Page 164 of Next to Everything We Wanted

“They won’t yell at you if you’re cooking with me.”

His eyes lit up. “Let’s do it! After you take a shower.” He sniffed me and wrinkled his nose. “You smell like Dapper when he plays in the rain.”

I laughed before catching a whiff of my own stench. “Oh, yeah, that needs to be fixed.”

After taking a quick shower, I joined Asher in the kitchen. “So, what do you want to make?”

Asher opened the fridge. “Grilled cheese sandwiches since it’s simple.” He pulled cheese, bread, and butter out of the fridge. “First, we need to turn on the stove.”

“Wow, you’re already on top of things.” I turned on the stove. “Was this what you were trying to cook when the house almost caught on fire?”

He shook his head. “I tried making these before when I was home alone, but I got scared and undercooked them. The cheese barely melted.”

I put my hand on his shoulder. “You won’t have to be scared this time.”

“What is that I hear?” Mom asked as she strolled into the kitchen. “What are you guys making?”

“Oh, um, Gavin is making grilled cheese sandwiches,” Asher said, moving behind me as if trying to hide.

“We’remaking grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner,” I said, stepping out of the way so Mom could see Asher. “I’m helping Asher learn how to cook.”

“Aww, Gavin, that’s so sweet of you.” She clasped her hands to her chest. “I’m glad you’re spending time with your brother.”

I smiled at Asher, who smiled back at me. “I have to do something good with my time, and Asher is worth all of it.”

Mom grinned at us, and I realized that we both had her smile. “Let me know if you need any help. I haven’t had a grilled cheese sandwich in forever.”

“We will.” I smiled at her.

“Can we listen to music?” Asher asked once Mom left the kitchen. “Dad listens to music when he cooks dinner.”

“Sure.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “What do you want to listen to?”

“Is it too soon to listen to you sing?”

I fought the urge to groan.

He bit his lip. “I just like hearing your voice. I listen to your songs every day—Charm Street and Somewhere in the Sky. I wish I got your singing genes.”

The sheer thought of Charm Street and Somewhere in the Sky sent a dagger to my heart. “How about I sing other songs while we cook instead?”

Asher nodded with a smile. “Sing whatever you want.”

I started singing the first song off the top of my head, “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction. It was an old one, but Asher recognized it and sang along with me.

As we sang our way through the album, we finished making the grilled cheese sandwiches. Asher had the biggest beam on his face, one that lit up the entire house. I couldn’t help but smile myself.

“See, I knew you could do it,” I said, pulling him into a bear hug.

“No, you helped me do it.” Asher squeezed me tighter in the hug. “We both get credit.”

I beamed, ruffling his reddish-brown hair.

After grabbing some fruit from the fridge and setting the table, we called Mom and Dad to our meal. It looked more like lunch than dinner, but I still couldn’t wait to dig in.

“What is this?” Dad asked with a smile as he and Mom came into the dining room. “You made this for us?”

Asher nodded. “Gavin helped me learn how to cook without starting a fire.”