Cherish brushed her hand against the back of Jr.’s head. He would suckle and stop. This little boy was drunk on milk and barely held on to consciousness. Leaning her head back, she dozed off again. The light, sporadic clatter of plates and dishes caught her attention. Simon made each of them a hearty serving of food and iced lemonade. He abandoned the dining table rule and brought her plate right to the small stand beside her, “Here you are. This food smells so, so, so, good.”
Cherish lifted her head with wide eyes as Jr.’s head was tilted back with a ring of milk around the inside of his lips. The sight put a subtle smile on Simon’s lips. She blinked a few times to wake herself up, “O-oh…uh thank you, sorry.” She whispered with a sigh. She held Jr. close to her body, leaned over, and stood up before nestling him in the crib beside Jasmine. Clearing her throat, she slowly made her way back to the sofa, fixed her breasts, and sat down beside Simon.
Simon crossed one leg over the other at the ankle as he sat and began to eat. Shutting his eyes, he groaned out once he got a bit of each flavor. He savored what was in his mouth while he flicked those eyes open to slightly shake his head, “Who taught you?” He asked.
Grabbing her plate, she blew over it, “Oh Emeril. He taught me a lot of things…BAM!” She said. Obviously, her joke when right over his head. Replaying a moment in her mind, Cherish then squeezed her eyes shut, “That was lame, sorry. Anyway, when I was pregnant, Todd would always leave me behind at the hotel. So, I sat around and watched a lot of cooking shows on his phone.” She answered. Picking up a portion of the macaroni, she scooped it into her mouth and nodded as though she’d impressed herself. It wasn’t perfect but much better than expected, “This is the first time I’ve actually been able to make a meal.” She said with a light chuckle. Pausing, Cherish thought it over before continuing, “Ever. I hope you like it.” She said.
“Oh, come on. You’re kidding. It’s delicious.” He replied.
Finishing a bite of food, she glanced over in his direction, and sighed, “Thank you.” After a few seconds, she blew out, “I hope Miss Emily’s parents return. It’d be a shame if they didn’t.” She said in a saddened tone.
Simon couldn’t blame her for being worried with the position she was in, but his stomach sank once she brought it up. He wasn’t sure how he would get them to completely understand. They weren’t okay in the wake of their daughter’s death. None of them were. Just a week ago Emily was on the phone with them, folding clothes, and gushing to her mother about how many contractions she felt. Now, those were just a memory time would eventually erase. Would it heal as well?
Simon blinked a few times before looking to Cherish’s light brown eyes. He wanted to comfort her. With a weak smile, he placed his fork down, “They will. I’m sure of it. Don’t worry. They love Jr. and I. I’m sure they want to know what happened. They’re good people, like I said. I think it’s best to just be honest with them from now on. They deserve that.” He answered.
Stopping, Cherish wet her lips before she gave him a small nod. She could see the sadness in Simon’s features and figured they should move past the subject. He appreciated the silence that followed before he hummed, “I do have one more question for you. Who is Emeril?” He asked curiously.
Cherish took another bite before she stared at him in disbelief. She lowered the plate back to the side table and waved her hand, “You don’t know who Emeril Lagasse is?! Oh wow! He is so entertaining!” She stated in shock shaking her head, “Do you have a cell phone?” She asked.
Simon stood from the sofa, “Yeah. Emeril…Lagasse.” He said to himself before he handed her the control for the television. As she blinked curiously at the remote, he cleared his throat and pointed to the television, “Sorry, I have a smart TV. So, if you want to show me something on YouTube, it’s easiest to do it here.” He said.
Cherish grinned as she turned the television on, “I love his show. Hold on, I can do it.” She said blinking and constantly flipping her head from the remote to the screen. It took her a minute to pull the application up and once again was amazed. There were so many options that she didn’t know existed. Where the hell was she going to start?
Simon tried to follow along and put a face to a name. He forgot about their concerns in the animated way she began to speak. This was the first time she ever elevated her voice. The part, that was the best though, was how long it took her to finally him, “Got it!” She said pressing the button minutes later.
There he was. The man she watched every night when Todd would leave. He was a shorter fellow, from Louisiana, with a signature expression that would engage his audience. Cherish’s eyes lit up as she grabbed her plate and tuned in.
Immediately, Simon liked him. He tucked his feet and legs under him and continued to eat. His glasses reflected the flashes on the screen, and he wore a wide grin. His laughs blended with hers as they watched
