“I don’t want to grade anymore essays, anyway.” Ivy grabbed his hand and marched them toward the kitchen. “Come on. I’ll teach you, Sweet Tooth.”
“You are too good to me.”
Ivy tied on her apron. “I try. Okay, we’re going to need flour, sugar, milk, yeast, and an egg. I’ll get the cinnamon and nutmeg.”
“I’ll get two eggs. We should make a double batch. And, my angel, if I am a very, very good student—do you think you could take everything off but that apron?”
“Zagan!” Ivy blushed as she went to the spice rack. “I still have all the extra saggy skin in my middle from having the baby.”
“Yes! You had our baby! And you have been tired and busy, and I have been very, very patient.” He came up behind her, kissing her neck. “I think since she’s been born, I have only gotten to appreciate you five or six times. How am I supposed to make sure you want to have another baby if you won’t let me practice?”
“But everything is sagging!”
“That is why God gave you a husband, silly!” Zagan clucked his tongue and slid his hands up to cup her heavy breasts, moaning when his palms connected with her tightening nipples. “I’m supposed to hold everything up if it sags. And do not say ‘sags’ like it is a bad thing, Ivy. That word you say with a frown and sadness, and it breaks my heart. Say things are resting lower, if you like. They deserve a rest. Say your skin stretched, because it carried a whole new person. My God, Ivy... Say you are covered in more fluffy softness for your husband to bury his face in, because I could never,everget tired of hugging you, or touching you, or marveling at every little line and cell of you. You arereal, Ivy. Do you know that is the biggest wish for a djinn, to be free, to be real, not confined and forced to smoke and shadows? You mademereal, too. You made a child to write another chapter in our love story.”
“Oh, Zag...” Ivy sighed and let herself fall back into his arms, dropping the small glass jars of cinnamon and nutmeg on the counter.
“Perhaps we need another class before cooking class. And this one,Iwill teach.” Zagan said, sweeping everything off the kitchen table.
Bottles, bibs, burp cloths, and a dozen papers and plastic baby spoons went toppling to the floor.
“Honey!”
“I will clean that all up—when I’m done with this lesson.”
Ivy let herself be swept back onto the table, let her handsome husband pull everything off of her, even the apron, even though the kitchen was bright and her body had never been perfect.
Maybe that’s the lesson, she thought as his body pressed against hers.
You don’t have to be perfect to be loved.
That’s even better than learning how to make zeppole.
Gloria’s Lazy Daisy Cake
Ingredients:
? 2 cups of all-purpose flour
? 2 cups of white granulated sugar
? 4 tablespoons of butter
? 4 large eggs at room temperature
? 2 teaspoons baking powder
? ½ tsp of salt
? 1 cup milk
? 1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping:
? 1 stick (half cup) butter, melted
? 1 cup of packed light brown sugar
