Enjoy
Katherine stood on the doorstep of the Newies boarding house. She knocked on the door once more. Surely someone was there. It was evening and everyone should have finished for the day. She smoothed out her skirt and shifted the weight of the basket one more time.
There was a slight movement from the ragged and dirty curtain in the window before muffled voices and what sounded like pounding up the steps.
"Who is it?" one had said.
"Its Katherine. I'll go get Jack, you open the door."
Katherine had heard.
"Oh hey Katherine. What you doing here?" Specs had said as he opened the door.
"Well I baked cookies and thought Jack might like them."
"Oh we love your baking. Is there enough for everyone?" Specs had asked.
"Of course. Don't tell Jack, but I bake enough for him to share as well. I'm glad to hear he is doing just that." Katherine had smiled.
Just then Jack descended the stairs. "Well Katherine this is a surprise." Jack was followed by a group of boys coming down the stairs as well. She recognized them all, before the cacophony of voices started. They were all excited to see Katherine and ecstatic that she had what looked like another basket of cookies in her arms. Jack held up his hand and spoke as a hush fell over the other boys. An amused Katherine took in the scene before her. Boys coming in from all directions, the ones lounging on the floor had stood up, little ones sliding down the banisters. All of them stopping with their leaders words. "Now fellas. I'm sure there is enough for everyone. Isn't that right Katherine." She could only nod. "Now one of yous take the basket to the kitchen." Romeo stepped forward, bowed politely. Katherine gave him the basket. He drew her hand in close to kiss the back of it and then he was off, followed by all the boys in a stampede towards the room that they called a kitchen.
Jack lead Katherine out the door and to their usual spot outside of the house. It was quiet here, a place where they could be alone. She took a seat on the top steps of the church while he helped her sit. Then he unceremoniously sat down beside her.
"Thanks for bringing cookies again Katherine. The boys really like them."
She smiled at him before answering. "I like to treat them every now and then."
They were quiet for a long moment before Jack said. "You bake when you're stressed and sometimes you give me cookies, but recently you're giving me whole baskets each day, now I'm not complaining but are you okay?"
Cooking in general was one thing she had to learn to do for herself when she decided to head out on her own. Find her own way, and make her father see just how great a reporter she really was. She never took to cooking so much as baking. Katherine found baking to be satisfying, especially when she was stressed, or worried. Now that she was back home she still took to baking every now and then, running their cook out of the kitchen. Cook had always said it wasn't fitting for a young lady of good breeding to bake, but yet her she was. Jack had said she was a good baker as well.
"They're your favorite. Chocolate chip. It was what I felt like baking today." She was stalling and she knew that Jack would know it as well.
"That's great, but you didn't answer my question. Are you okay?"
"Fine." He shook his head. "Not fine. I'm under a lot of pressure lately. What with the new column, moving home, Daddy being well Daddy." She was strong, she wouldn't cry.
Jack had sensed something was wrong he pulled her in close to hug her. It wasn't appropriate for him to hold her in the way he wanted, but he slid his arm around her. She leaned into his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No. I want to bake and I want to sit here and pretend the world doesn't exist for a little while."
They sat there until the could see the light fading and stars coming out. She told him of her troubles, made bigger by them stacking on top of one another. Jack didn't try to fix them. They worked together to figure out a way to solve them. He walked her home and kissed her goodbye on her front porch.