unconsciousness would be an undesirable outcome

[self_composed]

On Sunday, Bella drives to the movie theater with Angela in tow, and her car breaks on the way home from Angela's house. She calls a tow truck, and calls her dad, and she goes home in the cop car and her station wagon goes on vacation to the mechanic.

On Monday, Charlie drives Bella to school.

As she's been discharged from the car and Charlie pulls away, a van driven by a panicking teenager screams out of nowhere towards Bella.

Making wishes is easy.

It is not automatic. It is not instantaneous.

The van creams Bella, good and proper.

Comments

[self_composed]

Charlie come into the room, looks at Alice, and coughs.

Bella gives the sauce - into which the capers have sunk to the bottom - a good stir, and then dons oven mitts to remove the chicken from the oven. She drizzles half of the sauce over it, plunks the bowl with the rest on the table, and then starts setting the table for three.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice just smiles. Not even Charlie can get him out of his good mood right now.

[self_composed]

Bella ignores this entire interplay; if Charlie wants to talk to her about it, he can. She plops a chicken breast on her plate and passes the tongs to Charlie, who serves himself a drumstick to start. Bella spoons extra sauce onto hers.

[edgeofyourseat]

Assuming that someone eventually makes the tongs available to Alice, he grabs the most easily grabbed piece of chicken and digs in.

[self_composed]

Alice gets a thigh.

The chicken is pretty good! It's not Hilaryish, but it is competently done and it's a nice recipe.

[edgeofyourseat]

It is good enough to get Alice making happy noises, although—perhaps thankfully—not quite good enough to turn him on.

[self_composed]

"Thanks, Bells," says Charlie.

"You're welcome," Bella says sunnily.