But she also knew that it was important for Jerem to meet his father without her hovering in the background, so instead she took refuge in the kitchen, where she tried to occupy herself with preparing food worthy of such a momentous occasion. The house provided labor-saving devices that took all the drudgery out of such a task, and over the years Miala had come to enjoy the time she spent in the kitchen. Back on Iradia she had cooked for her father because they couldn’t afford to do otherwise, but once she realized she could expend her efforts on combining ingredients with care and imagination, preparing meals became an outlet for her creativity instead of a daily chore to be dreaded. So she took stock of the components available in the refrigeration unit, steaks and the lovely delicate shellfish that were caught locally, and set to work, trying to keep her mind away from what Jerem and Thorn might be saying to one another. Miala was very proud of her son, recognizing in him much of the resourcefulness and careful wit she had seen in his father.
