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He was the one to always do the baking in our family, and it was not something I ever inherited from him.
Dad shifted uncomfortably, making me realize how awkward he must have been feeling the longer I remained silent.
“Okay.” I opened the door wider and bent down, grabbing two of the full reusable bags. Glass clinked together as I turned and headed into the kitchen.
Once I carefully put them on the counter, I began pulling the ingredients out. Dad joined, helping me organize everything. Neither of us talked for a long time.
Dad had bought everything under the sun that should have been found in my pantry but wasn’t. Flour, sugar, brown sugar, seasonings, baking soda and baking powder. There was yeast. What were we going to use yeast for?
Milk, eggs, butter.
He even had the tools—rolling pins, measuring cups, cutting boards and knives. Pots, pans, baking sheets, and lastly the pie plates.
He really knew that I had nothing in my kitchen.
“You could have told me,” I said. “I think there’s a box somewhere with my kitchen stuff.”
Dad shrugged. “I wanted to make sure you had everything.”
“Okay.” I poked at the box of silverware. I at least had some of those, so that was definitely a waste to buy. “What are we making?”
“Well, I thought we’d just keep it traditional. Apple pie, pumpkin pie. A cherry pie should be good. Oh, and a coconut cream pie. If I remember correctly, you liked my coconut cream pie.”
Unable to help it, I smiled. “I haven’t eaten that in a while. Let me send a text to Micah to let him know not to have his mom cook the pies.”
“That’s a good call.”
“Yeah.” I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text.
Me: My dad showed up. We’re making the pies. Stop your mom.
Micah: Oh shit. Let me call her. I think she was about to start baking.
I put my phone in my pocket and looked at everything covering the counter.
“So where am I starting?” I asked.
“How about the apples? I need them peeled and sliced. You can put them in this bowl.”
“Roger that.”
While Dad gathered all the tools I’d need, I set my phone up to play music through the speakers set up in the kitchen. I lowered the music, wanting it to fill the quiet, but not make it hard for Dad and me to have a conversation, not that either of us were jumping to talk at the moment.
I must have been halfway through the apples when Dad finally spoke, mixing something on the stove.
“So you’re dating Toby?”
“You remember his name?” I asked, a little surprised.
“It has to do with you, so I made sure to remember. I memorized all their names. Toby is your boyfriend. Seth is the guy who lives across from you. Bryan and Justin are your other friends. And Paxon. How did I do?”
I swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous. “You got it. There’s also Micah obviously. And I recently became really good friends with Lillian and Hazel. They’re twins. During the concert, they sat at the end, next to Micah.”
“Identical?”
“No, but they almost look like it.”
Dad asked me some more questions and it was weird to talk so in depth about my life. All our conversations up to this point had been more like fights or the two of us trying to not disappoint the other. It was nice to talk and not think about stepping on any emotional mines.
