Finding Yourself

Chapter Four: You're Not Into It

(School is stressing me out. And when I'm stressed I like to draw/write. Usually, I draw when I'm stressed; write when I'm angry and stressed. So yeah. Here we are :) P.S. I have eaten three donuts today- can you tell I stress eat (and I'm a chocoholic)?)

Dakota was, again, watching his mom cook dinner. Ever since he was adopted, not many things interested him. So, when he found interest in his mom's passion for the culinary arts, it often became a habit of his to sit and watch. It was like the movie Ratatouille, except more realistic and personal. He watched in amazement at how his mom could find exactly what he needed to make the recipe tick right. The way he instantly went to the spice cabinet, sifting through the spices- which all seemed the same to Dakota- and finding the perfect one to put in his recipe. 

"What are you making, Mom?" he asked. Nick smiled- yet again- at the term of endearment. Dakota watched as his mom added a dash of red spice to- what looked like- a mixture of flower and milk. Strangely, a leaf was also floating around in there, which Nick took out after a couple of minutes.

"Homemade mac-n'-cheese," he replied, "I saw this recipe from Alton Brown-" he squeaked the name out- "My hero. I've been watching him since Good Eats! But not Good Eats: the Return. I'm talking just Good Eats."

Dakota had no idea what his mom was talking about, but he nodded in agreement anyway. He wished he had a passion like that. Was that why he watched his mom cook? Because he was jealous of his passion? Dakota didn't see it much that way until he thought about it.

"And when I saw that he was the host for Cuthroat Kitchen?" Nick bit his lip, "I almost died."

"Um, Okay," Dakota said, eyeing the leaf that dripped with milk, "Question then."

"What's that?" Nick asked while stirring ingredients together.

"Why was there a leaf in the mac-n'-cheese?" he wondered. Dakota was sure Nick would laugh at his stupidness, but he just smiled excitedly. He rambled on about Bay leaves and their integration into cooking. Dakota knew that after his mom's rant, he would remember nothing of anything Nick said. However, it was nice to see his mom happy and excited after the night before, when Xavier broke his spirits.

Soon, after the food was close to ready, Lenore showed up. And the twins, who absolutely loved her, shouted with glee and greeted her with identical hugs. Even Jordan, the lazy one, ran to meet her. 

Delighted, she crouched down and cooed at them. The usual: "Wow, you're getting to be such a big boy!" and "I'm so happy to see you again!"

Then, she looked up at Dakota

Dakota could tell that she wasn't happy to see him again. That, or she wasn't looking forward to the conversation they were going to have.

Nick gave a yell for dinner, and the rest of the kids came tumbling down the stairs. Nick then walked up to Lenore, and then cooed at her. He called her stunning; Dakota didn't think she looked any different than she usually did. Nick said that he was so glad to see her. He gave her a hug and a kiss to her forehead- because he treated everyone that way. However, Dakota decided that he and his girlfriend were too awkward to have a kissy-hugging greeting.

Nick gradually fell into the role of the host, serving a hot plate to Lenore- even pulling her chair back for her like a gentleman. Meanwhile, Dakota sat awkwardly while he watched his mom be a better boyfriend to Lenore than him. 

He handed out everyone's plates, and they all sat at the table peacefully. Well, as peaceful as it got in Dakota's home. The two-year-olds almost launched their chicken into the roof- if not for Nick's fast reflexes. However, everyone else ate in silence at the awkwardness of the stranger sitting at the table.