Episode 792: I've Got A Theory

“We're on pins and needles with anticipation,” Talia muttered, earning a glare from her mother. Quickly, to make up for the slight and re-establish her position as her mother's number one suck-up, Talia reached for one of the brownies set out on the table. After a taste she proclaimed them, “the best ever, I don't know how you do it. The world really should have access to your kitchen mastery.”

“The world did, and it didn't work out very well,” the elderly woman replied sending an abundance of side-eye Justine's way over the rim of her tea cup before returning her attention to her daughter, giving Talia's hand a pat. “Thank you though, dear, for the compliment. There's really nothing to these brownies at all though, even Justine could manage them. Speaking of which, I thought it might be nice, Justine, if you tackled the pies this year, as usual, we'll need pumpkin, apple-”

“And one baker who isn't named Justine?” Justine put forth. “I'm confused. Normally at this pre-Thanksgiving meeting you assign me carrot sticks and celery sticks, or, at most, deviled eggs, you've never tasked me with something as big as pies.”

“Now is the time, this is the perfect activity for you and my darling granddaughter to take on together.”

“But neither of us bake pies and we don't know what we're doing and you're… well, you expect these things to be perfect.” Exactly the sort of no-win scenario, anxiety inducing mindset that Justine had been working really hard to move away from.

“I don't know where all this perfection talk is coming from,” her mother-in-law said, “I just like to make a lovely home, that's all, and part of a lovely home is reinforcing the bond between mother and child, something you seem to need help with, Justine.”

Episode 793: Living for Love