10 Years Later
Zyan
"Am I doing this right? Because it doesn't feel like it."
Ava glanced over at Zyan, who was trying to get the dough he was working with to stay in a triangular shape. He was failing miserably. "Your feeling is right."
Zyan glared at her. Ava gave him a sunny smile in return.
"How do you pronounce the name of these things again?" Carter asked from his spot next to Zyan.
"Hamantaschen," Ava said.
"Yeah…no. I'm not even gonna try. I'd just offend everyone."
Ava waved the argument aside. "Nobody will blame you as long as you tried."
"Ava, honey, I think the first batch is done!" Jessica announced.
Zyan watched Ava disappear out of his field of vision to join Jessica in front of the oven. "Then put them over there to cool while I go get the baskets!"
He knew of Ava's love for Purim and everything it stood for, but what had caught him by surprise was that, usually, Ava wanted to do everything on her own, which included baking the pastries, filling the baskets, and taking most of them to the three local homeless shelters. Of course, all of them had offered their help each year, but she'd declined each time without fail. He didn't know what had changed her mind this time around, but it had woken his curiosity. What was different?
"Suddenly I appreciate the annual food basket so much more," Zyan muttered, still fighting with the dough that refused to stick together at the corners.
Carter gently pushed him aside and stepped up to his work station. "Here, let me do it. Just stick with the poppy seed."
Zyan huffed a breath but complied.
"I think you used way too much flour when you rolled it out," Carter informed him after a few seconds of silence.
"It kept sticking to the rolling pin! What was I supposed to do?"
"Not completely dry out your dough?"
"Oh, shut it!"
"Got the baskets!"
Zyan looked over his shoulder to watch Ava stumble through the door, barely visible behind everything she was balancing in her arms.
Jessica immediately walked up to her. "Come on, let me help you with that."
"Thanks, cupcake."