Seasoned by Love

la (Firs

ken a long, quiet shower, I sat on the edge of the couch,

d in the room was the gentle hum of our old ce

n't m

inary

ob o

-up certificate and

it again. Th

at the corner from my thumb. It said Bachelor of Science, Nutrition and Food

ispered into the dim r

ice c

his time, just streaks of wa

t still. She carried so much already. I didn't want to add my disappoin

robe and reached for my water. The gla

phone

n

ic

ked, s

deo Call

est j

quickly and sw

oked like a walking dream. Pink gloss. A sleek bun. A high-rise s

thless. "I've been trying you al

eakly. "Ye

hen why do you sound l

hold it together. "I didn't get into culinary school. No one offered me a

d on yourself. You're the best cook I've ever known. Remember t

le more for rea

spiritual. That egg? A blessing. The broth

bit of the weight lift

o the camera, her voice dropping into a w

sed for

a job offe

straighte

Private estate. Major security. Their chef just quit. They're looking fo

ped. "Wait-ar

plating photos and a short blurb

"Doing wh

eir priva

"What's

d dollars a month. Flights co

opped the p

eir estate team before. Ultra-lowkey, very formal, very intense

round the

iture. My mother's framed photo on th

y tho

e than five

a bakery

on the pilgrimage s

s real

my chest. "I don't

oftly. "Say y

speak r

handing them out to imaginary customers on our front porch. I thought about Dad, standing behind

tched me cook, like she was seeing the

ing," I

se flickered back on-like the unive

er, Mum's voi

was t

ed in, wiping her hands on her wrapper, just as th

e, saw the tea

ai

slowly.

, anxious.

a job

creased

th Korea. As a

. For a second, I thou

h

ed like a

me, dancing and laughing and crying all at on

spin me like a child again. My heart thu

helping her run a tin

ng halfway acr

her for hour

ng l

Korean

d imagining what the estat

s aprons, the one with "Super Chef" embroidered crookedly at th

een so proud,"

said you'd leave this place. That you'd m

her shoulder. "I wis

," she w

But inside our little house, t

d just shifted in

s didn't look as

s felt b

like expectatio

t time in a

ed in a

e by. Without knowing the first step of a