NOTE: This was option 2 for a prologue allowing you to get a better sence of Ruth’s closeness with her family and what she was missing. Again I opted not to use it as a whole scene at the beginning because it wasn’t pertinent to the present story. Instead you’ll see pieces of this sprinkled into the book.
It was a hot afternoon where the wind refused to blow and the clouds hid from plain sight. Inside, eight year old Ruth and her younger sister Felicity watched wide eyed as their mother prepared the chicken.
Lenna pulled a recently culled chicken out of the hot water bath. With practiced hands, she tucked the chicken legs under its breast she began pulling out the pin feathers from around the wings and tails, each careful tug accompanied by a soft pop as the feathers came free.
“Watch carefully girls,” Lenna said in a voice that blended patience with quiet authority. “Because one day you’ll be doing this on your own.”
Ruth nodded, mouth agape as she took in each movement. Felicity’s small hands clutched the edge of the counter as she leaned in closer to see.
The once whole chicken transformed into a scaly white lump of fat and flesh. Lenna explained each step as she cleaned and butchered the chicken until it was ready to be breaded and fried.
Ruth watch with a mix of awe and horror as Lenna opened the bird up, pulled out its innards, rinsed it, and then proceeded to chop it into sections.
When the chicken was prepared, Lenna placed it on the cutting board and smiled at her daughters. “Okay, we’ve got the flour and breadcrumbs. What else should we add to it?”
“Pepper!” Felicity cried, her eyes sparkling.
Ruth climbed onto the counter and fingered through the few bottles of herbs they owned. “How about rosemary and thyme?” Ruth held them out to her mom.
“Great idea. You add it.”
Ruth jumped off the counter and waltzed over to the bowl. She grabbed the thyme and poured a tiny amount into her hand, carefully sprinkling it into the flour. Her fingers brushed against the dried herbs, the sharp, fragrant scent filling her nose.
“I help too!” Felicity reached for the seasoning.
Ruth slid the bottles away. “No, mom said I get to do it. You just watch.”
Felicity lower lip trembled as she crossed her arms in defiance.
“I want to help.” Felicity climbed onto the chair with Ruth. Now, both kneeling on the chair that was barely big enough for them both, Felicity grabbed at the herbs.
Ruth pulled away again but this time Felicity held on with a vengeance.
“Let go Felicity!” Ruth said, trying to reclaim control.
Felicity’s shrill scream pierced the air. “I want to do it!”
Lenna spun around with sharpness. “Enough you two. You can both do it.”
“Sorry mom,” they said in unison, lowering their heads in shame.
Ruth handed Felicity the rosemary. Felicity smiled and shook the bottle dumping a giant heap into the bowl, scattering around the flour like confetti.
Ruth groaned, smacked her palm to her forehead. “That’s too much.”
“I take some out?” Felicity asked, her voice full of innocence, not quite realizing the mess she’d made.
“It’s too late now,” Ruth sighed, shaking her head.
Once the over seasoned flour was mixed, Ruth and Felicity had the pleasure of dredging the chicken through a slurry of cornstarch and water and then dunking it into the breadcrumbs. Using tongs Lenna carefully placed the chicken pieces into the sizzling cast iron filled with oil.
“These are going to be so good. I know dad and Ethan will love it,” Lenna beamed.
“Like eating at a restaurant,” Ruth declared, wiping a bit of flour off her cheek wit the back of her hand.
“We should open our own restaurant,” Felicity said slurring the last word she couldn’t quite pronounce correctly. She dipped the next piece of chick into the slurry and handed it over.
Lenna placed it carefully into the cast iron. The oil continue to crackled as the crispy coating formed around each chicken piece. The air filled with an irresistible scent of frying chicken.
They just finished placing the last piece of chicken on the plate when their dad, Devland, and older brother, Ethan, walked in. Both wore jeans and t-shirts covered in hay and dirt from working out in the barn.
“Smells amazing in here!” Dad said as he crossed to Lenna and kissed her. He looked at daughters. “Did you two help?”
“Sure did,” Ruth said.
“We’re a restaurant,” Felicity added.
“Tonight it sure looks like it.”
Ethan grabbed the bowl of lettuce and set it on the table. “Great work girls.” He sat in his chair ready to dive in.
“Not so fast, Ethan,” Lenna stopped him. “Did you wash those hands.”
“No ma’am.” He muttered, slinking away to the kitchen sink with exaggerated reluctance.
Lenna and the girls finished setting the table, placing the perfectly fried chicken and mashed potatoes in the center. Devland called everyone to the table, and they joined hands in a quiet moment of gratitude. Devland gave thanks to the Creator of the Universe for their bounty, his voice rich and sincere.
Ethan barely waited for the amen before he grabbed a piece and took a huge bite, his eyes lit up. “Okay, this is incredible,” he said, mouth full of chicken.
“Thanks.” Ruth beamed, grabbing a piece for herself. “I put in the thyme.”
“And I added rosemary.” Felicity said.
“A little too much,” Ruth critiqued.
Devland shook his head. “No way, not too much at all. It’s perfect. Great job!”
Ruth smiled so big her cheeks hurt. She never wanted moments like this to end.
Later that night Ruth sat at the coffee table still trying to figure out her 3D castle puzzle. She’d been working on it for days and was feeling stuck. She bit her lip as she took yet another piece and tried it. It didn’t fit. She tossed it on the table with a huff.
Ethan walked over and sat on the couch beside her, watching a moment. “You look like you’re about to launch that thing out the window,” he teased, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Ruth shook her head. “I don’t get it. I know I’m close, but something’s off. I can feel it, but I just can’t see it.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow, then leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Want some help?”
Ruth hesitated for a moment, glancing at him with a look that was half amused, half defeated. “You’re probably just going to mess it up, aren’t you?”
“I might,” he said with a playful shrug, “but that’s only because I’m good at finding a different kind of solution.”
She chuckled, the tension in her shoulders easing just slightly. “Fine, come on then. Just don’t break anything.”
Ethan leaned over the coffee table, eyes scanning the scattered pieces of the puzzle. “Okay, let’s see what we’ve got here.” He picked up a piece and examined it, turning it in his hands. “This one goes here.”
He slid the piece into place with ease, and Ruth blinked in surprise. “How did you—?”
“I don’t know,” Ethan said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I just kind of felt it.”
Ruth stared at him for a beat, then laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”
But despite herself, a small smile tugged at her lips. She sat back, watching as Ethan continued to move pieces around, placing them with surprising precision. For a moment, the frustration lifted, replaced by the strange, comfortable silence between them.
Ruth jumped in and the puzzle started to take shape. Ruth glanced at him, a little more relaxed now. “Okay, maybe you’re not so bad at this.”
Ethan gave her a smug look. “Told you.” Then, with a wink, he added, “Next time, I’ll help you with the other 3D puzzles in your life.”
Ruth snorted, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, sure. If you mean taking out the trash and folding laundry, I’m all in.”
He grinned, leaning back into the couch. “One thing at a time.”
Ruth shook her head but couldn’t help laughing. “Well, somebody has to do it around here.” She picked up another piece and hesitated before adding, “Honestly, though, I’m glad you’re here. This thing’s been driving me crazy.”
Ethan leaned in to place another piece, his tone softening. “Yeah, I get that. It’s like when you’re so close to finishing something, but it feels like no matter what you do, you’re missing that one last little bit of the puzzle. It’s frustrating.”
“Exactly,” she said, her voice tinged with relief. “I just couldn’t get the pieces to fit, and it felt like I was spinning my wheels. But now, with you here, it’s like… I can finally see it.”
He paused for a second, a thoughtful look crossing his face. “Funny, huh? How sometimes it takes someone else to help us see things differently.”
There was a brief, comfortable silence as they both focused on the puzzle. Finally, Ruth put the last piece into place, completing the castle. “We did it.” They high-fived.
Ethan leaned back, stretching with a satisfied sigh. “See? Told you I could help.”
Ruth shook her head, smiling. “I still don’t know how you do it. You just… get things.”
“Maybe it’s just that I’m good at seeing things from different angles. And you’re great at figuring out the details. We make a good team.”
Ruth met his gaze, the words hanging in the air between them. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “We do.”