Chapter 989:
The three elders were guided to the sofa, and Rylie placed a steaming pot of coffee within easy reach. Deandre arrived with a polished chess set and declared, “None of you are doing a thing today. Just sit back with your coffee, enjoy the television, or have a round of chess. We will call you when the food is finished.”
Kendrick felt a genuine spark of delight, though he still shot Deandre a doubtful look. “Since when have you known anything about cooking? Try not to set the kitchen on fire.”
Deandre let out a wounded shout. “Grandpa!”
Selah broke into an amused laugh and soothed him in a light tone. “Relax, relax. With Rylie supervising, nothing is going to end up scorched. She knows her way around a kitchen far better than any of us.”
Rylie felt a throb of exasperation rise the moment she saw the collection of clueless beginners staring back at her, yet she quickly straightened her posture and began issuing tasks with crisp authority.
“Felix,” she said, turning toward the one person she trusted not to cause immediate chaos, “you have the strength for this, so you’re taking charge of the turkey. Follow every step I listed, and keep the seasoning portions exact. Do not adjust anything, not even a little.”
She passed him a page packed with careful notes.
“You prepared this yesterday?” Felix asked.
“Yes.”
𝖶ee𝘬𝗅y 𝗋е𝗹e𝘢sе𝘴 𝗈n 𝘨𝗮𝘭𝗻о𝘃e𝗅𝘀.с𝗼𝗆
Felix accepted the sheet the way someone might handle a critical document, giving a solemn nod. “Got it.”
He pivoted toward the oversized turkey with a look bordering on heroic determination, as though he were about to face a formidable opponent.
“Marcus,” Rylie continued as she shifted her attention, “you are in charge of shredding the onions, chopping the potatoes into rustic pieces, and cutting the carrots into pieces. Everything you need to follow is written right here.”
She passed Marcus an open cookbook where she had filled the margins with her own neat sketches and small visual guides. Marcus smoothed back his sleeves with a practiced motion and offered a confident smile. “Consider it done.”
Rylie felt a steady sense of assurance settle over her. Marcus always carried the air of someone meticulous and creative, the sort who would treat every vegetable like part of an art project.
“Deandre,” Rylie said at last, turning to the one with boundless energy, “you will be working alongside Brad.”
“What? Why do I have to be paired with him?” Deandre blurted out immediately.
Rylie remained firm and pointed at the two oversized sacks of potatoes and the heap of greens waiting to be cleaned. “Because the two of you are assigned the heaviest task. Those potatoes all need peeling, and every leaf in that pile has to be washed until not a grain of dirt is left. Brad will oversee your progress. If you start slacking and the vegetables aren’t spotless…” She let her words trail off, but the warning in her steady gaze said everything.
Brad drew himself up a little straighter and turned toward Deandre with a look that clearly conveyed, “Do your job properly.”
Deandre groaned and threw his hands up. “Rylie, you’re being biased! Why does he get to be the supervisor while I’m the one doing all the hard labor? Is it because he’s your boyfriend?”
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