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“Elikie squash. It’s good cut up in a stir-fry, like zucchini.”

“It tastes like it?”

“No. It’s good paired with it. It’s a spicier version of zucchini.”

She set the squash aside and continued looking through the crate, pulling out every unfamiliar fruit and vegetable and questioning me about each one.

“Can I do something with this now?” She held up a container of mushrooms. “Are you hungry?”

“I could eat. What’d you have in mind?”

“Something simple.” She opened the fridge and pulled out a tray with raw fish on it. “What fish is this?”

“Couldn’t tell you. That’s Cyn’s department.”

She froze. “This is his?”

“Not necessarily. He just handles the food. I can’t tell the difference from one fish to the next once it’s filleted and packaged.”

She shook her head with a laugh and pulled out a zucchini, crossing to the stove where she found Cyn’s spices in the cabinet above it.

I didn’t blame her for sticking with familiar ingredients. If she didn’t know how Niemna foods tasted or worked together, her cooking might not come out great. I’d eat it anyway, but I could understand the avoidance.

As she cooked, she kept asking me about the ingredients we’d unpacked, like how they tasted, how to cook them, and what dishes went best with the vegetables. It reminded me of our conversation back on Earth, where she’d told me she wanted to go to cooking school.

Once she finished cooking, the kitchen smelled delicious.

She kept her back to me, humming as she plated the food.

I crossed my arms, leaning back on the counter, smiling as I watched her dance a little as she worked. Blessed was the only word that came to mind.

Turning, she held up a plate with pan-seared fish, sautéed mushrooms, and glazed zucchini. It looked delicious.

I grabbed drinks from the refrigerator while she took the food to the table.

Once we sat down, I looked up to find her not eating. Instead, she watched me, shifting in her seat with restless energy.

It dawned on me she was waiting to see what I thought first.

So cute.

I stabbed my fork into the vegetables and took a bite, humming as the zucchini broke apart with the right amount of firmness. The seasoning she’d used worked well for the vegetable. Next, I tried the fish, which melted in my mouth with the first bite.

“How is it?”

I swallowed the second bite I’d taken before thinking to tell her anything. “It’s really good. You should make this more often.”

She smiled and started eating her own food. “I didn’t have a lot of time to cook back on Earth, but I tried to do it when I wasn’t working.”

“You have a talent for it. You should cook with Cyn sometime. He makes most of the meals around here.”

She snorted.

I didn’t comment further. I knew things weren’t ideal between them, but if they were going to live together, they’d need to find common ground somewhere.

Once we finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen, she hopped up to sit on the counter, sighing.

I stepped between her legs, placing my hands on her thighs. “What’s wrong?”