Chapter 16

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Christal kept mixing the potatoes even as she heard John enter the house. She had fucked up and hadn’t gotten the opportunity to apologize to him. There was only so much shouting she could deal with, so she tried to stay out of his way. She tried not to feel the hurt of being cut off from all contact. The last week with John had been the same as living with her parents. He didn’t talk to her, only accepted silence, and she spent most of her time trying to avoid him. The latest batch of cookies was cooling on the tray.

The only consolation she found was him taking her baking into work. At least nothing went off. She found the cookbooks in one of the cupboards, and her days had been spent Masoning the pages of the recipes she wanted to cook. He never complained about what she cooked, nor did he voice happiness at the food she presented to him.

The chicken and roast potatoes were keeping warm, and she tasted the mashed potatoes to see for their seasoning. Once they were done, she wa