Page 122 of Omega's Refuge

Until I actually started cooking.

It didn’t take long for everything to go south.

I managed to slice the chicken to perfection, and had it sizzling in the hot pan. I put the chopped veggies in as well, adding the chicken broth the recipe called for.It was as I stirred the contents of the pan, inhaling the combined ingredients, that I sensed something wasn’t quite right. The food had a sweet fragrance, which I found confusing. I hadn’t added anything sweet to the dish yet.

“Could it be the veggies?” I muttered, staring at the bubbling concoction.

I sniffed the air repeatedly, like a bloodhound on the trail of an escaped fugitive. I finally identified the fragrance as that of fruit—apples to be exact. Why was I smelling apples? I glanced around the kitchen, wondering if perhaps there was a bowl of ripe fruit nearby I’d forgottenabout. I didn’t see anything though, so my confusion continued.

“What the heck am I smelling?” I grumbled. I grabbed the carton of chicken broth. “Did this spoil or something?” I held the carton up to my nose and gingerly sniffed.

Apples.

Not chicken.

Definitely not chicken.

I gasped and stared wide eyed at the carton I held. There was clearly a big red apple on the carton label, not a chicken. There wasn’t a bird to be seen on the carton. I’d accidentally put apple juice instead of chicken broth into the pan. “What the hell?” I groaned. How had I mistaken an apple for achicken?

“Shit.” I set the carton down, feeling panicked and foolish. I had to fix this somehow. But how? Apparently I couldn’t even follow a simple recipe. How as I supposed to wing it and turn this disaster into an amazing meal?

When the front door opened, I winced in frustration. Rex was home early, and just in time to witness my failure. I was tempted to throw the pan into the trash to hide the evidence, but with my luck the trash can would go up in flames.

“Do I smell something cooking?” Rex’s deep voice floated in from the living room. He sounded curious and somewhat alarmed.

“Kind of,” I responded, staring at the pan and feeling disheartened.

He entered the kitchen and the first thing he did was give me a warm kiss hello. Then he turned to peek into the pan. “What’s this?”

I slumped. “It was supposed to be dinner.”

“But now it’s not?”

“No because I ruined the meal,” I wailed, clutching my rounded belly. “The baby sucked up all my brain cells.”

He lifted his brows, appearing startled. “Huh?”

I sighed. “My brain doesn’t work right anymore because of all the pregnancy hormones flying around in my body. I can’t even follow a recipe anymore. I… I walk around in a fog ofdumbness.”

“No you don’t.”

“I promise you, I do.”

“I don’t think so, Tanner.” He gave me an encouraging smile.

I groaned. “Rex, I almost brushed my teeth with shaving cream twice this week.”

He grimaced. “Well, anyone might do that.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Have you ever done that even once?”

“Probably. I’m sure I have.”

I sighed. “I appreciate you’re trying to make me feel better, but my pregnancy brain is wreaking havoc on me, Rex. I forget stuff all thetime.” I waved to the pan. “Apparently now I can’t even tell a chicken from an apple.”

Rex looked confused. “I’m not following.”

I picked up the carton of juice. “I thought this was chicken broth, but it’s apple juice. It’s clearly showing an apple. How did I think that was a chicken?How?”

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