Scent (Scomiche)

Cooking With Lindsey Plus Shoe Shopping With Bryan Equals a Pretty Full Day

When we arrive, I pull out my laptop and let her start searching for lunch recipes, making sure, of course, that she would like to cook. I also like the idea because that one time Christian told me not to let her cook, and then I almost burned their house down making grilled cheese, so I think Lindsey deserves to be able to. I’m not saying it won’t be a disaster. It almost certainly will be. But if her being able to have an enjoyable time before she has to go to Kara’s means disaster, I’m up for it.

“So, you start searching some lunch recipes. Then we’ll go to the store and I’ll have you pick out a gift for Kara while I buy the ingredients.”

She nods.

“Can I ask you a question?” I pose to her after a few seconds.

She looks up to me, wordlessly giving me permission.

“Sometimes you’re really talkative and sometimes you’re not. Granted, I’ve only known you a few months, but is that something you do a lot?”

She thinks hard. “I guess.” Then she shrugs. “Depends on my mood.”

I laugh a little. “That’s fair.”

As Lindsey scrolls through whatever website she’s on, she throws out a few different foods we could make. For all of them, once I explain what’s actually on the sandwiches and things like that, she mutters “ew” and moves on. Then, she says, “How about tacos?”

That peaks my interest. I rarely have Mexican food, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy throwing some dishes of tacos or enchiladas together now and then. “Sure. We don’t really need a recipe for that. I can make some pretty dang good tacos.”

She gives me a doubtful look. So much personality in this one. “These ones have rice and corn and something else that starts with a c.”

I move behind her and peer over her shoulder. “Cilantro.” She repeats it after me. “Well, I can make rice and corn and I can chop cilantro, so get ready little missy, because these are going to be amazing. I’m going to make a list.”

It feels weird to be thinking of pork and beans and things like that at nearly ten in the morning, but if we’re going to have time to do anything else today, we have to get this party started. I jot down a few different items. I barely have any food in my fridge, so I make sure to include essentials such as tortillas, lettuce, cheese, etc. This meal will be Instagram-worthy.

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After my cart has been loaded with all our taco supplies, we go in search of a present for Kara. I suggest something that Lindsey knows Kara hates to spite her, but Lindsey doesn’t quite like that idea, so we go to the nail polish section, then to the headband section, then to the different-flavored chapstick section, before we land in the craft aisle. We settle on a bracelet-making kit and strawberry lip gloss before we can finally go home.

Once we’re back in my petite kitchen, I want to divide and conquer in order to complete this meal effectively, but I know that I can’t let Lindsey use a knife, so options are limited. I have her wash the lettuce while I get the rice going. The plan is to chop up cilantro and add lime to it to mimic other Mexican restaurants I’ve been to. As I do that, she pulls the lettuce apart and puts it into a bowl, then pours the cheese into a bowl as well. I, then, cook the beans and corn and chop up tomatoes, onions (with minimal tears, somehow), and the avocados. Lindsey lays out the tortillas and puts them in the oven to warm up. We decide to make the guacamole together. When she tells me she’s never had guacamole, I get so deeply disappointed in Scott and Christian’s parenting that I need to take a deep breath. When I tell her why I needed that breath, she laughs.