A Meal Made With Love

She hummed while stirring the sauce. She loved to cook, especially for her family.  She cooked for them every night. But tonight was special.

She was the type of woman who always did the best for her family. Whether it was cooking, laundry or cleaning, she put all of herself into her family. Her “perfect” family.

The sound of the bubbling sauce, the water boiling, the occasional clang of a spoon on a pot all contributed to the atmosphere of a busy kitchen. And the humming continued over it all. 

The humming stopped momentarily as the sauce bubbled onto the counter before being quickly wiped away. 

Red sauce on a white cloth.

Red lipstick on a white shirt. 

Yes, this was a very special meal. 

She continued to hum as she added the final ingredient, poured from a small dark bottle that she had picked up after doing the laundry from a store she had never visited before. She mixed it into the sauce carefully as a smile spread across her face. It was her first time cooking with this particular ingredient, she hoped it wouldn’t impact the taste. 

Everything was ready. She signed her confession with her usual florid signature and left it carefully next to her recipe book. The one her friends always tried to borrow. 

She stepped back with the plates of food, painstakingly presented as always, before calling her husband and children into the dining room with a smile.