[ It's sweet. It's good of him to do--he's a good kid, even though she's not completely sure they aren't five or six years apart. Still a kid in her eyes--most people are here, even the ones that are older than her.

She glances at the pan, and then the salad, and her lips press into a thin line, as if she's debating something. ]

You'll need drinks--hot cocoa. I'll show you my Mama's recipe from Paris--she used to make it for me all the time when I was a little girl, won't take long--and when my brother nearly gaged his eye out with an elastic band she made it for him to try to make him feel better while recovering. Or to make him feel guilty while he was recovering since he also broke a vase. I could never figure that one out.