Love, Loss, And A Bitter Recipe

water, each one housing a different vendor or a stage for demonstrations. The air was thick with the smell of caramelized sugar, yeasted bread

I was a c

g his work. She wrote about his bitterness, his ambition, and his underhanded tactics. In a hidden pocket at the back of her 1985 journal, I found a sealed letter. It was a warning to her future self, or perhaps to me, detailing a specific incident where Dubois had t

trange sense of calm. This was bigger

ped myself-a fusion of my grandmother' s classic techniques with modern, unexpected flavors. It

grounds, my head held high. I had chosen my outfit carefully: a simple

arted to

eed' s granddaughter?"

was at the acade

top spot to another loc

backing. They say she' s a genius.

ion. They confirmed what I already knew: the narrative

an interview to a local TV reporter. Chloe was dressed in a soft pink dre

porter' s interview finished, and they made a b

loe said, her voice dripping with false swee

ings you don' t know, C

ked me up and down, his eyes lingering on the "Reed" emb

," he said, his voice low and menacing. "Espec

e," I said, refusing to be in

ky. Your technical skills might be enough to get you through the door, but you don'

oe is going to win this. She is going to be a star. And you... you will be nothi

't. They were the words of a man terrified that the truth might come out. He wasn't just supporting Chlo