A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust by Sally Garcia

"Cooking isn't hard, you know. I'll teach you. And while we're at it, I'll show you a few recipes I know that are a little more...well, restorative. If he can't keep much down, maybe these will help. I'll add something to boost his appetite, too."

Calliope let out a long sigh. She stared out the window at Hudson, feeling a knot in her chest.

He knew his own fate now. He knew he could go at any time.

What could he possibly be thinking right now?

Maybe, she thought, he wasn't afraid of dying. But she was sure he wasn't ready to leave Lance behind, or everything else he cared about.

"Okay." Lance wiped away his tears, his voice trembling. "Callie, are you sure there's nothing else we can do?"

"At this point, I really don't have any better options." Calliope lifted her head. "I've reached out to everyone I know. No one has a solution. So our best bet is just to make sure he's comfortable, keep him as happy as we can."

"Mood really matters, you know. If he's in good spirits, that can help him hang on longer. And Lance, you have to look after yourself, too. The way you feel, he feels it, too."

"I know." Lance nodded.

that, Calliope brought Lance into the kitchen. She didn't cook

quickly, maybe because he was

but

this. Shame you never tried cooking before. You could've made a heck of a

food was ready, the three of them sat down to

really enjoy the meal. He ate more than

scooped a piece of roast chicken onto Hudson's plate and said, "Slow down, will

"Funny. That's exactly what

huh? So, what do you think. Can you tell this is Lance's handiwork? He's a quiet genius, don't

"No kidding?"

to do, but I did all

him an enthusiastic round of applause.

afternoon, the three of them sat out in the yard,