21st Spring, 511AV
It had been a few days since her last... adventure in the kitchen. Her mother - Natalie - wouldn't let her forget it, but whenever anyone who had heard Natalie's story asked Samuel about it, he muttered something about needing to check the oven and disappeared. At least, her mother found it amusing; her father was embarrassed. She hated to be an embarrassment. She even had a random man stop her in the street.
"Hey, you're the Vine girl, right? From the restaurant down the road?" Eada nodded, avoiding his gaze and tried to slip away, but he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, sweetheart. Just wanted to congratulate you on your stew." He winked and laughed as Eada began to blush, slipping into the crowds. She would've had the ground swallow her, or the canal water lift up and drag her in.
But she needed to prove them wrong and she was nothing if not determined.
"Dad, I want to try again." Her Dad put down the paper he had been sorting through and looked at her. She sighed, already knowing what he was going to say. "Now, love. I'm not sure that's such a great idea." He stood up and Eada growled under her breath, but it was loud enough for him to hear. "It's because you're embarrassed," she said and Samuel frowned. "You're a professional chef with a daughter that can't cook, but I want to try again. Please, Dad. Let me try."
He sighed and nodded. Eada grinned and hugged him. He kissed her hair. "I'm not embarrassed of you, sweetheart. Never." He released her with a sigh. "Well, I'm not doing anything now... Go on, get an apron."
Eada grinned, but her stomach was swirling after last time. At least she had learned that lesson: always be sure whether it's salt or sugar. Samuel pulled down a recipe book and brushed away the dust. He didn't use books very often, but he wasn't going to take any chances this time. "If, for whatever reason, you can't remember what I've said, you can just look. If you follow the instructions, it can't go wrong. Well," he added, realising who he was talking to. "Probably not."
