Note: I don't know if beef stew varies between states, but this is how I remember my mom making it.
Another note: pretend that Eric the Huntsman does not look exactly like Thor, please and thank you.
Angelique Reyes leans against the counter, smiling at James. He glances from her to the cake, resting on the dining table beneath its cover, and then to the refrigerator. "So, beef stew," Angelique Reyes says. "You know the ingredients?"
They roll off his tongue easily, like he is listing ammunition for an upcoming mission: "Onions, potatoes, celery, carrots," he says. He even – knows what they look like? He knows but does not know how or why.
She nods. "Okay, you get those from the fridge and the cabinet while I pull out the meat."
He goes to the cabinets first, searching for potatoes and onions. Once he has acquired them from one of the lower shelves, he sets them on the counter (three of each, all that was stored) and turns to the refrigerator. He knows it will be cold and so he prepares himself for opening the door.
It is - not cold. Cool, instead. Pleasant. He starts at the top shelf and works his way down, seeking celery and carrots. He finds the celery on the middle shelf, closest to the wall. The carrots are on the lowest level, inside a drawer. He grabs all of both and gently closes the door before placing the celery and carrots with the potatoes and onions.
Angelique Reyes takes a container of meat from the freezer (which is far colder than the refrigerator) and puts it in a medium-sized box, hits a sequence of buttons, and turns to the pile James has formed from the ingredients. She separates them, keeping all three potatoes and five of the carrots, but tearing two larger pieces from the celery and putting back all but one of the onions. "Do you know how to chop celery?" she asks.
James shakes his head. Angelique Reyes gestures to him. "Well, c'mon, corazón, you're gonna learn."
She grabs a thin sheet of plastic from one of the lower cabinets full of cooking implements and sets it on the counter. "Okay," she says, "first we wash 'em all." She grabs the potatoes and onion, so James takes the celery and carrots. She turns on the sink faucet and gently runs each vegetable under the water, leaving the water on for James so he washes the celery and carrots. When he returns to Angelique Reyes' side (after turning the knob back so that water ceases running), she is holding a large knife – pulled from the rack beside the refrigerator. He had noted it, as he notes everything. And now Angelique Reyes has a knife in her hand.
He breathes slowly, drawing his gaze from the knife to Angelique Reyes' wrist, up her arm to her throat, and finally her eyes. She is still, gaze on him.
"We're doin' alright, yeah, corazón?" she asks softly. Her grip is loose on the knife. She is no threat.
He breathes. In and out, Stevie, I know you can do it, match it to mine, doll, breathe for me. He breathes. Unclenches his fists. Loosens his shoulders.
He can see Angelique Reyes relax.
"We are doing well," James says. No. That sounds – "We're doin' good," he says. "How do I chop celery?"
Angelique Reyes chuckles, though it sounds – relieved. Nervous? "Come stand beside me and watch," she says. She aligns the celery stalk parallel to the edge of the plastic sheet. "First," she says, "we cut off both ends." The flared end first, then the top with its little branches. "Next," she says, "we slice it long ways." She slides the blade throughout the length, dividing the stalk into two pieces. "And now," she says, "we cut it into bite-sized chunks." She quickly yet carefully does.
Angelique Reyes steps back with a murmured, "Ta da!" Then she smiles up at James. "Now you." She uses the knife to clear the plastic sheet, brushing the chunks onto the counter, and then offers it to him.
James steps up to the plastic sheet and sets the remaining stalk parallel to the edge. He smoothly removes the ends, slices the stalk directly down the middle, and then flips the knife to cut the stalk into chunks. He sets the knife on the counter, ducking his head.
"Very good," Angelique Reyes says. "Now, the carrots." She settles beside him, pulling the carrots onto the sheet with one hand and brushing the celery onto the counter with the other. "So, five big carrots," she says. "I wish we had baby carrots but the store was out." She scoffs. "Anyway, these should be bigger than the celery pieces." She picks up the knife and offers it to him.
James analyzes the size of the celery chunks and begins to slice the carrots into pieces exactly twice the size of the largest celery piece.
He is on the third carrot when a sharp, high sound fills the kitchen – it originates from behind him. He carefully does not react because his reaction would be to kill whoever was closest. Instead, he breathes, closing his eyes and counting to ten in English, Spanish, and Russian. There is no threat here. There is not.
Angelique Reyes has pulled the meat from the box (the box made the noise?), torn the plastic wrap off, pulled a large pot from the cabinet, and set it on – on the istove/i. The comforting voice from the memories, she had called it that. It looks differently than in the memories.
"I forgot to pre-heat the pot," Angelique Reyes says. She pulls a bottle labeled vegetable oil from the upper cabinet above the stove and drops a dollop in, also turning a knob to the side of the stove. "Anyway, let's do the rest of the veggies while it heats."
James finishes the carrots and Angelique Reyes says, "Put 'em with the celery," plopping the potatoes on the sheet. "Okay, so while I grab the spices, you chop the potatoes in halfs and then fourths."
She begins pulling jars down while James examines the first potato. Halfs, then fourths. Angelique Reyes names off, "Garlic powder, salt, pepper, bay leaves," holding up each for him to see, and then she returns the rest of the spices to the cabinet. She sets the jars aside, checks that James has adequately chopped the potatoes, and tells him, "Lookin' good."
James slides the potatoes over to the celery and carrots, and Angelique Reyes says, "Now for the onion." She sets her fingers on it and says, "Cutting this up is going to make our eyes water, James. Don't worry about it. The onion needs to be diced smaller than anything else and if it's bothering you too much to finish, just tell me so. Alright?"
"Yes," he says.
"Okay, so," Angelique Reyes says, setting the onion on the middle of the plastic sheet, "first we cut off both ends." Neatly and quickly, she does. "Then we unpeel the first layer and dice the rest." She steps away, so James cuts the onion into halfs, then fourths, and then quickly slices it into pieces smaller than the celery.
"Perfect," Angelique Reyes says as he sets down the knife. "Now, let's put everything but the potatoes in a bowl together and cover it with a damp paper towel." As he carefully gathers them together, Angelique Reyes runs a paper towel underneath the faucet.
"Go head, put 'em all in the bowl," Angelique Reyes says, returning to the stove. "It's time to start browning the meat."
The sound of the meat hitting the bottom of the pot makes James flinch. He does not know why. He shudders for a few moments, listening to the meat sizzle in the heat but the more he listens, the – better? The sound is no longer so jarring. Disturbing. It is – almost pleasant. Angelique Reyes gestures him over, so he stands beside her to stare down into the pan. "We need to brown all sides," she says. "Then we add enough cans of beef broth to fully cover it – can you get them from the pantry?"
The pantry is full of cans, arranged alphabetically. James grabs four cans labeled beef broth and carries them over. "Open them, please," Angelique Reyes requests, turning the meat again. James uses his right hand to pull the cans open, carefully discarding the tops on another counter. "Okay, let's pour them in," she says, grabbing one of the cans. "Until the meat is fully covered," she repeats.
All four cans are utilized. "Now we add the spices," Angelique Reyes says. "Go ahead, add as much as you want."
James looks at her briefly before gazing at the four jars of spice. "These are leaves?" he asks, picking up the jar labeled bay leaves.
"Yes. A couple of them should work." He does not know the tone she uses, but it seems – good. He flicks open the top of the jar and gently shakes two leaves out, then drops them in the pot. After closing the jar, he sets it down and picks up the one next to it: garlic powder.
He is to add as much as he wants. He flicks open the top, angles it over the pot, and gently shakes for five seconds before closing the jar and setting it down. A quick, covert glance to Angelique Reyes show that she is smiling, which means he must be doing well. He next adds the salt and finally the pepper.
"Now," Angelique Reyes says, "we stir." She grabs a large wooden – paddle? No, too small. And not the right shape for a spoon. Whatever it is, she uses it to mix the spices into the broth. "We'll wait for this to boil," Angelique Reyes tells him, "and then we'll add in the vegetables and potatoes, letting it simmer awhile."
Angelique Reyes turns away from the stove and assesses the kitchen from one counter to the other. "We should straighten up while waiting," she says. "Go ahead and add the empty cans to the recycling bin over near the door; I'll start loading the dish washer."
Once the cans have been deposited, Angelique Reyes directs James in which utensils to hand her as she places them in a machine designed solely to clean them. Such a thing does not exist in his memory, and – he does not know why, but the woman in the apron, with her dark hair and blue eyes, she would love this machine. Angelique Reyes starts the machine and says, "Let's check the broth."
The broth is bubbling fiercely; Angelique Reyes nods. "Slowly add the vegetables," she directs and so James does, carefully angling the bowl over the liquid. Angelique Reyes drops the potatoes in and then says, "Okay, corazón, stir it a bit." As he does, slowly moving the small paddle through the pot, he inhales and it is - James Barnes, don't you dare lift that lid!
"Smells good," he murmurs as Angelique Reyes turns down the heat.
"Yes, it does," she agrees, setting the top onto the pot. "C'mon, let's go find the movie on Netflix and let it cook awhile."
.
James carefully curls up on the couch as Angelique Reyes searches Netflix for a live-action picture – no, movie, she has called it a movie. Pictures are things that do not move. It is a retelling of Snow White with actors instead of animation.
"It's a bit violent, now," Angelique Reyes cautions and James nods. He is no stranger to violence but he knows that for play-acting, it is simulated. Play-acting is different from training.
… when did he play?
It doesn't matter. Angelique Reyes begins the movie, so James gives the television most of his attention. Periodically throughout it, Angelique Reyes goes to the kitchen to check on the stew, and while the princess and her childhood friend are walking through the woods, Angelique Reyes calls, "Wanna help me with the rice?"
James pauses the movie.
.
"So, can you get two cups of rice into this pot?" Angelique Reyes asks, nodding towards a smaller pot on a different burner than the stew.
There is a bag of rice on the counter and James remembers where the measuring cups are, so he swiftly doles out two cups of rice.
"Now, the trick to rice," Angelique says, bringing the pot to the counter by the sink, "is that however much you have, you need twice the water. So, two cups of rice means four cups of water." She turns the water on and holds the cup measure under it till full, then dumps it into the pot. She counts out three more, turns off the water, and sets the pot back on the stove. "Get a clean spoon," she says, "and let's stir the rice. It's easy to burn the bottom layer."
James stirs the rice while Angelique Reyes checks the stew, and then she smiles at him. "Go on back to the movie," she says. "It's about to get exciting."
.
Angelique Reyes is correct about the movie: the princess's childhood friend is actually her evil stepmother in disguise but the movie does end happily, with Snow White crowned and her realm set free from tyranny. While James gets up simply because he can, Angelique Reyes says, "The rice is almost done. How about you come test the stew?"
By 'test the stew' Angelique Reyes means that he check the meat, so he pokes it with the small paddle, and then spears it with a fork. He glances at Angelique Reyes, but she is smiling, so he continues. He goes to the cabinet that houses the thin sheets of plastic and sets one on the counter beside the stew pot, carefully pulls the chunk of meat out, shakes it lightly the relieve it of the excess liquid, and sets it on the plastic sheet. James pulls a knife from the knife drawer, checks that Angelique Reyes is still pleased with his actions, and slices into the meat.
"How's it look?" she asks.
Smells good, Stevie. How soon 'til we can eat?
"It is not cooked all the way," James says. "But…" He bites at his lip, ducks his head.
"But what, James?" Angelique Reyes says. Her tone is – kind.
"Wouldn't it –" He turns, raises his gaze to her mouth. "Wouldn't it cook faster in smaller pieces?"
Her mouth smiles. "Yes," she says. "It would. Go ahead and slice it, drop the pieces back in." He carefully cuts the meat into bite-sized pieces, returns them to the pot, stirs it, and replaces the top.
"If you're not tired of Snow White yet," Angelique Reyes says, moving the pot of rice to another burner and turning off the hot one, "there's a comedy retelling we could watch while the stew finishes cooking."
"Please," James says.
.
Mirror Mirror is quite humorous. James laughs – the first time, he stops immediately, shying back into the cushion, but Angelique Reyes does not react. The second time, James stops immediately and waits, but again Angelique Reyes does not react. The third time – the third time, he lets himself laugh. And the fourth. And the fifth. After the sixth, he stops counting and simply enjoys the movie.
After the princess finds the dwarves, Angelique Reyes goes to check on the stew. She returns with a bowl of rice and stew, which she holds out to James. "Try it," she says. "Let me know if it's done."
He carefully takes the bowl, uses the fork to collect some rice and a piece of meat, and exhales before setting it all in his mouth. He chews and –
You did good, Steve. Tastes like Ma's.
"s'delicious," James says, quickly eating the rest.
Handlers would've smacked the asset. Would've – but he is not with handlers, now. He is not the asset, now.
He is James and Angelique Reyes laughs softly, returning to the kitchen. "Come get some dinner," she calls. "We can eat and watch the movie."
James pauses the movie and stands. Angelique Reyes has her own bowl, which she is serving stew into, and a glass of dark bubbly liquid. "Diet Coke," she says. "Without the caffeine, otherwise I won't be able to sleep. Wanna try it?"
He is familiar with milk, with water. He knows that civilians drink carbonated beverages. "No, thank you," he says. He would rather stick with water for now.
"Alright," Angelique Reyes says. "You know where the cups are; get whatever you want." She takes her own bowl and glass, returning to the room with the television.
James fills a glass with water, fills the bowl with stew and rice, and returns to the couch. He glances at Angelique Reyes, but she is focused on her stew, so he restarts the movie. He eats the bowl of stew and then just holds it, watching the movie. "You can get more, if you're still hungry," Angelique Reyes says after a few minutes.
He gets more. And then more after that.
"It was good stew, James," Angelique Reyes tells him as the credits begin, after the happy ending. "You should be proud." He glances at her quickly before looking back at the screen. "What do you want to do now?" she asks.
"Are there more…" He glances towards the kitchen, where the cake still sits on the table. "Like Halloween Wars?"
"Baking shows? Yeah, of course." She calls up the menu screen. "Any of these sound appealing?"
James reads through the list and then murmurs, "Holiday Baking Championship?"
Angelique Reyes laughs. "It's the Christmas version," she explains. "They're on week 4, but Tai has a crush on one of the judges, so we haven't deleted any of it yet." She leans back against the cushion and folds her legs in front of her. "You ready?" James nods, so she goes to the first episode.
.
It is after 2200 when Tai Jones returns. She is moving slowly and James stays seated on the couch, holding the book Angelique Reyes said he might enjoy, while Angelique Reyes greets her at the door. "Hey, babe, let me get that bag," she says. "How'd it go?"
"If that boy's life is ruined because of Rob," Tai Jones says, "I will get his ass fired and then blacklisted. My god, it's a complete FUBAR, Angel." She turns the corner, sees James, and smiles. "Hey, honey, how was your day?"
James – smiles. He smiles and he says, "We baked a cake."
"Did you now?" Tai Jones asks, smiling again. Still.
"We made stew," James adds. He should – stand. Shouldn't he? That is what men do when – ladies (dames) enter. Men stand. So he sets the book about baking on the cushion and stands, arms loose at his sides.
"You eaten yet?" Angelique Reyes asks.
"No, we worked clear through supper. That stew sure smells good, though." Tai Jones rolls her shoulders back and James hears the joints pop. She sighs in – relief?
"Go sit down, put your feet up," Angelique Reyes says. "I'll bring you a bowl of stew. James," she says as she turns, setting down Tai Jones' bag, "why don't you tell her about the cake?"
James gets out of the way as Tai Jones moves towards the reclining chair on the other side of the couch. He has avoided the chair all day, tried not to even look at it, but he must, now, if that is where she sits. His task is to relay the facts of the cake, and he can, he wants to – but she should not sit in that chair. It is –
"Hey, James, slow breaths," Tai Jones says. She inhales and exhales. "Like that, see? Can you tell me what the problem is?"
He glances at the chair and away, and hears Tai Jones sigh. "How about I sit on the couch?" Tai Jones says, and then does so. "Oh, that's nice," she mutters. "Now, what about that cake?"
James sits, too, turning so that he can focus on Tai Jones' chin as he relates all necessary information about the cake. Tai Jones listens, interrupting only to thank Angelique Reyes for the bowl of stew and glass of water, and Angelique Reyes leans on the arm rest, also listening.
James finishes his report (no, not report) just as Tai Jones hands her empty bowl to Angelique Reyes. "I'd love to see this cake," she says. "James, may I?"
He nearly lifts his gaze to her eyes in his shock. She is asking permission? The asset –
But he is not the asset. He is James. "Yeah," he says roughly, rising to his feet.
.
The cake is - Don't be so hard on yourself, Stevie, you're the only one who sees the mistakes.
"Oh, James, it's lovely!" Tai Jones says.
"I was thinkin'," Angelique Reyes says, "do you mind if I take a picture? I have a blog for brand-new bakers, with advice and stuff. I'd like to share this, if you don't mind." Her phone is in her hand.
James stares down at the cake. It is his, Angelique Reyes said so. His cake to do with as he wishes. They wait, Tai Jones and Angelique Reyes, and they are gentle and kind – and he does not know why. He is not useful enough for such unending patience.
"Yeah," he finally says. "I… don't mind."
Angelique Reyes takes four pictures and then asks, "Do you wanna cut into it, James?"
It – is the first good thing he has done, yes? Perhaps too pretty to destroy. Except. It is a cake, and cakes are for eating, so he takes the implement Angelique Reyes holds out and he carefully slices a square. Angelique Reyes has set three small plates on the table along with three forks, so James places the square onto the top plate, sets down the implement, and takes the plate to offer to Angelique Reyes. He cuts another square for Tai Jones, and then a final, smaller piece for himself.
"May I take another picture, James?" Angelique Reyes asks. "So that I have the contrast between the strawberry cake and the icing."
He nods, using the fork to extract a bit of cake. It is – sweet, and soft, like – at the fair, the sugar-spun colorful clouds, the small man used to laugh when the – no, not the asset, Bucky Barnes, the Howling Commando who died –
James blinks, realizing his entire piece of cake is gone. "It's good, honey," Tai Jones says. "Now, I don't know 'bout y'all, but I'm exhausted." She stretches her arms, arches her back. "I'll see you in the mornin', James," she says. She reaches out with her left hand and James remains entirely still. She retracts the arm. "I'll see you in the mornin'," she repeats, and carries her plate and fork to the sink, and leaves the kitchen.
"Do you want another piece?" Angelique Reyes asks. He shakes his head no, the way he has civilians do, and Angelique Reyes replaces the covering on the cake. "I'm headin' to bed, too," she says. "You can stay up if you want – all the books on the bookcase are yours to read, or you can watch somethin'. Just try to keep the noise down; I've got to get up early and head into work." She places her plate and fork in the sink and then pauses in the doorway. "James," she says.
He turns his head toward her. "Please look at me," she says, so he does, glancing at her eyes and away. "I need to know if you don't want me uploading the pictures of the cake. I won't use your name."
"On your blog?" he asks.
Angelique Reyes nods. "It's about baking," she says. "Mistakes in the kitchen, or advice for beginners. I use pictures of actual cakes and stuff for illustrations."
"If not my name, what?" he asks, meeting her eyes again, before lowering his gaze to her nose.
"I can just call you 'my student,' if that's okay." She pauses and then adds, "Don't say yes because you know that's what I want to hear."
He looks at the cake, covered again, and then at his hands. This day, he has baked a good cake and helped prepare good beef stew. He has hurt no one; no one has hurt him.
"Yes," he says. "May I – see the blog, after?"
"Of course, corazón." Her voice is – warm. "Good night. I'll be headin' out early, so I probably won't see you till the afternoon." She steps through the doorway, and then back in to say, "I had fun today, James. Thank you."
Before he can respond (how would he respond?) she is gone.
They are so - good. He can only repay them by being useful, so he unloads the dishwasher and reloads it, but does not start it. It is not full, and it is also noisy. After, he returns to the baking book; it has separate sections for each holiday and ideas for themed desserts. Angelique Reyes had said she would show him how to prepare some of them. He finishes the section on Easter, replaces the book on the shelf, relieves himself, brushes his teeth, changes into the sleep pants and soft shirt, and then settles onto the bed, pulling all three layers of blankets over him.
It was – a good day. The best day in his memory.
The small man (Stevie?) would be happy, he thinks. He is – warm and full, and the only thing that aches is his left shoulder, and nothing hurts, and so he must be happy. Is that it?
He hears the small man say, "Go to sleep, Buck." He closes his eyes.