"Summer?
He walked into the kitchen, and she smiled, mixing chocolate chips into her cookie dough as Silver Bells played in the background.
"Yeah, babe?"
He hesitated, scratching the back of his head.
"I'm worried about you," he told her, finally.
She frowned, continuing to mix her cookies.
"Why?"
"Well, I know it's Christmastime, but you've been eating lot of cookie dough…"
"Sasha," she cautioned, giving him a sideways glance.
"No. Stop. I'm not talking about that," he assured her, walking up to stand next to her. He sighed and started again.
"I'm worried about…"
He trailed off, though.
"What? Spit it out, young man," she teased, bumping his hip with hers.
"All the raw eggs. What if you get salmonella?"
She stared at him incredulously for a moment.
And then she laughed at him.
"Aw," she cooed between giggles, "you're cute."
"Summer, I'm serious."
"I know you are. And it's cute. But I'm willing to take the risk."
She pulls open a drawer and takes out two spoons, dipping one in the dough and popping it in her mouth, offering him the other one. And she speaks around her mouthful of the sweet, soft concoction.
"Cookie dough?"