#and i need to go to farmers markets this week. for produce to cook with l

[indiegame]

im really excited to document new things here

[humming-fly]

North Carolina Relief Masterlist

One of my close friends is currently living in North Carolina and took the time to put together this really nicely organized list of organizations currently taking donations after Hurricane Helene, and I thought it'd be nice to share it on tumblr as well since I know some folks like these kinds of organized lists! All links and descriptions come from her and her experiences with the orgs below. 👍

Foundation

The Community Foundation of WNC - Read no further if you want a catch-all, one stop donation spot for WNC long-term Helene response. CFWNC is a permanent pool of charitable capital for the 18 counties of Western North Carolina including the Qualla Boundary (land of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians). They are an amazing source of consistent support to many WNC nonprofits via grant opportunities. They have financially supported so many of the non-profits I have encountered or worked with. Donate to the cause of your choice via CFWNC (including the Helene response specifically) here.

Food Security, Farm Support & More

Bounty & Soul (Swannanoa Valley, Black Mountain, and Asheville) - decade-old non-profit currently typically focused on health and food insecurity now working in partnership with World Central Kitchen, MANNA, Hearts with Hands, and many others to distribute food, hot meals, and supplies. They are also working to resume purchasing and distributing fresh produce from farmers in WNC who still have crops to harvest and sell. Donate to their disaster relief here.

Annie’s Culinary Garden - I often frequent this small but mighty Black Mountain restaurant, which is closely partnered with Bounty & Soul. Annie’s was already embedded in health and food justice work pre-Helene but the last 2 weeks, Annie and her team have been working around the clock (using a generator to power their restaurant) to provide free vegan, vegetarian, and other diet-specific hot meals to retirement homes, distribution hubs, and also to feed the staff and volunteers at these hubs. This has been a huge need expressed to me by community members because much of the food available at distribution sites is not able to be eaten by those requiring special diets. Donate to their effort here.

Haywood Christian Ministry (Waynesville) - WNC’s largest food pantry has partnered with MANNA (WNC's largest food bank?) and is distributing food on the ground and requesting donations to help with the emergency disaster response. They are also directly purchasing from WNC farms to distribute fresh foods for folks cooking bulk hot meals and for families who can cook at home. For info and to donate, go here. 

Food Connection(Asheville-based) - I first encountered this org at a food waste solutions summit and thought their concept was brilliant. They rescue high-quality, chef-prepared meals and deliver them to neighbors in need (often those who can’t afford to participate regularly in Asheville’s expensive foodie culture). I have since seen them out in Asheville and beyond to rural communities doing exactly what they do best and delivering delicious, no-cost hot meals to Helene victims. Donate to them here.

Foothills Food Hub (McDowell County) - McDowell was hit really hard and this hub is working to source water and shelf-stable goods to distribute. They will continue to feed vulnerable populations and to support farmers with direct purchasing and a reliable market. Requesting monetary donations, which can be made online here.

TRACTOR Food & Farms (Spruce Pine*, Mitchell County) - In another hard-hit county, this hub is also working, much like the Foothills Food Hub, on connecting local farmers with folks in a system of equitable healthy food access in rural communities. Donate to this local food hub here.

*Interesting aside: Spruce Pine and its quartz mines were extremely damaged by flooding and this threatens the global tech industry. This rural town is home to one of the world’s only sources of high-purity quartz. The mines are currently trying to re-open.

MANNA FoodBank (Asheville) - This very large organization is still doing what they do best and distributing food, water, and more, despite having their warehouse/headquarters were destroyed in the flooding along the Swannanoa River. Donate online here.

Farmer Support & Advocacy

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) (WNC) - this wide-reaching farmer advocacy org is currently reestablishing communications with WNC farmers and getting aid to them. They also have healthy food programs that, once operating again, will serve tangentially in the relief effort. I have worked adjacent to this org for the last year and am a dogged cheerleader of them and their work. Donations can be made here.

Center for Environmental Farming Systems (Qualla Boundry and WNC) -  CEFS works closely with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, NC State, extension services and more to support food and farm initiatives across WNC. I previously worked adjacent to this org and was extremely impressed by their commitment and effectiveness. Donate (ideally to “Friends of CEFS” for more flexible funding) here. 

Tierra Fértil Coop (Hendersonville) - social and economic farmer cooperative formed by a group of Hispanic community members living in Henderson County that grows and provides culturally-specific foods but also has community programs to support the Latinx community in Henderson county. I have attended some of their educational events and have worked adjacent to them. I am ever impressed by their work. Donate to them by emailing tierrafertilcoophv@gmail.com.

Economic Justice & More

Pisgah Legal Services (all over WNC) - these folks do just about everything “life admin” for WNC's most vulnerable populations and have done so for over forty years. They provide pro bono civil legal aid, health insurance enrollment, and more. I have worked adjacent to them over the last year and could not be more impressed by their broad scope of bi-lingual legal work that maintains incredible efficiency and effectiveness. Donate to them here. 

Just Economics (WNC) - JE works on shaping the economic development of WNC in a way that benefits everyone and promotes a sustainable future. I have attended some of their workshops and found them to be powerfully educational. I am also grateful for their political advocacy for living wages for all in WNC. They are not directly working on the Helene response (as far as I know), but the road to recovery is long and their economic justice advocacy will be especially crucial as WNC rebuilds. Donate to JE here. 

BeLoved (Asheville) - Org working on improving the well-being and quality of life for individuals, families, and communities through our focus areas of Home, Health, Equity, and Opportunity. On-the-ground volunteers are currently collecting and distributing a wide array of supplies and BeLoved will continue to play a significant long-term role in housing and more. Donate to BeLoved here.

Health Services & Equity

Blue Ridge Health (WNC) - Blue Ridge Health is a federally qualified health center that is continuing to provide accessible & affordable medical care and mental health care to vulnerable populations (now including Helene victims) with their sites around the region and mobile clinics. Donate here.

Vecinos (WNC) - This rapidly growing org provides direct healthcare services to underserved, uninsured communities with a focus on WNC's farmworkers at their clinics and with mobile clinics on site at farms. Donate to their continuing services here. 

Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (Asheville based) - The ABCCM helps run and provide shelter in Asheville and is partnered with the Red Cross. Donations help pay for motel and food vouchers for local residents and long-term support for those displaced. A personal aside: ABCCM also has an awesome medical clinic serving uninsured folks and they were the only medical service I could find that would treat a tick born illness that I had when I first arrived in the US from Canada (I did not yet have health insurance). To donate to their Helene response, go here.

Schools & Youth

FernLeaf Community Charter School (Fletcher) - FernLeaf was partially destroyed by Helene (one of the school buildings was entirely lifted off of its foundation then dropped several feet away in a truly remarkable display of the power of water from a small nearby creek). Donate to FernLeaf here. 

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County - The local United Way typically works on youth/child food security, educational support, and physical and mental health care services. The org is helping with immediate natural disaster response and long-term support for flood victims. Donations can be made online here.

Other

Blue Ridge Public Radio - obviously these NPR folks have been working around the clock to keep people informed in the old-fashioned way, over the airwaves. You can support them here.

[six-of-ravens]

literally my thought process right now is "joy of getting a blind box of produce every week" vs "joy of wandering through the farmers market once a week" and ye gods it's a hard decision.

quick someone convince me I don't need to buy a weekly local produce box from the sakatoon farm

[omgsuperstarg]

Market Day- Toto Wolff x Black! Caribbean Reader

Author's Note: This one shot is based on another function of Caribbean Life. Going to the Market or Farmer's Market to get fresh food for the household is a normal occurrence and Toto decides to tag along with you and assist.

Saturday mornings are usually a staple of your household. That's the day when you head down to the local farmer's market and pick up the much-needed fruits, produce (ground provisions), & seasoning herbs for the meats and fish. Today, you wake at the crack of dawn to get ready. Toto was fast asleep during the summer shutdown taking the much-needed rest from flying for weeks at a time. This is usually a solo trip, so going out and returning in record times is an art form for you.

All that you needed was in your car, you proceed to leave a note so that he knew your whereabouts and with that, you're off for another fruitful Saturday morning.

Mini time skip..........

You're already halfway through your list when your phone begins ringing.

Hello

"Good Morning darling, I see you've left me all alone", your love speaks playfully.

"Morning to you as well Toto. I decided to let you sleep in because GOD KNOWS you need it and market trips have always been a solo task for me. Plus, I'm getting all the ingredients for SOUP SATURDAY!!", you state matter of factly.

"So where are you?", you inquire.

Turn around.

What!?!?", your voice

In doing what's instructed, you observe your boyfriend in some dry-fit shorts, a t-shirt with silver arrow logos, and some aviator shades with sneakers completing his relaxed outfit. Knowing Toto he always wore the love for his team on his sleeve in both figurative and literal senses. He jogs up to you with a bright smile on his face, one that you've come to love in your three years together.

"Im surprised to see you here, I thought you would be sleeping in since Saturdays' are usually my day", you profess as you hand him one of your market bags.

"Well, I couldn't let my darling do her shopping unaccompanied. Not only that it's a perfect way to catch up and spoil yourself with the florals you admire soo much", the statuesque man states with his accented speech seeping into your bones.

"Well, there's still a few more things that need to be purchased and since I already have meat seasoned for cooking, I say when we arrive home I can make us some soup. Judging the clouds it's going to be a heavy rain shower." you speak observing the bleak sky.

"Ahhh yes, soup is always comforting on a rainy day," he says smiling.

A fruitful trip was completed, you both were now home and cutting up vegetables for a hearty lunch. Dancehall and Soca music is blasting throughout the kitchen which is typical of a Saturday Morning. Toto observes you dancing along to the music and even finds himself nodding along to its infectious beat.

"So its always this noisy when you're back home?", he inquires as he sits near the granite countertop.

"Yes, this is a pretty normal vibe for a Caribbean household. Sometimes I would do my Saturday chores on a Friday so I wouldn't have to and the second Saturday or whenever the funds arrive would be market day. After coming home, I would assist my grandma in making soup, my favorite is Chicken foot and I would add ramen noodles to it as well. Early afternoon we would either bake homemade bread or coconut bake'', you profess wistfully as you think of your island home.

"I think that's quite sweet and I'm glad that you're able to share this part of your life with me,'' he confessed.

"I hope I can drag your butt for Trinidad & Tobago Carnival, get some seasoning in you as well as a little more colour, the fangirls I know would appreciate it, me being a major one," you say as you shut the stove off and begin to distribute the food.

The rain finally came down as you both began to eat, the warmness of the soup filling your soul, and the man sharing his love making you feel even more cozy.

[love-in-the-time]

i need to see the following:

The doctor and donna on a country lane with bags and a basket, coming from the farmer's market in the little french town where they live, on a sunny day and donna has a hat and a pretty dress and she's managed to convince the doctor to wear jeans.

The doctor and donna at the farmer's market inspecting produce and laughing with each other.

donna dancing around the kitchen as she cooks, while the doctor watches, sure that he's never going to leave this little french outpost of his as long as she's there.

he experiments with a beard. donna is pleased. "makes you look even more bloke-y," she says. "like a regular guy." he shaves it off the next week.

patisserie for all! she comes back from town with a literal box of french pastries and they eat them for dinner in the garden like two kids.

i wish i could draw. there are so many possibilities!

[olderthannetfic]

https://olderthannetfic.tumblr.com/post/741872748055396352/as-someone-who-loves-to-cook-very-international-a#notes

One thing I completely forgot to mention. For anyone who eats meat: A GOOD BUTCHER! Too many people really need to find a good butcher, because more than half the "bland" meat based dishes will remedy themselves if you find a good butcher. Especially if you manage to build a line of communication to get cuts of meat as fresh as possible, you'll get fresh and well tasting meat. There's a world of difference between a good butcher's cut piece of meat, and most of what you might find in a supermarket. You know how chicken is considered some of the driest and least flavourful meat? If you get a good butcher who knows some chicken farmers, you might actually be able to get some actual fat and flavourful chicken that gets to eat grass and whatever it can find outside, instead of the mass production farm chicken that get feed with pellets. So much can impact the flavour of meat. You'll also feel much more satisfied eating meat only a few times a week if those cuts actually taste good and filling, which can cut down on your meat consumption, obviously also paired with fresh and flavourful veggies and other sides. And so we don't forget it, same goes for a seafood market. Especially seafood honestly. Some seafood really only tastes good "out of the water, into the pan, onto your plate." If it takes too long, you'll end up with less than stellar tasting meat. You also get fish and seafood that way that hasn't been processed with chemicals and other additives to keep it fresh longer. Flash frozen is also a valid form to get fresh unprocessed fish, so don't be afraid if you hear the fish you're buying was flash frozen. And for vegetables and fruit: A good farmer's market, or at least a list of in-season veggies and fruits. Veggies and fruit will always taste best within their harvesting season. A farmer's market will often have more focus on flavour and actual aroma, rather than how supermarkets some times mostly focus on the looks of the produce. Some vegetables and fruits that you get at the supermarket might be watery and bland, or even dry/woody and stringy, while the farmer's market, mainly/especially for local produce will be a lot more flavourful and aromatic. Having the option to use veggies that actually taste like something really does a world of difference for your diet!

--

There's a place in the Bay Area where you can go select your chicken or duck and wait for them to slaughter it. Depressing, maybe, to have to look your dinner in the face before it's killed, but one meets an interesting cross-section of Chinese immigrants, people who want halal food, etc. Last time I was there, a little old lady told me I needed to make chicken soup immediately on returning home and not refrigerate the chicken, wait, or try to do dishes like roast chicken that require more fat because these particular chickens are too lean.

She said most people have never tasted a proper dish made from freshly killed chicken, at least around here.

[soie-lux]

Looking Back at My 2022 Goals: Leveling Up Mentally and Spiritually in 2023

As 2022 comes to a close, take some time to reflect. Look back at the goals you set at the beginning of the year. How did you do? What are some things you wish you would've done differently?

My goals for this year were:

I honestly didn't look back too much at this list throughout the year, but I can thankfully say many of my goals have organically been incorporated in my routines and daily life bit by bit as the year went on.

It doesn't matter if you started working towards your goals January 1st or December 1st, all that matters is that you had the discipline to start. To implement every single one of your goal's January 1st can be overwhelming to some, and discouraging when you fail to keep up the habits, which is why so many people drop their New Year's resolutions in the first 2-3 weeks. You don't have to sprint towards the finish line the second the new year begins. Be gentle with yourself. By implementing your goals slowly and gradually into you daily life, you are more likely to keep up with them.

One of my goals for 2022 was to do some form of joyful movement at least 5 days out of the week. I found pilates, stretching, and daily walks worked best for me rather than going to a gym. I want to be able to enjoy life freely for as long as possible and that means taking care of myself and my body. During the summer months, my 5am morning walks and pilates were Godsend. It required serious discipline to get to wake up so early, but it was so worth it! I feel so much stronger and energized! This is a habit I definitely want to carry into 2023. I wasn't consistent with my daily joyful movement it until May, and that's okay! Starting later is better than not starting at all.

Setting limits on social apps has really helped decrease my screen time. I've definitely noticed the less I spent online, the better I felt mentally and my mindset regarding online/media spaces has shifted drastically. I don't feel the need to be in the loop when it comes to the latest trends of what's "in" vs what's "out." No longer am I caught up in the happenings of celebrity and internet culture (the less you check into trending topics and gossip blurbs, you'll find yourself caring less and less about them, trust me). I noticed the more time I spent obsessing over social media and trying to fit into a specific aesthetic, the less I was able to truly be myself. Get off the internet and learn about yourself!! Forget about trends, what do you like to wear? What do you like to do? Don't let the internet fool you into behaving in a way that makes you feel artificial. Since I've learned this, life has become so much richer and simpler.

Quality over quantity has been a big theme for me this year. I wanted to apply this to my closet as well and create a capsule wardrobe filled with high quality pieces rather than fast fashion items. I've always been drawn neutral tones and earthy tones, but recently have developed a soft-spot for navy and burgundy. I've slowly been swapping out my polyester and acrylic items for pieces made of pure silk, linen, cotton, cashmere, and wool. I'm at a place now where I'd rather spend my money on one high quality basic that will last me years and years than numerous fast fashion items of equal monetary value.

Cooking and baking has always been a hobby of mine, but after some mental/health challenges, I found it hard to enjoying being in the kitchen. I don't remember the moment it all clicked, but the autumn months really helped me fall back in love with cooking. All the things I was doing to physically keep my body moving made me want to ensure I was fueling my body properly as well. I spent less time in grocery stores and more time at farmers markets talking to the farmers/vendors and learning about where the food I'm eating is actually coming from!! Organic produce, free-range eggs, grass-fed meats, locally made bread and locally harvested honey as much as possible. Cooking and baking things from scratch instead of buying it processed from the super market. Eating with the seasons. Making my first sourdough starter. Beginning with a few basic ingredients and witnessing something beautiful come into fruition from oven to plate. I'm so thankful I was able to discover an all-new joy for being in the kitchen this year, and I plan to continue to harness these skills in 2023.

I thank God for the way He has helped me grow in my faith this year. Spending time in His word daily. Praying to Him not just as part of my morning and nightly routine, but sometimes multiple times throughout my day just to chat or ask for guidance. Learning to put His will for my life above my own. Learning to trust Him with everything in my life and giving Him full control. Learning to serve others rather than always looking to be served. In the beginning of the year, my goal was to become "that girl," but now my goal is to become the woman of God the Lord wants me to be. I want to be a woman after His own heart. To spreads God's love with the world by being gentle, kind, wise, graceful, poised, soft-spoken, and selfless. I am in no way perfect, but I'm thankful for the growth I've seen this year and I thank God in advance for the work He will do in me this coming year.

[bonesandthebees]

I've been cleaning my room all day (woo depression hole is gone!) but now I'm so exhausted because all I've had is a handful of potato chips ( I actually hurt my jaw while eating them lmao) and like two cups of water, and I still have some stuff left to clean, but I'm too tired, and I cant eat anything to help because all I have requires cooking and I'm too tired to cook, and too poor to order something, lmao but at least my floor is spotless! I also got a new dress today! It's light purple and my friend is paying for a photoshoot for her birthday and it's rainbow themed and each of us have a different color of the rainbow, and I got purple, and it's super cute and I'm super excited! Anyways, how have you been Bee? Tell me about your life recently :))

yay for cleaning your room!! I actually just folded my laundry so we are both on a roll

but also oh no you need to eat. even if you don't have the energy to cook anything just try to find something you can snack on. one of my desperate level go to's when I'm absolutely way too bone dead tired to cook anything is straight up just butter on bread. the nicer version of this if I have it in my fridge is pita bread with hummus which is a great easy thing to eat if you don't have energy. any kind of nuts or fruit will also help if you have it

and that dress sounds so pretty!! I hope the photoshoot goes well that's so fun

I've been doing good! busy with many things! I'm going to be very busy with both family stuff and work this week so that'll be a bit hectic. this weekend I went to a pilates class for the first time (yes, I'm aware of how much of an LA girl stereotype I am) and my legs are so sore. I already signed up for another class tomorrow and I know I'm going to regret it but I will do my best to persevere

also I made coconut cream pie this weekend and it's so fucking good oh my god. it was definitely a bit of a headache to make but it was so worth it. it's been pretty funny bc lately I've been trying to eat healthier by eating more veggie-heavy meals and buying a lot of produce from farmers markets and things like that, but also I've been on a baking kick so. I'm swinging wildly between my healthy main meals and then constantly having very sugary desserts afterwards lol

[theloveoftoms]

The Farmers Market - Ethan Hunt x Julia

Summary: Julia and Ethan decide to visit a local farmers market. Lots of fluff and sweet stuff <3

A/N: Hello hotties, your girl is back with a fic! This one isn't incredibly long, but I had so much fun writing it! I love Ethan and Julia so much. This story comes from a request about Ethan and Julia asked by the incredible @skinnycruise -I hope you like it! I saw that selfie of Ethan and Julia last week and I couldn't not write about them 🥹 xoxo mac

Word Count: 1.4k

With the warm breeze of May fresh upon the horizon, it seemed like spring was gracing the seaside city of Boston with longer days of sun and warmer weather. With the arrival of spring meant the arrival of another popular attraction; the farmers market.

The first weekend in May, farmers from the surrounding area of the city would bring in their vegetables and produce and set up a market in one of the downtown parks.

Standing in the kitchen, drinking a cup of warm vanilla coffee was, Julia, when the idea of the farmers market popped into her mind for no particular reason. She wasn't too sure why the idea of the farmers market popped into her mind, but the more she thought of it, she thought that it might be fun to go. Julia didn't go too often as it was much easier to just pick up groceries on the way home from the hospital after work, but having her husband back home for a while made the idea appealing to her as a fun little date that the both of them could go on.

So, when Ethan, a man who had lacked sleep for the better part of three months while he was away in Europe chasing after terrorists and criminals, caught up on his sleep, Julia brewed a fresh pot of coffee and made some eggs and toast to wake her husband up with. And while he was busy eating and waking up for the day, she retreated to their shared bedroom and put on a white and blue floral print dress that fell just below the knees. Tucked in her dark hair was a pair of white-rimmed sunglasses that matched both the sandals on her feet and the colour of her linen dress.

When she came back out into the kitchen, Ethan, who was perched on one of the bar stools around the kitchen island grinned sweetly at her like no time had passed since the two of them met, all those many years ago when they had locked eyes across a crowded room.

"You sure you wanna go out?" he asked, snaking a hand around her waist, "because i'm just fine here."

Julia chuckled and planted a gentle kiss atop of her husbands dark hair, "we need something to cook for dinner," she said, "besides, it will be fun."

Ethan nodded, linking his hand with Julia's, "give me ten and I'll be ready," he said gesturing to his outfit that composed of an old worn t-shirt and the pair of boxers he had slept in last night, "unless you want me walking around beside you like this?"

Julia rolled her eyes at her husband, and swatted gently at his bicep, sending him on his was to change.

And surely enough, when Ethan emerged back in the kitchen of their apartment wearing a black t-shirt tucked into a pair of dark jeans - his signature pair of aviators tucked within the neck of his shirt - he looked much more put together.

"All ready?" Julia asked him, smiling in his presence.

Ethan nodded, and followed his wife out to the car.

...

The Boston seaside park was transformed from its usual routine of people utilizing the trails for fitness into a venue that was surely captivating. Among the greenery of the spring-time park was countless booths, each with something different to offer.

At some there were freshly-cut flowers, at others there were handcrafted items, and at most there were some sort of produce or home-made goods.

"What are we on the look out for?" Ethan asked, noticing a booth with crochet baby slippers, all in a variety of tiny sizes with a plethora of pastel coloured yarn composing them.

"You think they have those in my size?" he asked, retracting his prior question, gesturing to the slippers.

Julia snorted as they walked past, picturing a light pink pair of slippers drawn to her husbands feet which made the woman running the booth shoot them a dirty look from across the walk way.

"What's so funny Jul?" Ethan asked, his arm draping around her shoulders.

Julia shook her head, "I was just imagining you in a pair of those," pointing to a light pink pair with a comedically large yellow duck crocheted to the toe of it.

"Please Julia," Ethan replied nonchalantly, "have some class. If you're going to day dream about me in a pair of slippers, at least imagine me in the green ones with the trains."

"Hmm," Julia hummed, trying to hide her smile, "I think the ones with the little pigs would really bring out your eyes."

Julia looked to Ethan to find that his gaze was already on her. From his place beside his wife, the nearly-blue, nearly-green, oceanic eyes of Ethan Hunt were pressed so effortlessly to her.

He noted the way she smiled, and the way the corners of her eyes crinkled ever so slightly when she laughed. He had missed this. He had missed the plain, mundane, ordinary, activities of everyday life. He had missed taking morning walks that were rooted in pleasure. He had missed Julia.

Ethan had missed the soft scent of her fragrant soap. He had missed the way her hand was always linked with his. He had missed her.

Ethan Hunt wasn't really a fan of farmers markets, but even the most ordinary of things seemed to be enough for his busy mind and constant drive whenever Julia was around.

"What do you think about these carrots?" Julia asked her husband as the two of them approached a table of hearty produce.

"I think," he said, pausing, unsure of how to really reply, "their carrots."

"They look pretty good? no?"Julia asked, "we could make a salad for dinner tonight?"

Ethan nodded, noticing a booth across the way that caught his eye. "That sounds great," he said, planting a kiss to the back of his wife's hand.

Ethan walked up with Julia to the selection of vegetables and while she was busy looking through a pile of carrots for the best ones, he saw his opportunity.

"I'll be right back," he told her, "Theres something I want to get."

So, while Julia was busy barging for the price of vegetables with a friendly farmer, Ethan was picking though a variety of flowers at one of the booths across the way.

There were tulips, roses, carnations, and other flowers alike, but none of them really seemed to capture the essence of his wife.

"Do you need any help?" the woman behind the table asked, noticing Ethan's puzzled gaze and unsureness in regards to the flowers.

"Yeah, that would be great," he replied sheepishly, "I'm not too sure which ones to get."

"Who are we shopping for?" She asked, smiling sweetly.

"My wife," Ethan said. "Ive been away for work and I want to get her something nice."

The woman smiled gently and then turned around to the buckets behind her to retrieve a bouquet of neatly wrapped irises.

"How do we feel about these?" She asked, "We just got them this morning!"

Ethan examined the beautiful, almost-sheer-like, flowers that were somehow both the perfect shade of blue and purple. These were Julia he thought to himself before nodding his head in approval.

Ethan handed the woman a twenty dollar bill and wished her a good day as he held the bouquet of flowers tightly in his hand.

By the time he got back to Julia, she was just finishing arranging the carrots and lettuce into the tote bag she had brought along with them from the car.

Looking up in Ethan's presence, Julia's eyes darted to the bouquet of flowers in his hand before meeting the eyes of her husband once more.

"Ethan?" she asked, "What's this?"

Ethan smiled, handing her the flowers, "I just wanted to do something nice for my wife."

Julia smiled, bringing the bouquet of flowers close to her chest, "they're beautiful Ethan!" she gushed, "I love you, " she told him, stepping forward, closing the distance between the two of them.

Naturally, his hands found their way around her waist, and before his lips pressed to hers in a kiss that was gentle and sweet, he repeated the words back to her.

"I love you."

[robustcornhusk]

30's asks, any or all:

2. What proportion of your meals do you cook?

9. What's your emotional support craft?

55. Favorite high-effort meal that you make?

56. Favorite low-effort meal that you make?

2: discounting breakfast (i don't make my own bagels or ferment my own yogurt)... i was going to guess that i don't cook maybe once a week? and i was right: it looks like I've had food from a restaurant four times in the last 30 days: banh mi, two breakfast burritos (for lunch!), and a falafel.

my partner popped up to snoop on what i was doing because they saw me open my budgeting tab to answer a tumblr ask...

9: like craft like a hobby that produces an artifact at the end? only cooking! a friend joked that i don't know how to talk to houseguests except when i have a knife in my hand.

56: chopped potatoes with vegan sausages, tossed in olive oil and salt and too much pepper, roasted at 450f for 30 minutes, yanked from the oven, covered in sherry-vinaigrette-massaged kale, back in for another 8 minutes with convection on.

the potatoes get roasty and creamy, the kale gets crisp in places and limp in others, and the vinaigrette is sharp enough to cut all the richness. easily could eat two pound of potatoes by myself this way.

i would make it at my old apartment when it was hot and my brain was melting too much too cook, which was a problem, because it involved running the oven at 450f for 40+ minutes.

55: i couldn't say what my favorite is, or even what recipe i make that's high-effort, but i complain a lot if there's a lot of moving parts that all need to finish at the same time. probably it's pasta-based, because those are 'easy' meals that i inevitably add a pile of side-dishes to and thus make not very fucking easy.

like i'm making this cherry tomato pasta tonight with the first of the farmer's market tomatoes, and it's so easy, it's not hard, i make it constantly all summer, but also i'm expecting to add 3 side dishes to it and i'm going to complain the whole time.

[persephonbee]

For me, foraging was the key to getting myself to give vegetables another chance! I used to go weeks without any vegetables and would just leave them on my plate if they somehow made their way onto a plate of mine. With foraging, I didn't have expectations about how things would taste because I've literally never had them before and haven't heard about them, and that helped me view the flavors with an open mind! I always hated spinach, but stinging nettles are weird and cool and make me feel badass to pick and eat, and I'm into the flavor! I've heard it described as a better, earthier spinach. When I first tasted it, I really wanted to like the flavor because they're very cool and also incredibly nutritious, so I was paying attention to the nuances of the flavor and didn't just go "ew, spinach, I already know I hate spinach." Turns out I like it a lot! Also, if you puree it and then freeze it into ice cubes, you can drop one into a smoothie and the taste blends right in and you get SO many nutrients!

Similarly, lamb's quarters (weird name, fully unrelated to lambs, is also called goosefoot) is also delicious and the undersides of the leaves sparkle in the sun, and this motherfucker grows EVERYWHERE. Parking lots, parks, the tiny squares where the trees grow on city sidewalks, everywhere. It also tastes like better spinach, and it turns out I don't actually hate normal spinach either, I just had such bad expectations of it because I Know It Tastes Bad so I always processed it as gross. After eating nettles and lamb's quarters and hearing that spinach tastes similar to them, now I eat them and am like oh, this tastes kind of like nettles! Neat!

You don't need to live in a rural area to forage. You truly can do it in a city. That's how I started.

Now I don't forage as much, but I go to the farmers market and try to find at least one thing that I haven't worked with before, or at least haven't used in a while and haven't explored much, or that's really pretty and gets me hoping that I'll like because of how pretty it is, or that just looks nifty! I like to ask the farmer what the vegetable tastes like and how it's cooked (you can definitely just Google if you want but I've gotten friendly with some of the farmers and so now I enjoy asking them), and then I'll get it and Google recipes for it, and get it home and try it out!

It's been SUPER successful. Using this method, I've discovered that I REALLY like kohlrabi and radishes and honeynut squash and acorn squash and green tomatoes (if you hate the texture of tomatoes normally, try green tomatoes! Much less soft and mushy, almost a little crunchy, and the weird section with the seeds that's kind of slimy is waaaaay smaller! Also the flavor has a really nice freshness to it!) and heirloom tomatoes! I've also discovered that I'm into fresh beets and celeriac and fennel and raddichio and little baby striped eggplants, which I got the first time because they're called fairy eggplants!

I used to HATE kale because I had had it like twice many years ago and the best I could come up with was that if you cover it in enough vinegar, it tastes like vinegar. I was chatting with my favorite produce guy and he had a bunch if kale also that week and I was like ah kale, I wish I liked it, but I've just never been able to get into it. And he was like yeah I used to hate it but my daughter is home from college right now and the other day she sautéed some up with garlic and olive oil and it was actually really good! And I was like you know what? It's been a decade since I tried it, and I didn't try that method, and fuck it, if I hate it then I've only wasted $3 and if I like it then a whole new vegetable opens up, I'll get some and give it a shot. And it turns out to be good like that, and also really good in a pesto with other greens!

My second most hated vegetable used to be broccoli. Last week, I got some broccolini on a whim, because I had heard it could be roasted nicely and I was planning on making something that involved roasting a bunch of vegetables and putting it on couscous, and so there was room for me to try broccolini and then just not put it on there if I didn't like it. Turns out it's AMAZING. Salted it well, roasted it until crispy, and it was one of the best parts of the dish.

Also, did you know they've changed Brussels sprouts? The type that used to be around was very bitter, but several years ago they bred it to be less bitter and yummier and now any Brussels sprouts you get are gonna be the new better ones, AND NO ONE FUCKING TOLD ME. If you haven't tried them in a few years, grab some. Cut them in half, toss them with olive oil and salt, put them on a baking sheet, and roast them in the oven. It's a whole new experience.

When I was growing up, my mom's attitude toward vegetables was that they suck and are gonna taste bad regardless so there's no point in "making them less healthy" by adding butter or salt or dressing (which is also misinformed diet culture bullshit about), so vegetables were steamed or boiled or microwaved and you forced them down and then got on to eating the stuff that actually might taste good which could have butter and salt and seasonings and stuff. I later mentioned this to a friend and he looked confused and said "so you ate vegetables like you were taking shots?" I hadn't thought of it like that before, but he was absolutely right. And obviously I'm not going to force myself to eat yucky things if I have the option of just making the yummy stuff.

The healthiest vegetables are the vegetables that you actually eat. If that means they're covered in butter or cheese or ranch or eaten on a chip or fried or literally whatever, they're STILL the healthiest vegetables. Broccoli cheddar soup that you eat is infinitely healthier than broccoli sitting in the produce drawer until it goes moldy and is thrown away. Salsa and chips is gets vegetables into you, but a rotten tomato in the trash doesn't.

I haven't been officially diagnosed, but I work in mental health and know enough to know that I very likely am Autistic and have/had ARFID, and there was a while where I was essentially living on plain white rice and candy because it was all I could get myself to eat, and I actually was pre-diabetic for a while because of it. If you haven't tried foraging or farmers markets yet, or haven't tried them in a while, it really is worth a shot.

Now I eat vegetables every day and it's not a struggle and I enjoy it. It was worth the time and energy, it really was.

i mean this in the gentlest way possible: you need to eat vegetables. you need to become comfortable with doing so. i do not care if you are a picky eater because of autism (hi, i used to be this person!), you need to find at least some vegetables you can eat. find a different way to prepare them. chances are you would like a vegetable you hate if you prepared it in a stew or roasted it with seasoning or included it as an ingredient in a recipe. just. please start eating better. potatoes and corn are not sufficient vegetables for a healthy diet.

[sfarticles]

Cranberries give burst of flavor to sweet and savory dishes

Fall favorites; pumpkins, sweet potatoes and cranberries, have recently taken center stage at the produce department. Not wanting to rush the year away, I’ve held off writing about cranberries.

With the calendar turned to November, and Thanksgiving around the corner, I figured now is the time to talk” about the tangy, juicy, sour, beloved and adaptable ruby beauties.

No matter how many Thanksgiving dinners we’ve prepared, for most of us, it always seems to be stressful to deliver that perfect holiday meal. From its planning to the washing of the last plate, Thanksgiving creates more anxiety for home cooks than any other holiday.

Why get nervous and fuss, since most tend to stick to their tried-and-true dishes: turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and for dessert, fall pies like pumpkin, apple and mincemeat. These seem to be the Thanksgiving dinner must-haves.

When cranberries come to mind, most think of the can, and the challenge of removing that jellied cranberry sauce. Many years ago, I used the canned variety, too, until I realized how easy it is to make cranberry sauce, and other dishes, using fresh ones.

The fruit is versatile. And there’s nothing like a cranberry to give a burst of flavor to dishes both sweet and savory. Full of antioxidants and vitamin C, cranberries are good for us, as well. While most think of cranberries during fall, they’re readily available year-round, fresh, dried and frozen. No need to wait for Thanksgiving!

According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, 20% of the 400 million pounds of cranberries consumed in the U.S. each year is during Thanksgiving week. I was surprised to learn that it is Wisconsin, not Massachusetts, that is the leading producer of cranberries, with 60% of the crop grown in the state.

Did you know. . . it is one of the three fruits native to North America?

While a glistening and juicy turkey typically takes center stage on the Thanksgiving table, it is the side dishes, frequently incorporating sweet potatoes or cranberries, that many of us look forward to eating. If you are like me, you have your standards, but still enjoy adding one or two new dishes to the annual feast.

“The Cranberry Cookbook: Year-Round Dishes from Bog to Table” by Sally Pasley Vargas (2017, Globe Pequot, $18) was pulled from my single-subject cookbook collection for ideas for the bags of fresh cranberries that will soon be purchased. The book’s mouth-watering photos will entice you to run to the store and buy the ingredients to make some of these recipes.

I enjoyed the sidebars covering everything from cranberry folklore to modern cranberry farmers, plus the added nutritional information.

For example, “Did you know…Cranberries bounce. They float, too, because of a tiny pocket of air inside each berry. For that reason, bogs can be flooded during harvest and the floating berries are collected with the help of ‘eggbeaters,’ that churn the water and loosen the berries from the vine.”

Knowing fresh cranberries might not be available year round where you shop, the author tested each recipe using frozen cranberries, as well as fresh, so you can enjoy the recipes throughout the year.

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and planning the menu, perhaps these recipes will inspire you and become part of your repertoire.

“The Cranberry Cookbook” is a treat for anyone who appreciates classic flavors with a modern twist like cranberry-chocolate babka, Waldorf salad, upside-down gingerbread with apples and cranberries, or this recipe for roasted harvest vegetable soup with cranberry coulis.

For the recipe for Roasted Carrots and Cranberries, visit http://bit.ly/2h6hlKu.

Roasted Harvest Vegetable Soup With Cranberry Coulis

The headnote says: “At the end of summer before there is even a nip in the air, markets fill with mountains of squash and root vegetables that beg to go into soup. Think of this recipe as a guideline and pick and choose what is available to you. This large batch is suitable for serving a crowd, or for stashing some away in the freezer to pull out on a rainy night. Moroccan spices add a touch of warmth to the colorful little specks of vegetables. Roast the vegetables until tender but still a little firm. Before pureeing, baste them in the toasted spice and butter mixture, add water, and cook just long enough to bring the flavors together. The soup will be thick when pureed, so add enough water to bring it to a soupy consistency. A spoonful of yogurt adds a cooling element, while cranberries offer a tart and sweet accent.”

Serves 10

Ingredients:

For the Cranberry Coulis:

1 ½  cups fresh or frozen cranberries

3⁄4 cup white wine

1⁄3 cup sugar

1 bay leaf

2 (1⁄8-inch thick) slices fresh ginger

Pinch of salt

For the soup:

Vegetable oil (for the baking sheet)

1 large onion, cut into six wedges

1 pound unpeeled carrots (3–4 large), ends trimmed and cut into 1 ½ -inch lengths

2 stalks celery, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

6 small parsnips (12 ounces), ends trimmed and cut into 1 ½ -inch lengths

1 large white turnip (12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1 ½ -inch chunks

½ peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound), cut into 1 ½ -inch chunks

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons ras el hanout*

6–8 cups water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup plain yogurt (for garnish)

Directions:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the cranberries, wine, sugar, bay leaf, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 7 minutes, or until the cranberries are soft. Cool to room temperature. Remove the bay leaf and ginger. In a blender, puree the mixture until smooth.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil 2 rimmed baking sheets. On the baking sheets, spread the onion, carrots, celery, parsnips, turnip, and squash. Drizzle with the oil. With your hands, toss together, massaging the oil into the vegetables. Spread in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender but still slightly firm when pierced with the tip of a paring knife.

In a soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the ras el hanout, and cook, stirring for 30 seconds to toast the spices. Add the vegetables to the pot and stir to coat them with the spice. Add enough water to cover the vegetables. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to a simmer, and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Cool briefly. In a food processor, working in batches, puree the vegetables and broth until coarse and a little chunky.

Transfer to a clean pot. Add the lemon juice and honey. Cook, stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Thin with more water if the soup is thick. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Garnish with spoonfuls of yogurt and drizzle with cranberry coulis.

Recipe from “The Cranberry Cookbook”

*If you can’t find ras el hanout Moroccan spice blend, mix together 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, ground ginger, and salt, ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ground coriander seed, cayenne, ground allspice and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.

Alongside the book were several older cranberry pamphlets and books. I retrieved a few:  “Cape Cod’s Famous Cranberry Recipes Made with Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce,” published in 1941 by Cranberry Canners Inc.; “Cranberries and How to Cook Them,” published in 1938 by American Cranberry Exchange; “Better Homes and Gardens Five Seasons Cranberry Book: Over 275 Tasty  Cranberry Recipes…from Soup to Dessert…for Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Special Holidays,” published in 1971 by Meredith Publishing Services in conjunction with Ocean Spray Cranberries.

Enjoy these simple recipes published many years ago….

Cranberry Gingerbread

The headnote says: “Fold tiny cubes of jellied cranberry sauce into your gingerbread batter just as you would raisins.”

Serves 8-10

Ingredients::

½ cup shortening

½ cup sugar

½ cup molasses

1 egg, well beaten

½ cup milk

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ginger

1 cup small cubes Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce

Directions:

Cream shortening, gradually adding the sugar until smooth. Then add molasses, egg, and milk. Mix and sift dry ingredients and add to the first mixture. Very carefully fold in cubes of jellied cranberry sauce. Pour into greased baking tin (6x10x2 inches). Bake in moderate oven, 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.

From “Cape Cod’s Famous Cranberry Recipes”

Cranberry Orange Relish

The headnote says: “The aristocrat of relishes. Particularly good with all meats, hot or cold.”

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 pound (4 cups Eatmor* Cranberries)

2 oranges

2 cups sugar

Directions:

Put cranberries through food chopper. Peel oranges, remove seeds and put rind and oranges through chopper. Mix with cranberries and sugar. Let stand for a few hours before serving.

From “Cranberries and How to Cook Them”

Ten-Minute Cranberry Sauce

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups sugar

2 cups water

1 pound (4 cups) Eatmor* cranberries

Directions:

Boil sugar and water together for 5 minutes. Add cranberries and boil without stirring until all the skins pop open. (5 minutes is usually sufficient.) Remove from fire and allow the sauce to remain in the vessel until cool. (1 pound of cranberries makes 2 ½ pounds of sauce.)

*The American Cranberry Exchange, which Eatmor brand was part of, is defunct. The organization dissolved in 1957 after 50 years. Use any brand of fresh cranberries

From “Cranberries and How to Cook Them”

Fruit Filled Squash

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 small acorn squash

1 cup chopped unpared apple

1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

1 small orange, peeled and diced

½ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine melted

Directions:

Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place cut side down in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Turn side up; sprinkle with salt. Combine remaining ingredients; fill squash with fruit mixture. Continue baking for 25 minutes or until squash is tender.

From “Five Seasons Cranberry Book”

The Cranberry Cookbook photos and recipes by Sally Pasley Vargas, courtesy of Globe Pequot Press.

Stephen Fries is professor emeritus and former coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College in New Haven, Conn. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 17 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven, and three-day culinary adventures around the U.S. He is a board member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Email him at Stephen@stephenfries.com. For more, go to stephenfries.com.

[or-worse--expelled]

what’s the betting that potterwatch was just a radio project lee jordan was doing in his spare time and never actually stopped after the war

“Harry Potter was spotted at the local farmers market today, good choices in produce Harry! Gotta love the organics”

he’s the only reporter harry will talk to other than giving official statements when he has to as an auror

“I’m speaking to Harry Potter today after the long-awaited conclusion of the trial of quadruple murderer Waldorfus Grenoble. Harry, may I ask you a question regarding the trial?”

“Sure, Lee, I have to be back at work in ten but give it a go.”

“What is in the curry you had for lunch yesterday during the recess? It smelled fantastic and I have to know.”

“Thanks for asking, Lee. I’ve recently come across a book of my great-grandmother Priyanka’s notes on her Punjabi cooking and I’ve been trying to recreate her food. I liked that one but Ginny said it was too sweet so I’m making adjustments.”

“Fantastic. Great stuff. Next up we have an update on You-Know-Who’s whereabouts. Not Voldemort obviously– he’s six feet under, it’s been around 2500 days now and he’s still going strong, no sign of him being not dead any time soon.”

“You’re correct, Lee, he’s dead as a doornail and he’s going to stay that way. You do realize you don’t need to refer to your infant daughter as ‘You-Know-Who,’ right?”

“Sophie starts screaming if either of her dads talks about her and we don’t know why. Any suggestions, and any idea where she is now?”

“Oliver was walking her up and down the hallway outside the World Cup Regulatory Office last I saw her. As for the screaming, with James we gave him the miniature dragon from the Triwizard in ‘94 and that entertained him pretty well.”

“You heard it here first folks, Harry Potter thinks dragons are an appropriate substitute for pacifiers! Thanks for your time, Harry.”

“Any time, Lee.”

“Next week’s password is anything that will make our six-month-old go to sleep for longer than four hours. Signing off, this has been Potterwatch with River and the man himself, Harry Potter.”

[dishtothedeath]

A Match Made in Heaven (Or Hell…) [CH 4 COOKING CHALLENGE]

To say things are tense after the execution of Inigo and the beheading of Emil would have been an understatement. But the introduction of the farm and holograms of your past friends allows some of you to have a chance of rest and healing during the past week. Whether you forgive and forget, or hold on tightly to your grudges will be key as you head into your next cooking challenge… 

Literally herded by the chaperone bots wearing cowboy hats and lassos on their hips, you are all escorted to the farm. Only half of the cast remain. You knew that joining this show would mean parts of the cast would be eliminated, but… the fact that it was their life that was forfeit makes it particularly hollow. Is your life next? Before you can think of this moral conundrum, Skull-kun greets you. He is also wearing a cowboy hat. 

“Howdy chefs! Welcome back to the farm! I hope you have had the opportunity to take a good look around the place, because that would probably be very useful today.” 

“If you look behind me, you can see we have set up your cooking stations here. We’ve also set them up in a peculiar way… two of them together!” 

Sure enough, the kitchen benches have been moved into a horseshoe shape outside the barn, appropriately decorated to look like little produce stands. Hay bales dot the area, along with aesthetically placed straw baskets, an old wagon wheel, gingham hand towels—the whole thing screams farmer’s market. 

Both Ides and BB spring up from behind a set of doubled up counters—Ides has swapped out their usual scarf for a bandana and Biscuit Beastie’s feet jingle with a brand new set of spurred boots. 

“You’ve gotta work together! As a team of two!! Isn’t that exciting? And the two of you have to cook us something tasty using things you find on the farm! Teamwork! Make a plan!” 

BB chuckles darkly under its breath.

“Or… ya can work against each other, we ain’t gonna force ya t’ make friends. Maybe it’ll be even more rewardin’ to look out fer jus’ y’self.” 

The pair of judges come around from the counter and join Skull at his sides, as Skull continues to address you all.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to do the awkward ‘pick a project partner’ thing, we’ve picked your partner for you! Ides, if you could–”

And Ides quickly interrupts Skull, all too excited for this development in the Cooking Challenge. Yay friendship!

“Right, right the pairs! Listen up! Alfie and Yukari! Castella and Haruki! Fergus and Sunako! Giselle and Morgan! Jun’ya and Manqian! And Yuzuki and… me! Wait, it’s me—do I really get to cook??” 

Ides does a double take towards Skull, who nods back.

“Well, we didn’t think there’d be two double murders so soon in the series, so… numbers are a little skewed. So Ides, you can stand in on behalf of the dead contestants, in their honour!” 

Ides looks very proud of themselves, straightening up with their metal hands on their hips. Skull-kun claps his hands. 

“Very good. Is everything clear? Are we ready? It’s too late to say anything anyways, because we’re starting now. You’ll have two minutes to discuss with your partner before you need to gather your ingredients. Ready, set, go!”

CHALLENGE START

[xcorikhang]

"That's true! I can't say that I cook a lot, but you're right, it isn't too bad. I tend to only get what I absolutely need with produce at the Farmer's Market to avoid that as much as possible." Cori was pretty good about food waste. If anything, she shared groceries with her family if she wasn't going to use them herself. Granted, it usually also meant she would be getting dinner, but it wasn't really about that. She always one to pitch in where she could to help her parents. All four of them. That was why she still dropped into the laundromat to lend a hand at least once a week for nothing more than time with them. "I don't know!" she held her arms up in as she shrugged. "Some people like getting paid for their hard work and if you ask me, gardening is hard work. I could kill a cactus." But free tomatoes, count her in. She simply nodded at the local comment, it was both a blessing and a curse in this business. "Baby moose stories are always best! If it could always be baby moose stories, life would be great." The thought brought a smile to her face. Any cute animal stories really made her day. Around these parts, the wildlife provided those stories with regularity. "I am!" Always had been, and as of this moment, probably always would be. "It's just where I grew up, you know? The laundromat's there, I still work there now at the station.. Believe it or not, my parents still live in the same apartment they've always had. I just ended up purchasing a townhouse a few street away." In fact, most of her family was still downtown. She never had real reason to consider moving to another neighborhood after any plans for the future with Vince changed. "Someday," she emphasized, "I don't think there's any rush, right? A little cabin out this way sounds perfect for you though." Cori would always advocate for the happiness of others, and if the camper was what made Jace happy, there was no need to push him to do otherwise.

"The only downside is that you have to use what you pick pretty much immediately," otherwise, you were going to have a lot of spoiled, bad produce on your hands. "I cook a lot, though, so it's not normally too bad," he lifted one shoulder. Jason enjoyed working in his little kitchen, getting as much done as humanly possible in the tight space, preparing a meal that he knew came from good, fresh ingredients as much as possible. "I wouldn't dream of it," he laughed, "what kind of friend would I be if I charged you for a tomato?" Unless it was a really, really good, heirloom tomato, but Jason's tomatoes… were sort of just tomatoes. Good ones! But nothing he'd charge his friends and family for. "Especially if you're local," Jason nodded, wondering briefly what it had been like after he left town, if his parents had watched the news for information about their son being overseas, if his name had come up on the eleven PM special as he shipped out. He could have been that tragic accident, he realized briefly, before compartmentalizing that for his next therapy session. "Or feel good stories about baby moose wandering around in the fields," he shot back with a lopsided smile. Jason felt like he saw a lot of those types of stories any time he turned on a local affiliate. People loved their moose. "You're downtown, right?" he asked when she agreed with him about the quiet, knowing that at least in Merrock, even the hustle and bustle of that was quieter, more subdued, something that one could handle easily with a little bit of practice. "I figure someday, I'm going to have to give up the camper," his nose scrunched as he said it, pulling one hand out of his pocket and reaching out to touch the leaves of a nearby fern, growing out of a rock cropping. "Build a cabin, or buy some little place in the mountains, but for now, it's my sanctuary. Just me and the garden and the deer that come by."

[egcdeath]

sunday kind of love

request: I'm still so so so in love with jake lockely, and wanted to request something with him and his girl being domestic af, like going to the night market together to get stuff for a late dinner, him not letting her get an uber because he's the best, dancing with her in the kitchen while it cooks 🥺 you're so good at writing intimacy it kills me honestly (in a good way) 

pairing: jake lockley x reader

summary: a glimpse into the best and most domestic day of the week for jake and the reader.

word count: 5.1k

warnings: SO MUCH FLUFF!! you will need to see your dentist after this, domesticity, playful nagging, a lot of references to food idk why, dialogue heavy towards the end, really really soft, not beta read

author's note: i want to preface this by saying that jake is ooc. to be fair we’ve seen like 3 minutes of him in canon, but he is just a big old teddy bear softie in this fic who loves his gf more than anything. this fic involves the same couple from love in bloom. i wrote it with them being together for at least a few years in mind, but it’s really up to interpretation, and you definitely don’t have to read that before you read this fic! i hope you enjoy.

Saturdays used to be your favorite day of the week; that was, until you fell into your Sunday routine with Jake. 

You woke up to the rhythmic snoring of the sleeping man beside you, the familiar vibrations from his chest rattling through your own body, fueling your reluctance as you slowly and quietly slipped out of bed, attempting to escape the heavy arm laid across your own chest. Despite the knowledge that he often slept like a rock, you made sure to avoid your one creaky floorboard as you escaped your bedroom. 

Rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, you evaluated the ingredients you’d picked up from the farmer’s market just a day prior before turning on a playlist of some of yours and Jake’s favorite music. 

It was almost alarming how easily you’d fallen into a familiar rhythm with the man—beginning with routine visits to the market on the weekend, to second, third, and countless other dates, then escalating into spending more time at each other’s places together, and collaborating on little things together when you couldn’t be together, like watching the most recent season of Acapulco Shore while sending texts with commentary to each other, or adding a song you thought he might like to your shared playlist. Falling for Jake, and loving him, was easy—something you frequently thought about, like now, as you evaluated your pantry and fridge for something nice for your partner to wake up to.

You eventually settled on dressing up some avocado toast on Jake’s favorite artisanal sourdough, and got right to work with washing and cutting produce, along with arranging the avocado in a manner that was simply unnecessary—although, as you’d learned, it was the little details that Jake appreciated. Singing under your breath along to a song that Jake had added to the playlist, you found yourself focused and lost in making a clean green spiral of avocado slices. 

“Morning,” Jake said raspily, voice low and groggy from sleep. He casually snaked his arms around your hips as he approached you, setting his head on your shoulder, giving you the tiniest start. You couldn’t deny that one of your favorite parts of spending the weekend with Jake lied in how you kicked off the morning. The back hug and cheek kiss was now a classic move, one you always looked forward to while you stood alone in your kitchen, despite the tiny scare it always seemed to give you. 

“‘m glad you finally decided to wake up,” you teased, setting down the butter knife in your hand that you’d been using to design your own toast, and reaching up to gently scratch the stubble on the cheek next to yours.  

“It’s hard for me to get my beauty sleep without my girl,” he shot back, pressing a gentle kiss to your cheek. You fought (and lost) a smile as his stubble gently rubbed against your face, a familiar comfort that seemed to make your heart leap no matter how many times you felt it. 

“I dunno, you still look pretty beautiful to me,” you shrugged, reaching back down to the cutting board to grab a washed strawberry by its stem before holding it up to Jake’s mouth for him to bite while you held your free hand under his chin in order to catch any mess. “Open.”

Jake gladly took your strawberry offering and practically purred. “Delicious. But not as sweet as you, cariño.”

“Shut up,” you laughed, watching Jake with nothing short of hearts in your eyes as he shuffled away from you and made somewhat of a beeline to your Keurig. You paid him no mind as you moved over to your stovetop to work on cooking eggs to go on top of your toast. “Did you sleep well?”

“I’d sleep better if you didn’t leave me,” he sighed dramatically, grabbing two mugs and coffee pods as the machine gurgled at him in a frankly uncouth manner.

“I was gone for like, ten minutes tops. You’re just clingy,” you teased right back, setting a lid on top of the popping skillet. 

“Can you blame me for wanting to spend every second of the day con mi corazón?” Jake questioned, walking to your fridge and grabbing your respective creamers. “You’d be complaining too if one of your major organs got up and left you alone in the middle of the night.”

You scoffed playfully, “It was nine in the morning! I’m tired of this honeymoon phase. Will you ever stop being lovesick?” you whined, setting your hands on your hips as Jake took a detour to snatch yet another strawberry off the cutting board on his way back to your now fully functioning coffee machine.

“Unfortunately no. Doc says it’s chronic. I may never recover,” he sighed, adding the creamer and sugar to your piping hot drink in just the way he knew you liked it. “And Doc told me that the only temporary cure is for you to stay in bed with me all night.”

“That’s too bad,” you feigned disappointment, sliding the now over-easy egg onto Jake’s overdressed toast. “I guess I’ll sacrifice the possibility of ever bringing you breakfast in bed. Those are just the kinds of things you do when you love someone.” 

You made quick work of putting finishing touches on the slice before grabbing your plates and heading over to the table. 

“Eh, I’ll live,” he shrugged, setting your mug in front of you, then leaning down for a quick kiss that you gladly returned. “Everything looks amazing. You’re amazing.”

You shook your head fondly, “sit down and eat before I make you take me to the dentist for being so sweet.”

—

There was never a dull moment between the two of you, which was why something as simple as doing the dishes had somehow managed to become a ‘moment.’

It all began when Jake insisted that he do the dishes, as he often did, followed by you protesting (as you often did); something about you being a good host and him being a good guest. Either way, it ended with you at the sink, and Jake on drying duty standing in a comfortable silence as your joint playlist flipped through some of your favorite songs. 

Eventually, one slow song in particular popped onto your speaker, eliciting a soft gasp from the both of you— one that said ‘This is our song!’ without really having to say anything at all. 

All at once, the fork in your hand fell into the basin of the sink, and Jake set the partially dried mug onto your countertop. You gave each other a certain look, and Jake reached out an expecting hand, one that you gladly took.

He pulled you close to him and hummed softly along to the words as he wrapped his arms around your waist once more and softly swayed you along to the music. 

You draped your arms around his neck and wordlessly grinned up at the man who seemed just as happy as you to be dancing along to the song that had grown to have so much meaning to the two of you. 

Catching you off guard, Jake lifted an arm, encouraging you to do a little twirl in the tight space of your apartment dance floor, and twirl you did, returning to him with a giggle as his ever passionate eyes locked on yours, as if you were the only person in the entire world. 

You held on tight to Jake once more, heart (and body) practically melting as he sang the last few lines of the song to you, maintaining that intense, yet adoring eye contact before he leaned down once more to give you a soft, tender kiss. 

Jake stepped on your foot a few times, and you’d be lying if you said that you didn’t catch your own on his, but standing in your kitchen, swaying along to your song, there was no place on Earth that you’d rather be. 

—

There were only so many times that you could playfully tell one another that you didn’t smell the best until you finally had to do something about it, so it was no surprise when you and Jake ended up in the shower together, somewhere between comfortably and uncomfortably cramped between the tile of the wall and the flimsy curtain. 

Showering together had become yet another staple in your Sunday routine—something about saving energy and money on a water bill, or maximizing your time together. In reality, you knew there was nothing Jake looked forward to more than the intimacy of something as simple as a joint shower… and the promise of a thorough scalp massage just happened to be a bonus. 

You lathered up your hands in your favorite lavender body wash and gently massaged the suds into Jake’s back, smiling to yourself when he unconsciously let out the sigh and tension that his body had been holding onto. 

“When are you gonna let me take you out to get a real massage?” you asked, running your hands up to his slowly untenseing shoulders. 

“Never. You do a good enough job,” you could practically hear the bliss in his voice as you both cleaned and kneaded his back. 

“While I appreciate the flattery, I promise you that once a professional gives you one, you’ll never go back,” you lightly ran your nails down his back before passing off the body wash for him to take care of the rest of himself while you worked on shampooing his hair. 

“You’re perfectly adequate enough for me,” he countered as you rubbed the product into his scalp. “And if you keep that up, I’m going to fall asleep.”

“Hey! You’re not allowed to fall asleep before you lather me up. Those are the shower rules,” you paused from your scalp massaging to peek around Jake’s torso, and didn’t miss the slightly too relaxed expression on his face. “I’m serious, Jake. I’ll make the water freezing cold right now if I must.”

“Fine, fine. Turn around,” he ordered, voice slightly more alert from the new threat of a cold shower. You gladly followed his direction, pleasantly humming to yourself as Jake rubbed soothing suds onto your body. 

“Stop, you know I’m ticklish there!” you laughed, attempting to slap away your partner’s hand as he unnecessarily emphasized rubbing on your neck. Jake’s laughter joined with yours, the sound of your shared giggling filling up the room. “You have one more strike, Jake Lockley,” you threatened emptily. 

“Yeah? Or what?” 

“Or you’ll be showering alone for the rest of your life,” you snapped back, suddenly reaching for the sides of his torso, eliciting a mixture of Spanish curses and laughter as you tickled him back in his most vulnerable spot. 

“Okay, okay, I get it, we’re even now,” he wheezed out, grabbing your hands to stop you. “I don’t even know if I want to shower with you anymore.”

“I don’t believe that coming from the biggest shower sap in the entire universe,” you looked up at him expectantly, using your joined hands to wipe out some of the water in your eyes. “You come here every weekend practically begging for a shower and massage.”

“Fine, you got me there.” Jake conceded. “It’s time for you to rinse, though. I’m starting to prune up.”

You nodded in agreement before awkwardly shuffling around so you could rinse yourself off at a somewhat better angle, and you cringed at the heat. “I’ll never understand why you need it so hot. Are you trying to boil us to death?”

“Hey, I just like my showers hot,” he defended. “But I guess dying with you is my ideal way to go.”

You rolled your eyes, turning back to lightly hit his chest. “You are something else.”

—

“One day we’re gonna move into a place with two sinks,” you mumbled against the toothbrush in your mouth. “I can’t go much longer like this,” you glanced up at Jake in the mirror, fighting laughter as you peered at his foamy mouth and ridiculous appearance with just his waist wrapped in a towel. 

“Why? You don’t like being close like this?” Jake asked, gently bumping his hip against yours and smirking at you through the mirror. 

“Something like that,” you muttered back, spitting out the remaining toothpaste and reaching across your countertop to grab a roll of floss. 

“Are you asking me to move in with you?” Jake asked after a beat as he watched you quietly floss your teeth. 

You shrugged cavalierly, but the heat practically radiating off of you betrayed your true feelings on the matter, and it certainly didn’t help that Jake was standing so close to you. The truth of the matter was that you would love to move with him, maybe go upstate and have a pet and a garden, and eventually even children—but for now you were just enjoying your Sunday with the man you loved in a bathroom that was far too cramped to comfortably brush, let alone floss your teeth—and that was plenty for you. 

Besides, Jake knew what you really wanted regardless of what you did or didn’t say. 

—

Rain lightly pelted against the living room windows, a soft soundtrack of serenity that contrasted awfully well with the overdramatic reality show playing out on the television while Jake laid against your chest, half-lidded eyes falling closed every now and then as you ran your fingers through his curls and occasionally scratched his scalp. 

“This is just ridiculous,” you murmured, glancing down at Jake as you aimed your commentary toward him. “Can you believe they’re doing all of this for fucking Flavor Flav?”

Jake grunted out a sound of agreement, not really processing anything you’d just said as he was clearly much more interested in being spooned and having his hair played with than the trashy television playing in front of you. 

“Having a good time?” you asked with a cheeky grin, obviously picking up on his distraction. 

“With you? Always,” he hummed. “I’m not having a good time with Pumpkin, though. She needs to leave New York alone.”

“Right?!” you laughed. “You just get it. I’m glad I have you to indulge me in my shitty shows.”

“I feel like you’re indulging me. These have always been a guilty pleasure of mine,” he confessed. 

“Really?” you asked with raised brows. “I never would have guessed. Really! I’m not being sarcastic or anything.”

“I guess our terrible television taste makes us the perfect pair,” he suggested. 

“Yeah, just our television taste,” you retorted, amusement ever present in your voice. 

—-

While your local grocery store was no farmers market, it was nice to grab a few pantry staples for the week at a much more understandable price. It also just so happened that you had an extra pair of hands and an Uber driver to assist you during your weekly trip. 

You happily strolled through aisles, tossing whatever looked right into the basket that Jake was faithfully following you around with through the store.

“You’re doing a great job sticking to your list,” Jake teased as you checked off pasta from your list after tossing various other grains that were not exactly pasta into your basket. 

“Thank you,” you gave him a tight smile. “Y’know, it didn’t always used to be like this.”

“Really? Tell me more,” you gave the back of the cart a little tug to let him know that you were on the move once more. 

“Alright, once upon a time, long, long ago, only one person lived in my home for all seven days a week—me,” you continued to guide him to a checkout lane. “But then, one day, a man, a very handsome and lovable one, ended up essentially moving in for two of those seven days. And my pantry could no longer keep up with those two mouths. Especially when the handsome dork thinks that finding a bunch of ingredients and cooking together is the ideal date.”

“Is it not?” Jake asked, setting one of the fully checked out and packed bags into your cart. “I understand now. I’ll never question you ever again.”

“Stop,” you laughed, grabbing the next bag from the cashier. “You don’t have to stop questioning me, you just have to stop judging me.”

“I’m never judging you! Just making observations.”

“You’ve done enough damage today. There’s no coming back from the things you’ve said in the walls of this store.” 

—

Sundays were a day of domestic chores, which meant laundry, and ever since Jake started staying with you more often— a lot of it. 

You were fortunate enough to have your own washer and dryer in a practically microscopic closet next to your kitchen, meaning that you had a more than ideal view of Jake working on your next meal as you fidgeted with the settings on your washing machine. 

You attempted not to pay him too much mind as you moved one load of clothes into the dryer, but the very obvious scent of burning herbs was too much to ignore. 

“What’cha doin’ Jake?” you questioned, wandering over to him as he peered into the oven. 

He looked back at you and gave you a guilty half-smile, eyes shifting back to the mystery item in the oven. “Just admiring the view.”

“The oven view?” you asked, already slipping on a mit and maneuvering yourself in front of the appliance.

“The you view, pretty girl,” he attempted, knowing that neither of you were buying his words.

“Mhm. You’re a cute liar,” you laughed, opening the oven and coughing as a mixture of steam and the stench of a burnt item hit your nose. 

—

“Come run another errand with me,” you asked as you finished folding up the last of your laundry. Jake peeked out from the closet and raised a curious brow at you. 

“What’re we doing?” he questioned, hooking one last piece of clothing onto the valet rod before flopping onto his back atop your bed. 

“It’s a surprise,” you sat down on your knees next to him and leaned over his face. 

“I’m scared,” he countered, the dopey, lovesick smile on his face not matching his comment at all. 

“Trust me,” you reached down and grabbed his hand, giving it a little squeeze. “It’ll be fun. It’s just a surprise. You trust me, right?”

“I do, but when you keep bringing up trust it makes me not want to trust you,” he laughed. 

“Fine. Don’t trust me. Just trust that you’re gonna have a good time.”

“Hey! I never said I don’t trust you! I would trust you with my life, and even more.”

“I’m convinced you really will never grow out of being a lovesick sap,” you teased, pushing down that warm and fuzzy feeling in your stomach in favor of nuzzling his nose. 

—

“I love when you drive my car,” Jake commented as you parked in a spot of the mystery location. 

You really didn’t drive too often, only when you had a secret date you’d planned that you didn’t want to have spoiled by Google Maps. Other than that, Jake practically insisted on being your chauffeur, even when it came to mundane tasks, like a trip to the hair salon on a Tuesday afternoon. 

“Stop being sarcastic,” you scolded, your tone not matching the silly smile you shot Jake. 

“I’m not! It’s very endearing,” he countered, grabbing his wallet from the center console. “So what is this mystery errand?”

“We’re at a night market! They have a bunch of vendors selling neat things they made, and a ton of street food, since lunch was kinda a flop.”

“So it’s like the farmer’s market?”

“Yeah, but at night. So it’s different.”

“Sounds different and fun,” he concurred. “What are the odds we’ll need an umbrella at this market?”

“Slim to none, since it stopped raining hours ago. But we will be outside.”

“It stopped raining hours ago, but the sky looks ominous as hell right now.”

“It’s only like that because it’s late. And because of pollution.”

“Mhm, sure.”

“I’ll bet you that it doesn’t rain.”

“And what do I get when I win this bet?”

“Prizes are to be determined. But don’t hold your breath. There will be no rain.”

“I’m sure,” Jake nodded as he reached into his backseat to grab an umbrella. “Just in case.”

“You won’t need it, but okay. Come on,” you popped out of the car, hurried around the front, and opened Jake’s door for him as well. “M’lady.”

“Keeping chivalry alive as always,” he mused as he slipped out of the car. 

Jake slipped his hand into yours and you gladly wove your fingers together—a comforting and familiar motion that seemed to warm you up from the inside out— before you led him into the entrance of the market.

It started with one droplet hitting your cheek as you stood in line to pick up bao that was allegedly the best in town, then another, and suddenly it was as if all hell broke loose from the heavens above. You both glanced up at the sky in a synchronized act, then back down at each other. 

In one quick moment, Jake had popped open the umbrella and held it over both of your heads before too much rain had the opportunity to drench the two of you. 

“Start thinking of what I’ll get for winning our little bet,” he goaded, shifting the umbrella slightly further over to you to ensure that you wouldn’t get too wet.

“It seems like you’re already having enough fun with bragging rights that you really don’t need a reward,” you shot back, moving in closer to him to attempt to avoid getting too wet, as it turned out that the umbrella was not quite big enough for two people. 

“I’ll gladly take your permission to bring this up at every opportunity I get,” Jake continued on, perking up when your names were called with food. “Why don’t you go find us seating and I’ll grab our food? You can take the umbrella.”

You nodded, taking the umbrella and briefly basking in only being a little wet before hurrying off to find a seating area with some kind of roof. 

After searching a good amount, you stumbled upon a little tent with only a few people scattered about, sitting at various different tables. It wasn’t too long before Jake showed up in the tent, lifting up one of the little paper trays as if he were waving at you with it. You could’ve sworn that man had a sixth sense for where you were located, but you weren’t particularly mad about it. 

Your partner walked up to you, pretty much drenched from the less than pleasant weather. He sighed out something that seemed like relief as he sat down next to you, passed you your similarly damp food and wasted no time getting straight to business. 

“This is really good,” Jake commented between ravenous bites. “Here, try mine,” he held up his bao to you and you took a bite, humming pleasantly at its flavor. 

“Okay, okay, try mine,” you held one of yours up to his face, and didn’t miss that his eyes lit up after taking a little bite. “Wanna swap?”

He gave you a smile that said a thousand words, and you gladly switched the paper trays in front of you. “You know me so well,” Jake hummed, extremely content as he finished off your order. 

As you sat, the cold wind and a stray drizzle of rain continued to batter you, despite you being under the overhead safety of a tent. You couldn’t help but shiver as you and Jake played Words with Friends, attempting to wait out the rain. 

“Are you cold?” he asked, wrapping an arm around your hip and pulling you closer to his side in an attempt to share some of his warmth.

Jake’s observance was both a blessing and a curse. Sure, you were shivering a little, but it really wasn’t that bad. And since you were showing any sign of discomfort, you had a feeling you knew the direction of this conversation. 

“I’m okay,” you dismissed. 

“No,” he countered stubbornly, already shrugging off the shoulders of his jacket in preparation of draping it around you. 

“Jake,” you whined. 

“No, really. I was overheating. You feel the heat radiating off of me, right? Why not share some of the heat with my girl?” 

There was no other protest you could make, as Jake was already slipping his surprisingly warm jacket around you. 

A few rounds of your game and facetious arguments later, the rain still hadn’t cleared up. You were usually quite patient, but the thought of getting out of your wet clothes and laying in your warm bed was far too exciting of a prospect to stay under the shelter for one minute longer than you needed to.

“Think we should just brave it?” Jake asked as if he could read your mind. 

“Please. I was literally about to ask you the same thing,” you both were already getting out from your seats as you spoke. 

“What’s our plan here? Duck and run?” Jake asked, already popping the umbrella back up.

“I think so. And my honest opinion is that the umbrella is only going to slow us down. We need to raw it.”

“Ew,” he cringed at your word choice, and began to fold the umbrella back down. “But you’re right about it slowing us down. Okay, let’s go.”

You two looked at each other and took a dramatic deep breath before grabbing one another’s hand and rushing out from under the tent.

You had an idea of just how ridiculous the two of you must’ve looked, holding hands and running in the rain as an umbrella dangled off of your wrist, but you would be lying if you didn’t admit just how fun it was. 

It was surprisingly easy to find your vehicle, but before you could slip into the passenger side, Jake grabbed you by your waist and pulled you into a rather dramatic and surprisingly passionate kiss. 

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” he gasped breathlessly, winded from both running and kissing you so intensely. 

“Rom-com kiss? I think we can both cross that off of our bucket lists,” you giggled, pecking his lips once more before getting into the car. 

“That was fun. We should do it again sometime,” Jake chimed as he sat down next to you, immediately blasting the heat in the car. 

“I think we have different definitions of fun,” you panted. 

—- 

It was a miracle that Jake had managed to stay over so long, usually opting to leave your apartment sometime in the evening with a gentle kiss and a promise to be back the following weekend. But not tonight. Following a second shower together—the result of getting so damp at the night market—Jake followed you to bed and laid on his side as he watched you get a book out and try to relax your mind enough to fall asleep. 

You’d be lying if you said that you didn’t love when he decided to stay over an extra night, or that you didn’t love when he got into one of his ‘lost puppy dog’ moods where all he wanted to do was follow you around and be close to you. Hence, why you didn’t comment on him laying his head on your stomach while you attempted to read, despite the action distracting you every time you noticed the heap of wet curls sticking out from the top of your book.

“Would you marry me someday?” he asked out of the blue, looking up at you from where his head was resting on your stomach. 

You would be taken aback, but it wasn’t the first time one of you pulled out a future card after a long day of domestic bliss. 

“What do you think?” you asked, setting your book down on your bedside table. 

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking you,” the earnest look on his face telling you that he genuinely was curious—if not a little concerned—about what your answer would be. 

“We’re practically a married couple already,” you slipped your hands down to cup his face. “Some of my friends think we’ve been engaged for months. I’ve received texts asking why they haven’t been invited to the ceremony.”

You both chuckle at that, Jake’s sounding slightly more nervous than your own. You rubbed at his forehead gently with your thumb, as if you could wipe away his worry lines. 

“Please don’t look so anxious. I will marry you someday. Hell, if you proposed to me right now, I would find a minister online and marry you in this bed at this very moment. How else are we gonna have two and a half kids, a few cats and dogs, and a garden full of meaningful flowers in our suburban upstate home?”

“We could be lifelong partners…?”

“Shh,” you cooed before beckoning him closer to you. “C’mere.”

Jake readjusted himself so he could properly spoon you, giving you a second to hit your bedside lamp before wrapping his arms and body around you. 

“That wasn’t you proposing to me, was it?” you asked, your hands finding his as you cuddled. 

“No! No. I just wanted to gauge how you feel about me.”

“You really think I would say no to marrying you?”

“Possibly.”

“Jake!”

“I just come with a lot of baggage, you know? Seeing each other is one thing, but marriage?”

You rolled over a bit awkwardly so you could properly face the man. “I would spend the rest of my life with you if you had three eyes, a tail, and were the owner of the baggage factory. We all have our things. I don’t love you any less because of it.”

Jake sighed, and you weren’t quite sure whether it was a sigh of relief or surrender. 

“It’s true. Really. You need to worry less about whether or not I’d say yes, and worry more about how you’re gonna propose. I love you, but asking to get married while I’m trying to read before bed isn’t gonna cut it. I might end up thinking it’s a dream.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Maybe even add it to my proposal notebook.”

“You have a notebook on how you’re gonna propose to me?”

“Maybe…” he drew the word out.  

“You are so…” you broke out into laughter. “I don’t even know. I just adore you.”

“Would it be redundant to say that I adore you?”

“Maybe a little bit. But I wanna hear it anyway.”

“I adore you. I truly love you to the moon and back,” he hummed, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek. 

“Mm, music to my ears,” you yawned sleepily. “I love you too. Sweet dreams.”

“With you? Always.”