The Baker, part 2

She wants me to approve more time on YouTube, so she can find a cupcake recipe. Denied.

“Use a cookbook,” I suggest, suspecting this may put an end to the idea to bake something altogether, suspecting the idea was to secure another hour of phone time.

“OK.”

She disappears into the kitchen, and I can hear her pull a book down and open its pages. I suggest she locate “cupcakes” in the index, but she insists that she needs the table of contents. I don’t dispute this decision, and I decide, in that moment, to let her do what she will and to stop making suggestions.

Several minutes later I can see that she has arrayed all her ingredients on the countertop, and I decide it’s okay to ask one more question. “What are you making?”

“Poundcake.”