Page 7 of Savoring Christmas
“That’s right. Pleasure to meet you.” Harold smiled, before heading to the last of the stations, next to Thelma.
Mia stepped to the front of the room, feeling slightly breathless. “Welcome, everyone. I thought we’d start by going around and introducing ourselves. Tell everyone your name and why you decided to take this class.” She gestured to Abby. “Would you like to start?”
Abby’s cheeks pinked. “I’m Abby Hayes. I moved here three years ago when my cousin died, leaving her two children in my care. I’d just graduated from veterinarian school and had no clue about kids. Regardless, I became a mom instantly and had to learn how to take care of them literally overnight. I’m married to Luke Hayes, who you all might know from the maple syrup farm. He had a little girl and we now have a baby together, making me the mother and wife to a large, hungry clan of six. And I feel entirely inadequate in the kitchen. Luke and the kids are very kind about my mediocre meals, but I want to learn how to make something they’re eager to eat. When I heard about this class, I decided to sign up, even though it’s way beyond my comfortzone.” She laughed nervously. “Also, supporting the food bank seemed like a good cause.”
Kris was next, standing with theatrical flair. “I’m Kris Olaffson. I’m here to learn how to make a fancy Italian meal for my wife. Our fortieth wedding anniversary is coming at the end of the month and I want to surprise her. I’ve never cooked a thing in my life. She’s fed me for forty years. I figured it was my turn to spoil her a bit. And, trust me, she’ll be surprised.”
“Good for you,” Mia said. “It’s a wonderful gift.”
Reese went next. “Hi, I’m Reese Monroe. You might know me from my dance studio in town. Dance has been my whole life, but it also brought some challenges—especially around food. Growing up as a dancer, we were taught that food was the enemy instead of fuel for our bodies. If we weren’t thin enough, we risked losing our place at the academy. I’ve been in therapy for an eating disorder, and, as part of my treatment, my coach suggested I take a cooking class—to learn that food can be something that nurtures our bodies, and something to share with the people we love. Because of this struggle, I haven’t made many friends over the years. So many social events revolve around food, and I always found an excuse to say no to invites, until no more came. It probably sounds pathetic, but I’m finally ready to get healthy. I’m desperate to break free from this debilitating relationship with food and start living fully. I’d like to meet someone. Get married. Have children. But I can’t do it if I’m not well.”
“Reese, thank you for sharing that with us.” Mia’s eyes burned. “Please let me know how I can assist you as we go along. I will do my best to be sensitive, but please let me know how I can be of service in your journey. I’m really glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” Abby said. “I had no idea you were dealing with that, Reese. You’re so good with the children at the studio. Both my daughters adore you.”
“That’s nice to hear. Thank you,” Reese said.
Reese and Abby shared a smile.
“Thelma, would you like to go next?” Mia asked.
Thelma nodded, eyes glassy, clearly moved by what she’d heard from her first two classmates. “I’m Thelma Tully. I lost my husband last year, just after the holidays. This is my first Christmas season without him, and it’s been really hard. Both of my children, a son and a daughter, moved away for their careers. They’re busy and don’t need me calling them every five minutes. But without my husband, I’ve been struggling. My daughter thought it might be good for me to get out a few evenings a week—you know, just to get through December. So here I am.”
“Oh, Thelma, that sounds so hard,” Abby said. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, dear. It was unexpected. One day he was asking for more strawberry jam for his toast and the next he was gone.” Thelma dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.
“Have you done much cooking over the years?” Mia asked.
“Sure. For my family. But nothing gourmet, I can assure you,” Thelma said. “I’m looking forward to learning from a talented chef. I do confess to watching a lot of cooking shows.”
“Me too,” Abby said. “But so far they haven’t made me a better cook.”
That drew a chuckle from the group.
“Harold, tell us about yourself,” Mia said.
“I’m Harold Jensen, and I’m here for the same reason as Thelma. I lost my wife two years ago around this time and I’m determined not to have another Christmas crying into my warmed-up can of soup. My wife loved Christmas and cooked through the entire month. So many delicious treats and meals. Frankly, I took them for granted. But now that she’s gone, I thought it might be a way to honor her memory to learn how to make a few new dishes. But, like Thelma, it’s also a way to get outof the house and meet some new folks. My kids all live far away, too, so it’s just me and my dog.” He smiled in Abby’s direction. “Milo’s doing great on his new medication, by the way.”
“Good to hear,” Abby said warmly.
“Thank you for sharing such a personal reason for being here,” Mia said. “I hope it will be fun for you.”
“I’m sure it will be,” Harold said.
All eyes turned to Logan, who shifted from one foot to the other. Mia tilted her head, studying him. “Logan, what brings you here? Other than some ribbing from your brothers?”
He gave a half-smile, shrugging sheepishly. “I’m afraid my reason isn’t nearly as poignant as the rest of you. I come from a big family, and we all love to gather together to eat. It’s always someone’s birthday or a holiday or whatever, and I’m the only one who never hosts. Mostly because I’m afraid to poison my family. My brother Luke, Abby’s husband, challenged me to a bet at trivia night. If I lost, I had to take this class. I lost. Obviously. I want to apologize in advance if I’m the problem student.” He paused, glancing around the room. “My last try at cooking nearly burned my mother’s house down.”
Everyone laughed.
“Well, that’s a good enough reason right there. We really don’t want to burn anyone’s house down, especially our mother’s,” Mia said.
“Why did you offer the class?” Reese asked. “Just to raise money for the food bank?”
For a moment, she wasn’t sure how to answer. But everyone had been so honest, she felt like she should be too. “I’m naturally a shy person and have trouble meeting people. When I owned a restaurant in New York, I was so busy that it was only my staff that I hung out with. Now though, living here, I have more time for fun and friends, yet I haven’t really been able to meet anyone.The last four years have been lonely. I thought this would help me meet some new people.”
“That’s wonderful,” Thelma said. “I think this is going to be a very sweet experience for us all.”
