I was sitting on the bathroom floor, taking a break and trying to decide what room I should tackle next when Pietro appeared in the doorway, his eyes wide with a hopeful expression on his face. âIs that smell what I think it is?â
He rolled his eyes. âThe  food  smell, Wanda. Is itââ
âYour all-time favorite thing? â I cocked my head to the side, raising my brows. âCome on Pietroâdid you really think Iâd make something else the first time I cooked? Iâve been listening to you moan for three years about how much you crave itââ
He let out a whoop of joy, reaching down to jerk me to my feet. The next thing I knew he hoisted me up in the air by my waistâI giggled as his excitement, clinging to his shoulders as he spun us around in a circle. âDoes this mean you approve of the menu?â
âHow long until we eat?â He demanded.
âItâs probably ready nowâPietro! Put me down!â
He ignored me, heading straight for the kitchen with his arms wrapped around my waist. âCanât stopânot when Saturday stew is waiting!â
âYou are being very silly,â I said fondly, resting my chin on the top of his head. âBut I am glad you are so happy about it.â
The sound of metal clattering made me turn my head; the professor stood beside the stove. If the guilty look on his face hadnât been enough to betray him, the spoon on the floor by his feet certainly would have given him away.  âI⊠uh⊠was going to stir it for you.â
âA likely story,â Â I huffedâshooing him away from the stove as soon as my feet hit the ground. âYou were going to sneak a tasteââ
âI wasnât! Well⊠maybe just a little one.â
âGo wash your handsâboth of you. By the time you are back I will have the table set and ready.â I narrowed my eyes, prepared to stare them both down if they protested, but to my surprise, they didnâtâthey hurried off, leaving me alone to finish my last minute preparations.
By the time theyâd returned, the small table in the kitchen was setâeach place had a bowl of stew waiting and a thick chunk of buttered bread. I hoveredâridiculously nervous; I wanted the old man to like it, of courseâbut more importantly, I hoped that it tasted enough like Mamaâs stew to satisfy my brotherâs cravings. Trying not to stare at Pietro, I watched as the old man took a taste, worrying my bottom lip with my teeth; his eyes widened, flicking from the bowl up to my face.
I frowned. âDoes that mean you like it?â
âYour Saturday stew⊠itâs real name is Janijaâmy mother used to make it when I was small. Yulina tried to duplicate it., but she never quite got it right. This⊠it is perfect chavi!â
âJanija,â I repeated, rolling the strange word around on my tongue. âI wonder why Mama didnât call it that?â
âPerhaps she did not know the proper nameâit is a Romani staple, passed down from mother to daughter. She carried on the tradition, teaching you how to make it.â He reached over, taking my handâgiving it a gentle squeeze. âThank you for making itâyou have no idea how happy I am to taste it again after all these years.â
I blushed, ducking my head downâfinally allowing myself  to take a seat; glancing over at Pietro I saw his dish was already almost half empty. âPietro? It is okay?â
âIt is perfectâjust like Mamaâs,â he said, cramming another spoonful in his mouth.
âIf you continue to prepare food  like this, I think I will have to pay you more,â the old man said, dipping his bread into the stew. âMy stomach will never forgive me if you decide to quitâyou are an excellent cook.â
âOf course she isâWanda is the best cook around. She even manages to make the scraps we find taste good,â Pietro boasted; the pride in his voice filled my heart  to bursting.
âWell there is plenty moreâI made enough to last a good while. You might get sick of it by the time itâs all gone.â
âNeverâI could eat it every day for a million years and still want more.â Â Pietro grinned, sopping up the last of the stew with his bread. I started to riseâprepared to get him more, but he shook his head, standing up. âYou eatâI can get it, Pietra.â
Transcendenceâ Chapter 10
[ Someone just pointed out to me via chat that this panel ties nicely into the above quoted chapter of TranscendenceâI have to admit that it thrills me to have my story tie in nicely with this amazing solo series canon. â„â„ ]