress?" she demanded before I could even say hello.
"Just came back from having dinner with Garrett's family," I told my mother.
