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Chapter 5; Personalisation.

After hanging out the washing to dry, I decide to decorate my room. I pull my bag up onto my lap where I sat on my bed. Unzipping the side & back pockets to get to the case thumb-tacks & my array of posters I place by my side on the bed setting my bag back down next to the other two on the floor. I unfold all of the posters & lay them flat mentally planning where all of them would be placed on the walls. I put the larger posters up first starting in the corners & working my way out, all the larger posters eventually half make a boarder for the others. I then start in no particular order, starting with the first poster I see, The Amity Affliction. I place it next to the large Of Mice & Men on the left had side of the east wall.

Once the job is done & I'm satisfied with how the room looks, I walk out to see if Caleab had come home yet, it's been an hour since he'd left, he'd still not come home. I decide to start making something to eat for us both, but I'd put his in the oven to keep warm. I go to the fridge gathering the things I'll need for my masterpiece. My mother always said I was a good cook. I find a chopping board & a sharp knife, set them down next to the items on the bench look over what I'd gotten out. Tomato, carrot, celery, capsicum, mushroom, zucchini, chicken breast, onion, garlic, & a few other things.

I cut the capsicum, celery, carrot & zucchini first, since they make the least mess on the board. &  put them all into a pan over a low heat with a splash of olive oil. I stir them around a few times then go back to cutting the other vegetables. Dicing the mushrooms into small pieces -I like the flavour they bring to foods, but I hate the texture- & thickly dice the tomato so it doesn't cook away to nothing. I then add them to the pan followed by the fresh garlic & herbs I had chosen & mix them through. I wipe the chopping board clean with a damp paper towel then proceed to cut up the chicken breast leaving it aside as the vegetables continue cooking. "Mmmm, it smells amazing" I think to myself out loud as I stir the pan a few times before taking it off the heat & setting aside in another bowel to cook the chicken pieces. No point in wasting another pan for the one meal.

I watch as the chicken bits slide into the hot pan of oil & listen to it sizzle as it makes contact. Adding a few left over herbs & spices to the chicken as I stir to insure even cooking the smell throughout the house becomes even more amazing. I pick out a piece of tomato after several minutes of stirring the chicken, watching it change colours as it sizzles in the pan. "Oh wow! That tastes fantastic!" I say to myself, again out loud. Placing the cutting board & knife in the sink I run the tap to rinse them off so I have less to clean up later.

I hear the front door slam shut but I pay no attention, have to keep an eye on the food or it'll burn. Caleab walks into the kitchen & places shopping bags on the table as he speaks "Smells good." He says with a small smile. I return the smile & continue cooking. He swiftly moves around me, putting all the shopping away before getting two plates out & setting them on the table, followed by a knife & fork each. I serve up the chicken then put the vegetable mixture back into the pan to re heat it then place that on the side. I put the pan into the sink to rinse it off a little & walk over to the table, pulling my chair out & sitting down to begin eating. "Sorry about before." Caleab speaks softly not looking away from his plate. "It's fine, it’s my fault, I should have realised that you were in the bathroom." I say feeling my face grow warm.

"Yes, but I shouldn't have kissed you like that…" he says. "Considering we were both naked I mean.." I think he's one of those people who talks a lot when they're nervous. "Caleab, it’s fine. Clearly uhm, we both liked it… well, I hope it wasn't just your body that liked it.." I say, Okay so I am too, who cares. "What? No.. Oh, uhm.. No.. I, uhh I-I..." Caleab struggles for words. But finally whispers, "No, I liked it.." I gently kiss his cheek. "Good." We finish eating in silence.