a thing as he’d joined me in the kitchen.
“Of course.” I opened the cabinet next to the stove and grabbed two cutting boards. I placed them both on the counter. Reaching for the knives, I pulled two out of the block and set one on each board.
“We need to clean these first,” I said, ignoring the hint of Daddy leaking out. Helping him gather all the veggies, we laughed as we dumped them in the sink.
“Here.” Opening the cabinet above the sink, I grabbed my salad spinner and placed it in front of Miller. It had a fun pull string that I thought he would get a kick out of. “I’ll wash and you spin.”
Giving it a test pull, he giggled as the inner basket spun in place.
One by one, I washed the vegetables and passed them on to Miller who carefully placed them in the basket. “That’s the last of them,” I said, putting the last handful of cherry tomatoes I held into the spinner.
“Ready?” he asked, his hand poised to pull the cord.
“Wait, I’ll hold it steady,” I said, placing my hands on the sides. “We really loaded it up.”
He looked worried as he stared down at the contraption. “Do you think we should take some out?”
“Probably, but who cares. It’s just veggies.”
“You sure?” His eyes were big as he stared up at me.
I smiled, masking the sadness I felt. He was so worried and over a little bit of food that didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
“Do it,” I said, egging him on and grinning as I tightened my grip.
“Okay.” His smile was tentative as he reached for the handle and pulled.
It was bumpy and made an awful noise, but the joy on Miller’s face was worth it.
After a few more pulls, Miller opened the spinner and peered inside. “I think they’re dry.”
“Hmm.” Leaning over, I gave them a good look. “I think you’re right.”
Taking the basket, I drained the water collected in the bottom and then evenly distributed the veggies between the two cutting boards. Watching over Miller as he picked up the knife just in case he needed help, I was blown away by his proficiency. “You got some serious knife skills there,” I said, hoping my comment would segue into a more meaningful conversation.
Miller paused, a laugh escaping as he stared at the knife in his hand. “Yeah, my grandma taught me.” He returned to his chopping, a little more relaxed than before. “Memaw runs a restaurant with my Pops. Growing up, it was my duty as their grandchild to help out.”
“You sound like you loved it.”
“I did.” He rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Well, as a kid, I did. It made me feel important. When I hit puberty, I acted like it was my sworn mission in life to complain and grumble all the time.”
“Teenagers,” I sneered.
“I know,” he groaned, his face scrunching up. “I was such a pain.”
“I bet your Memaw loved it, though, having you so close.”
“I guess,” he said, his voice turning quiet.
I could physically see him shutting down. Knowing I’d get nowhere if I didn’t push, I pushed. “What’s wrong, Miller?”
“Huh? Oh.” He sighed, looking down at his knife. “It’s just… I haven’t talked to my family in years.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” he said, a sharp laugh sounding between us. “If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”
“Why don’t you reach out to them?” I asked, trying to understand. If it was his fault, wouldn’t it then be his responsibility to reconnect? I knew it wouldn’t be easy for him, but I couldn’t imagine going years without talking to my own mother.
“I can’t.” His words were simple and absolute. “My parents took it hard when I came out,” he said, tossing his pile of tiny cucumber pieces into the bowl. “Mama cried and Papa drank. The town where I come from in Virginia isn’t exactly a hotbed of acceptance. They came around eventually.” He finally smiled. “Personally, I think Memaw gave them a good piece of her mind.”
I stayed quiet, sensing he wasn’t finished with his story.
He licked his lips and set the knife down. “When I…” He took a deep breath and puffed up his cheeks as he blew it out. “When I met…when I… met Neil, Mama and Papa didn’t like him,” he finished in a rush. “They said he was too slick and shallow, empty—not the kind of man for me. I didn’t see it, of course. I just thought it was their bigotry popping