Page 38 of One Little Chance
Jenna
I can’t remember who is bringing what desserts? I’m bringing a pecan pie.
Mom
I’m making my brownies
Jenna
Yesss! YUM!
Me
Hi. I’m bringing an apple pie!
Pat
yes, dear, thank you!
Sarah
I was doing sides and an appetizer. But do we think we need a pumpkin pie? It is Thanksgiving.
Jenna
ooh, yeah, it would be weird without a pumpkin pie.
I am not a baker. But I am a people pleaser.
Me
I can bring both—an apple pie and a pumpkin pie?
Pat
Thanks, you’re a doll!
No one else replied.
Amere few hours after a Thanksgiving play at school where I had to sweat in a full-body turkey costume, I stood in the kitchen covered in flour, throwing together an apple pie. I was also multitasking researching pumpkin pie recipes on my phone. I barely had time with fall school shenanigans to stop by the market and buy a couple cans of pumpkin puree let alone sit down and find a recipe.
I ran a sweaty, flour-covered hand over my forehead. I regretted agreeing to two pies.
Sliding the apple pie into the oven, I noted it looked a little fuller than usual, butmaybe that meant a thicker, tastier pie.
As it baked in the oven, I leaned against the kitchen counter scrolling through “easy and quick pumpkin pie recipes” on Google. The keywords wereeasyandquick.
I decided on one, perused the pantry, and realized I needed a few extra ingredients, so I shot off a pleading text to Jordan to pick them up on his way over. As I pressed send, I sniffed the smoky air.
I blinked my eyes against my suddenly foggy vision.
A couple of seconds later, it finally clicked, and I dashed toward the oven. It was ablaze inside with fierce oranges and red flames, and in the middle of it all, my apple pie. I screamed and reached for the oven door but then stopped myself. I took a breath, reminding myself, Do not open the oven door. Do not feed this fire any more oxygen.
With shaky hands, I turned off the oven and prayed to sweet Baby Jesus to please let the fire burn out quickly. Panicked, I called my mom.
With the phone to my ear, I squinted through the maze of smoke behind the oven door and could see bits of extra filling spilled over the pie dish and into the sides of the oven all ablaze.It was the extra filling.
“Mom!” I screamed into the phone. “Mom!”
