Page 13 of Trevor Takes Care

He hadn’t realized timing boiling eggs was essential to getting them the perfect yellow, but the time management aspect of cooking was appealing to his weird brain. Although that was also another thing that would make Sky give him an amused study. Because of course Trevor would be interested in the planning and logistics part of the meal first.

Look at what I helped make. Not just the chopping. I actually cooked this time.

He sent that with the pictures and got a reply not long afterward.

You’re cooking? Like real food?

Well, I stirred and added herbs and things. I’m learning.

“If that’s Sky, tell him thank you if you haven’t already,” Trevor’s grandmother cut into the exchange pleasantly instead of ordering Trevor to pay attention to the food.

Grandma says thank you.

Sky somehow managed to convey a chirp with text.She is very welcome.You learning for any special reason?

Trevor took a picture of his grandmother while she taste-tested the salad dressing. The picture showed his grandma, small and freckled, short white hair held out of her face with a barrette. Her shirt and loose pants could double as pajamas. She made a face that wrinkled her nose when she saw what Trevor was doing but allowed it.

She doesn’t trust anyone else with her recipes.It had been gratifying for her to say that, but….But she says I have to learn the basics of chopping and pans and spices before I’m allowed to really cook.She also had another reason for teaching Trevor all this.I’ll have to cook for you properly someday. When I don’t suck. If I don’t suck.

Cook for mw

Which was a typo and not even a sentence, so Trevor didn’t know how to respond. Maybe Sky assumed Trevor would be a terrible cook and was worried. Trevor tried to reassure him.Yeah of course. But you don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.

Sky seemed to have resolved his typo problem.Surprised you didn’t take some food to Hot Neighbor

That was a jump. Except for smart-boy wizards, probably. Trevor didn’t even try to keep up.

We did. Grandma’s idea.

Trevor had to pull the chicken out of the oven so his grandmother wouldn’t have to. When he picked up his phone again, Sky had sent several messages in row.

It would be wasted on me.

I barely notice food.

But you can learn anything you put your mind to. You always have. At least once you banish the haters.

Trevor frowned at his phone for several moments, then frowned some more while setting two places at the table.

The haters part he decided to think about later or not at all. The rest…. Sky did notice food, just not like a foodie did. He appreciated it when it was put in front of him, but he was never going to cook for himself or have any interest in doing so.

Good food for your big brain, Trevor finally replied.Pretty, nourishing dishes I’m going to set in front of you like a feast from the Redwall books so I know for a fact you’re well fed.

He’d handfeed Sky if he had to.

He watched Sky type and stop typing and then type again, the text version of squirming and frowning and trying to wriggle out of Trevor’s hold before eventually surrendering.I think I’d like that.

He was still trying to wriggle with that ‘I think,’ but Trevor didn’t press the issue. He really would be happy to know Sky was eating better.

I’ll step up my lessons, he assured Sky, then put his phone away to go bring the food to the table so his grandma would sit down.

Chapter Seven

Trevor spent the next morning vacuuming the living room and hallway while his grandma dusted, then working on a new commission, someone’s orc original character, which was good practice for him and gave him some thoughts on orc genitalia. In between that, he drove to the next town to the big box stores for various household supplies. His mother called while he was out. She was at work, but still concerned about the family and Anne’s wedding situation, as if this one wedding was some sort of make-or-break event and the family was going to fall apart over it.

Everyone had been trapped inside or limiting social stuff for a while now and that put a lot of pressure on this event, granted, but Trevor still thought his mom was overreacting. Something he was smart enough to not say, although even his silence was taken to mean things.

“You could have been nicer to her in the chat,” was what his mother finally landed on in what Trevor belatedly realized was an attempt to get him to change his mind about going. “This is a chance to get everyone together again for the first time since all this.”

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