Bewitching the Beast

Chapter 2

 Chapter 2

Ainsley

Once we get home, I have everyone help unload the car and I begin making my famous spaghetti sauce that only needs a couple of hours to cook since it’s after three-thirty. Everyone who eats it loves it and it goes a long way. It has Ragu sauce as the base and a little bit of powered spaghetti seasoning, but I add ground beef, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, spinach, and spicy Italian sausage. Letting the sauce slimmer, I whip up a batch of brownies for dessert while Alexander rumbles on to his siblings about what I told him in the car.

Jonah mouths thank you to me as he walks out with Alexander so they can look up Alexander the Great. Seeing Payton at the island she huffs out in frustration as she works on her homework. I put the brownies in the hot oven and set the timer for 35 minutes.

Since everything is clean, I can see the beauty of the home. The kitchen has white cabinets with frosted fronts and stainless steel knobs. The counters are gray and white granite and the back splash is white subway tile. The island is huge and can seat seven people easily and the counter is a butcher block in a rich oak. All the appliances are stainless steel and over the six-burner gas stove there is a rock detail that makes the kitchen pop. Also I was shock to see in total four overs; two built in with the stove and then two on the wall besides the stove. In the corner of the kitchen there is a breakfast nook with a large round table that sits six that is surrounded by windows. Beyond the island, the kitchen opens up to a sunken den with a rock fireplace that matches the stone in the kitchen. There is a large dark brown leather sectional that can seat ten people and then there is one recliner is a rich red. On the floors are large pillow that are used to seat on and throw blankets are toss around. Over the fireplace is a large flat screen TV and one either side there are two French doors that leads to the back yard and a ‘L’ shape pool is visible. As soon as you walk into the kitchen there is a doorway that leads to butler’s pantry that connects into the dining room. 

“Payton do you need help with your homework?” I ask as I take the sit beside her.

Looking at me sadly, she answers, “I have a spelling test tomorrow and I’m going to fail and Ms. Phillips is going to yell at me again.”

“Hey, if you think like that then it will happen. Now let me see the list and we will go over this together ok.” I answer with a smile and she returns it.

There are twenty words on the list and I’m a little surprise at how difficult the words are for a second grader. Going through the list randomly, Payton gets eleven out of twenty so we went over the ones she didn’t know and I would throw in ones that she already knew. I taught her to sound out the syllables and I told her if she is not sure about how to spell something to slip it and then go back to it at the end.  After twenty minutes of studying, I tell her to take a break so she doesn’t get overwhelmed and we set the dining room table.

As Payton helps me set the table, Emma walks in and she begins helping so I teach them how to properly set a table. I also put a pitcher of ice tea on the table since that is something everyone likes and clean glasses. Once that is done, I check on the brownies and put in the Italian garlic bread that will go with the dinner. I begin cooking the noodles and after they are done, I drain them and I start serving plates. Emma and Payton set the plates on the table as I dish them out and I tell them to go tell the guys that dinner is ready. Taking the bread out and then the brownies, I walk into the dining room. All the guys rush in and I see their eyes bulge out from their heads. Jonah walks in with Sophie and puts her in her high chair.

The guys quickly sit down and the reach for their forks, but I yell, “You wait until everyone is in here and is sitting down. I know y’all know manners and you better start using them.”