66

Friday, April 10
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Phoenix woke up, still dazed from the strange day she’d had the day before. Her offering had been accepted and then Sage Eagle had proceeded to take her to her new home, to have her help decide colors for things. They had spent several hours together not fighting, but getting along like old friends! It had been a bit surreal.

She dressed, then went out to the kitchen, leaving her crutches behind in her room.

Dancing Bear looked up as she worked on prepping something for breakfast.

“Surely, it’s my turn,” Phoenix protested.

“You need your ankle good for Monday,” she replied. “Besides, you have a task this morning… before you are wanted at the building site.”

“You don’t think...”

“I do. You must promise me not to over-stress your ankle before Monday!”

“I promise,” Phoenix replied. “But what is my task?”

Dancing Bear smiled and handed her an old pan. “You have shown me that you can cook on cast iron, so this is yours for your new home, but you need to learn how to take care of it first.”

“Wow… Thanks!”

“Not so fast… First, you need to scrub it down really good. I have scrubbers, steel wool, anything you might want. This is the only time you should use lye soap on it.”

Phoenix took the pan, noticing how heavy it was on her arm. She would have to get stronger.

“You scrub, I cook,” Dancing Bear said.

Phoenix scrubbed, noticing her daughters coming out of their room and playing with the kittens who were definitely a lot more fun now. As she scrubbed, her mind drifted back to yesterday and she wondered whether Dancing Bear was right and Sage Eagle would spend more time with her today. She hoped so. Now that they were getting along again, she could dream about him falling in love with her. Maybe it was possible, but even if not, they could get along now which would make everything simpler again.

Her wrist ached, but Phoenix kept scrubbing.

“Use the steel wool now, get as much of the black off as possible. You’re starting from scratch on this pan. There are easier methods, but you need to learn this one first.”

“You remind me of my math teacher, Woxi! Taught the hardest possible method first. Only after that would he teach us the easier methods!”

“It’s a matter of understanding and appreciation. You will have greater respect for your pan if you have to put the work into it first.”

Phoenix wasn’t convinced of that argument, but she’d accept it for now.

“The reason you will not use soap again – unless you have to start over again – is that the soap will eat away at the grease – which is what makes the beautiful patina that I have on my pans.”

“Okay,” she replied, understanding part of the method now.

“Keep going on the scrubbing. The goal is to put the pan in the oven before you eat breakfast.”

“I’m not going to get there at this rate!” Phoenix complained.

Dancing Bear took a look between flipping pancakes. “It’s better than you think. This stage doesn’t have to be perfect – though I’ll show you how to achieve that when you bring back some cast iron from Rawlins.”

“I’m going to need some of that tea for my wrists!”

Dancing Bear laughed. “That’s why you will take good care of this pan! It will feed all your children and grandchildren if you do… with less fuss than your standard non-stick pan, I promise!”

Phoenix sighed. “I always wanted more children,” she admitted. “Frank… my ex… didn’t think I should have more, I couldn’t take good enough care of them as it was.”

“And that’s why it was true – because he didn’t believe in you. Why would you put in your best effort if it was never appreciated?”

“I didn’t think about it that way.”

“Did you put in your best effort?”

“I thought so...”

“Would it have been different if he had appreciated you?”

“Probably… I guess I would have tried harder if I knew he would like it. But it was impossible...”

“A little different from someone you gave your best effort to yesterday… I reckon.”

“Yes,” Phoenix said, realizing what had just been said. “Wow. It really does make a difference, doesn’t it?”

“Do you think it was your best work?”

“Yes… but only for now. He makes me want to learn more – so I can please him more.”

“This is one secret to a happy household. Now, don’t get confused… Pleasing your husband is a noble task, but it’s not the be all and end all goal, right? You have to look after your own health, then that of the entire family. After that, you can look at pleasing yourself, then your family…”

“But, my family must always come first!”

“In most ways, yes. But if you do not look after yourself first, you will not be strong and healthy enough to look after the rest of them.”

Phoenix nodded, still thinking about everything, wondering how she could make Sage Eagle happy.

“Rinse off your pan, then dry it,” Dancing Bear instructed, then put the plate of pancakes onto the table, the children running to help themselves to one of their favorite breakfasts. “See how easy it is to please the children,” Dancing Bear noted. “It’s not much harder to please a good man. A man who isn’t happy to be fed and cared for by his woman will never be happy with anything!”

“Sounds like Frank, all right.”

“If your pan is dry, take a paper towel, fold it up and use it to apply lard to the entire pan inside and out. There is a lot of debate about which fat to use, but I like to use lard.”

Phoenix followed the instructions and greased the entire pan. “Handle too?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Done.”

“Wipe off as much as you can, then put the pan in the oven to season.”

Phoenix did that as well as she could.

“Phoenix, I’m taking Skye to school again this morning.”

“But...”

“You need your ankle to be at full strength on Monday. Besides, I won’t get to do the school duties so much once you’re in your own earthship!”

Phoenix looked at the woman again, so beautiful in her own special way. She realized that she loved Dancing Bear – as if she were her favorite aunt.

♥♥♥