All of Me by Janet Eckford Page A

realized just how small her kitchen was. The narrow walkway and minimal counter space made it difficult for her to negotiate complex cooking projects. As Charlie began to branch out, she realized she just didn’t have the space for all the cooking tools she would need for her culinary experiments.
    Grant had suggested she get a bigger house, but her pride wouldn’t let him buy her one. With her own house she felt less like a kept woman. Each day as Stella required more stuff, she realized her house wasn’t as perfect as she’d always thought. She’d planned to mention it to Grant but now she held her tongue.
    “I’m going to get another beer. Do you need anything from the kitchen?” he asked, getting up from his seat.
    “No. I’m good, thanks. If you’re done with your food, I made some cookies. I broke with theme though. They’re oatmeal raisin.”
    Charlie was pleased when she saw a small smile form at the corners of Grant’s mouth.
    “Honey, you can break with themes whenever you want if oatmeal raisin cookies are your reason.”
    Sighing, Charlie watched as Grant walked through the door that connected her small dining room to the kitchen. She really wanted to know why Grant could run so hot and cold. Just seconds ago she was sure he was tired and resentful for having to be here with her, and with a quirk of a smile he seemed to be the relaxed, assured man she met in Italy. She really didn’t have much time to reflect on his mood before Stella began to make agitated movements in her high chair. Getting up from her seat and lifting her daughter up, she knew it was time for Stella to go to bed.
    “Grant, do you mind cleaning up while I give Stella a quick bath and put her down to bed?” she yelled toward the kitchen.
    Walking to the doorway with a beer in one hand and taking a bite from a cookie, Grant nodded. “Yeah, don’t worry about it.”
    ***
    Grant allowed himself a few minutes to admire Charlie’s retreating figure before starting to clean the table. Carrying dishes back into the kitchen, Grant set to work tidying up. Moving around in the small kitchen, Grant didn’t know how Charlie had the patience to work in such a small space. Dishing leftovers into containers he would take home for lunch tomorrow, Grant grimaced at the thought of having to do dishes by hand. When he’d offered to have a dishwasher installed, Charlie had responded dryly to the comment—“Sure. Where?”
    Grant placed the dishes in the soapy water to soak before he walked into the living room and turned on Charlie’s sound system. The one advantage of the house was that her brothers had hooked up speakers to key parts of the house so sound could be heard throughout.
    Walking back to the kitchen, Grant finished tidying up. Done faster then he thought, he grabbed his unfinished beer and walked toward the back of the house where the bedrooms were situated. When he got to Stella’s room, Grant peeked in to see Charlie gingerly lowering Stella into her crib. Smiling, Grant realized Charlie didn’t have to be so careful, as Stella was pretty much already down for the count.
    When he’d spoken with the few men he knew who had kids, Grant quickly found out he and Charlie were lucky Stella was such an easy sleeper. Even if music was blaring in the front of the house, once Stella was asleep it would take an act of God to get her up. He stood in the doorway and continued to smile at mother and child. Charlie kissed Stella’s face before she raised the side bar of the crib. Walking toward the crib, Grant placed his hand softly on Charlie’s back.
    She looked up at him and made room for him to give Stella a kiss goodnight. He took in the clean baby smells as he leaned down. Grant never thought something could smell so delicious to him. He mimicked Charlie's small kisses on their daughter’s face and leaned away from the crib. Charlie lifted the side railing and looked one last time at her sleeping daughter, then turned to smile at