Page 10 of Season of Mercy
Now, the chicken looked golden-brown from all sides.
“Beautiful!” Mercy muttered to herself as she turned off the fire on the stove.
She fished out her brand-new phone—Ethan’s gift—from her pocket and pulled up the app that showed Stevie’s room. Having cameras in the rooms was an unexpected luxury. This kitchen, equipped with stainless-steel appliances, granite countertops, and a brand-new stove, was beyond luxury.
In her previous apartment, she was grateful if her faucet didn’t leak or the stove wasn’t super rusty.
Really, cooking in this kitchen was a delight. Mercy carefully removed the hot chicken from the skillet and put the pieces into a large bowl. Then she poured mole sauce into the same skillet and turned on the stove again. She glanced at the clock above the stove. She needed to let it simmer for about five minutes or so.
It was about time to start on the rice. She’d cook it the way Stevie liked it. She poured olive oil in another large saucepan and let it heat up. Then she added rice and stirred it.
After moving to the guesthouse, Mercy had rediscovered her passion for cooking, now that she didn’t have to choose between working long hours and taking care of family. There was something soothing in making dinner from scratch, breathing in the mouthwatering scents, and anticipating the delicious first bites and smiles on the faces of the people dear to her. And thankfully, she knew Ethan’s and Stevie’s tastes rather well.
Just a little more time, and Ethan would be home.
Or... would he?
What if he stayed working late, or...
A chill ran down her spine, reminding her of all the nights she’d waited for Cole.
Waited in vain.
Mercy dismissed the memories with effort as she kept stirring. So far, Ethan had come home every day at a quarter after five. She could trust Ethan.
Just like I trusted Cole.
Stirring the rice with her left hand, Mercy took out her phone from her jeans pocket with her right one and checked on Stevie again. Her little boy was still watching cartoons. He was pale and not his vivacious self yet. But he was recovering well, according to the doctor, and her heart filled with contentment.
She put her phone back inside her pocket. Five minutes was up, so she left the rice to its own affairs. Mercy transferred the pieces of chicken back into the skillet and covered it with a transparent lid. She set the alarm twenty minutes ahead and let chicken simmer together with the mole sauce. Then she stirred the rice again, just as it was starting to turn a golden color.
So far, so good.
Now, it was time to add the vegetables to the rice. Oh, how she loved the scents of freshly cut vegetables!
But first, she needed to check on Stevie. She dashed into his room. “Are you okay, honey?”
“Yes, Mommy. So many cartoons!” Stevie smiled at her, making her heart warm.
Ethan’s cable had way more channels than her meager subscription ever had. Mercy kissed Stevie on the cheek. “Dinner will be ready soon. Chicken mole and rice.”
“Thank you, Mommy!” That was a very enthusiastic reply, especially considering what the poor boy had to eat for days after the hospital. “I’m hungry!”
Happy her son’s appetite had returned, Mercy dashed back into the kitchen and stirred the rice again. Thankfully, it hadn’t burned. Swiftly, she chopped garlic and added it to the rice. Another couple of stirs. Then she cut an onion, a pepper, and a couple of large tomatoes into small pieces. She added chicken broth, vegetables, tomato paste, and spices into the saucepan. Then she stirred it with passion.
Looking good.
Mercy lowered the fire underneath the rice and covered it. The alarm sounded, announcing the chicken mole was ready, so she turned the heat off under that skillet. She set a new alarm for another twenty minutes for the rice.
She placed a can of beans on the counter and opened a pack of tortillas, her few concessions to making everything from scratch today. She put a small skillet on the stove, lit fire under it, and started warming up the tortillas one by one. While transferring a tortilla from the skillet into a plastic container, she glanced at the clock.
Mercy grinned. She still had time to make guacamole while the rice was cooking.
Ethan loved guacamole.
A strange anticipation built in the pit of her stomach as she placed avocados, tomatoes, and mayonnaise on the counter and started working on the guacamole.
Frankly, so much food was an unexpected luxury, as well. All the money Cole had made he’d lost due to gambling. Living hand to mouth had made her creative about what to make for dinner. It had also forced her go half-hungry most days, giving whatever food she could to Stevie.
