Chapter 3 Grandpa's Cooking Disaster

The drive to California felt longer than Audrey remembered, even though she had made the journey several times before. Perhaps it was because she had so much on her mind. Every mile took her farther away from the home she had shared with David, but it also brought her closer to the one place where she knew she would always be welcomed without questions. Her father's house. Beside her, Tessie watched the passing scenery through the window, while Charlie had spent most of the journey talking about all the things he planned to do with Grandpa. From playing games to eating snacks, the five-year-old had apparently prepared an entire schedule for their visit. "Mom, do you think Grandpa still has those funny slippers?" Charlie asked suddenly. Audrey glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Which funny slippers?" "The ones that look like a duck!" Tessie giggled. "They don't look like a duck, Charlie. They look like two dead birds." "That's because you don't understand fashion," Charlie replied confidently. Audrey couldn't help laughing. "Fashion? Since when did you become a fashion expert?" "Since I was born, Mom." Tessie shook her head. "He's impossible." "And you're jealous," Charlie declared. "Of what?" "My fashion!" Audrey laughed again, and for a brief moment, the heaviness in her heart loosened. Her children had a remarkable ability to turn even the most ordinary conversation into a comedy show. She wished she could keep things that way for them forever-simple, happy, and free from the problems adults created. Eventually, she turned into the driveway beside her father's porch and brought the car to a stop. Before she could even switch off the engine, Edward stepped out onto the porch. He had apparently been enjoying the afternoon outside, but the moment he recognized the car, his expression changed from casual curiosity to complete astonishment. "Audrey?" He stared at her as though she had just announced that she had arrived from another planet. Audrey opened her door and stepped out with a small smile. "Hey, Dad." For approximately two seconds, Edward remained frozen. Then two excited voices shattered the silence. "GRANDPA!" Tessie and Charlie scrambled out of the car and raced toward him. Edward immediately forgot about his surprise and spread his arms wide. "Oh, my little bundles of joy!" The children threw themselves into his embrace, and he hugged them tightly, kissing the tops of their heads with enough enthusiasm to embarrass them both. "I missed you two so much!" he exclaimed. "Look at you! Have you both grown taller since the last time I saw you?" Charlie puffed out his chest. "Of course, Grandpa. I'm five now." Edward gasped dramatically. "Five? Good heavens! When did that happen? Yesterday, you were practically a tiny potato!" Charlie frowned. "Grandpa, I'm not a potato." "Really? Then who ate all the potatoes in my kitchen last time you visited?" "That wasn't me!" Edward looked at Tessie. "Was it you?" Tessie burst into laughter. "Grandpa!" "Ah! So the potato thief remains unidentified. I see how it is." Charlie folded his arms, pretending to be offended. "I'm not talking to you anymore." "Wonderful," Edward replied cheerfully. "That means more talking time for me!" Charlie immediately hugged him again. "Just kidding, Grandpa!" Edward laughed and squeezed him affectionately before looking at the children with exaggerated suspicion. "But wait a minute. Is it summer holiday already? Have I lost track of time? Should I be buying school supplies, or have you both decided to abandon education and become professional visitors?" Tessie shook her head, still smiling. "No, Grandpa. It's not summer holiday. Mom just wanted us to visit." Edward's smile softened a little as he glanced toward Audrey. "Oh, I see." There was a question in his eyes, but he didn't ask it. Instead, he returned his attention to the children, unwilling to spoil their excitement with adult concerns. Audrey walked toward him, her smile growing warmer as she approached. "Hey, Dad." Edward opened his arms. "Hey, my little baby." "Dad, I'm not a baby anymore." "Really? That's strange. I distinctly remember changing your diapers." "DAD!" He burst out laughing and pulled her into a warm hug. "Some things never change, sweetheart." For the first time since leaving her house, Audrey felt the comfort she had been desperately needing. Her father's arms had always been a safe place, even when she was old enough to pretend she didn't need one. Edward held her for another moment before gently pulling away. "How are you doing?" "Good," Audrey answered quickly. He raised an eyebrow. "Good?" "Yes, Dad. Good." "Excellent. Then I suppose I can stop worrying about you, cancel all my dramatic fatherly speeches, and return to my peaceful afternoon." Audrey gave him a look. "You were planning a dramatic speech?" "Of course! I had at least three prepared. One involved tears, another involved a motivational quote, and the last one required me to stare into the distance while pretending to understand modern life." Tessie giggled. Charlie tugged at Edward's hand. "Grandpa, can you do the staring thing now?" "Absolutely not. Those speeches are expensive. I charge by the minute." Audrey shook her head, laughing despite herself. Edward clapped his hands together. "All right, everyone. Why don't we go inside? I believe this reunion deserves refreshments." "I'll just get the luggage," Audrey said. "Fine. The children and I will meet you inside." He ushered Tessie and Charlie toward the house, with Charlie skipping ahead and Tessie following at a more reasonable pace. Audrey opened the trunk and began pulling out the suitcases. She had barely lifted one when she heard a familiar voice. "Audrey!" She turned. Nick was standing nearby, waving at her with a friendly smile. "Oh, hey, Nick!" Audrey greeted him. "I didn't know you still lived here." Nick chuckled. "Well, technically, I'm not staying here permanently at the moment. I'm on work leave. I came to see my mom because she's not doing so well." His expression became more serious for a moment. "She's been having a difficult time, so I thought I'd come by and spend some time with her. You know how it is. Work can wait sometimes." Audrey nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she gets better soon." "Thank you. I hope so too." He paused, then glanced toward the house. "So, what brings you here? Don't tell me you finally got tired of living in the city and decided to move into your father's house permanently." Audrey laughed softly. "Not exactly. The kids were desperate to see Grandpa. They missed him, so we decided to come over for a visit." Nick smiled. "Ah, that makes sense. Edward must be thrilled. That man talks about his grandchildren as though they're celebrities." "He practically treats them like royalty," Audrey replied. "Then I suppose the rest of us will have to start requesting appointments before visiting him." "I'm sure he'd charge you an entrance fee." "Knowing Edward, he'd probably charge me twice and claim it was a family discount." They both laughed. "Well, I'll let you get back to your luggage," Nick said. "Talk to you later?" "Yeah, sure. See you around, Nick." He waved once more before heading off, and Audrey returned to the task of carrying the suitcases inside. By the time she entered the house, Edward was already waiting near the dining area, looking unusually pleased with himself. "Oh, Audrey!" he called. "Perfect timing. I just made lunch." Audrey stopped. "You made lunch?" "Yes, I did." She stared at him, then slowly lowered the suitcases onto the floor. "Dad, are you sure you're feeling all right?" Edward's expression fell. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Nothing. I'm just surprised." "Surprised? Why?" "Because you made lunch." Edward placed a hand over his chest as though she had personally wounded him. "Unbelievable. My own daughter doubts my abilities." Audrey followed him toward the dining table, where several dishes had been arranged neatly. The food looked delicious, and a wonderful aroma filled the room. She leaned forward to inspect the meal. "Ooh, this looks good, Dad. Who made these?" Edward's jaw dropped. "What do you mean, who made them? I made them!" He said it with such pride that Audrey almost felt guilty. Almost. She narrowed her eyes at the dishes. "Um, no way. You're a terrible cook. No offense." Edward looked genuinely scandalized. "NO OFFENSE? Audrey, that was an entire plate of offense! You served it with a side of disrespect!" Tessie, who had just entered the dining area with Charlie, immediately began laughing. Edward pointed at her. "Don't laugh, young lady. Your mother is insulting a culinary genius." Audrey raised an eyebrow. "A culinary genius? Dad, when Mom was here, she used to say you were the doom of food." Edward opened his mouth, then closed it again. "The doom of food?" "Yes. Because every time you entered the kitchen, something terrible happened." "That's an exaggeration!" "Really? I remember one time you tried to make soup and somehow managed to burn the bottom of the pot." "That pot was defective!" "Dad, it was a cooking pot." "A defective cooking pot!" Audrey folded her arms, enjoying herself now. "And what about the time you tried making pancakes?" Edward looked toward the ceiling as if searching for divine assistance. "Those pancakes were perfectly fine." "Dad, they were so hard that Mom used one to prop open the kitchen door." Charlie gasped with delight. "Grandpa! You made rock pancakes?" "They were not rocks!" Edward protested. Tessie wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. "Grandpa, could you make them again? I want to see." "No!" Edward replied immediately. "This family has absolutely no respect for culinary history." Audrey grinned. "Anyway, you cannot fool me. You were a terrible cook when Mom was around. What changed?" Edward straightened his shoulders. "I attended cooking classes a few months ago." Audrey blinked. "You did what?" "Cooking classes," he repeated proudly. "I learned new techniques, improved my skills, and discovered the secret to preparing delicious meals." "And that secret is?" "Not telling your daughter anything before she tastes the food." Audrey burst out laughing. Edward pointed at her triumphantly. "Exactly! You see? My methods are already working." He turned toward the children, shaking his head with mock disappointment. "Kids, do you see how your mother teases me? Is this how you treat a hardworking grandfather who has spent hours preparing lunch for his beloved family?" Tessie smiled sweetly. "No, Grandpa." Edward brightened. "Thank you, Tessie. At least someone appreciates me." Charlie immediately added, "Don't listen to Mom, Grandpa. She isn't that much of a great cook either." Audrey's mouth fell open. "Charlie!" "What?" he asked innocently. "It's true." Tessie nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Remember when Mom burned the toast?" Audrey turned toward her daughter in disbelief. "Oh, wonderful! So this is what happens when I bring you both into the world, feed you, dress you, and love you with all my heart. You grow up and join your grandfather's cooking conspiracy!" Edward slapped the table, laughing. "Cooking conspiracy! I like that. Finally, someone understands the seriousness of this situation." He looked at Audrey with a victorious grin. "So, you're not such a great cook yourself, are you?" Audrey pointed a warning finger at him. "Don't push it, Dad." "I'm not pushing anything. I'm simply standing here, enjoying the fact that my cooking has united this family against you." Charlie nodded solemnly. "Grandpa's food brings people together." "Exactly!" Edward declared. Audrey stared at the three of them. "I cannot believe I'm being bullied in my own father's house." "It's not bullying," Edward said, pulling out a chair for her. "It's a family tradition." She sat down, shaking her head. "Well, I'm certain you didn't make this food, but I'll eat it anyway. I'm starving." Edward folded his arms proudly. "Of course you'll eat it. You'll probably ask for seconds, too." "Let's not get carried away." Audrey picked up her fork, took a bite, and paused. She chewed slowly. Then she took another bite. Edward watched her closely, his expression growing more confident with every second. "Well?" he asked. Audrey swallowed and looked at him with genuine surprise. "This is really, really tasty, actually." Edward threw both hands into the air. "HA! I KNEW IT!" Charlie leaned back in his chair, looking far too pleased with himself. "Told you, Mom." Edward pointed at his grandson. "You see? The boy understands excellence!" Audrey took another bite, unwilling to admit how wrong she had been. "Fine. It's good." "Good?" Edward repeated. "Good? Audrey, I have created a masterpiece, and all you can offer me is good?" She rolled her eyes. "Would you prefer I write you a certificate?" "Actually, that would be nice. Frame it, too." Tessie burst out laughing again, while Charlie eagerly began eating. Edward sat down at last, beaming at his family as though he had just won the most important competition of his life. Audrey watched him for a moment, then smiled quietly. For the first time in what felt like forever, the sound of laughter filled the room without being interrupted by an argument, a lie, or a painful memory. There were still things she needed to face. There were still questions she wasn't ready to answer. But for now, she was here-with her father, her children, and a surprisingly delicious lunch prepared by the man who had once been the sworn enemy of every cooking pot in California. And honestly? That was more than enough for one afternoon.