They ate the lunch they'd brought, swam again, and made love again before they got dressed and headed back for the cabin. Both of them were even more acutely aware of the changes that had taken place in their relationship during the time they'd spent together since arriving at the cabin, and each of them was lost in thought, trying to come to grips with what those changes really meant while they made their way back through the forest.
When they walked into the cabin, they found Brenda there, standing at the kitchen counter, with all manner of foodstuffs spread out around her and an open cookbook on the kitchen table.
"Hi, guys," Brenda said brightly. "Have a good time this afternoon?"
"Ah...yeah..." Jason replied. He found it a little disconcerting to have Brenda be aware of what he and her mother were doing, even though she clearly didn't mind.
"We had a nice time, dear," Karen said. "What on earth are you doing?"
"What does it look like, I'm making dinner," Brenda replied. "We got done early at the stable, so I came home and decided to cook."
"Well, that's a change," her mother said. "How's it going?"
Brenda shrugged. "I think I've gotten everything in that it says I'm supposed to put in here in the cook book," she replied. "I'm making a casserole. It's done. I was just about to put it in the oven." She smiled at them. "Everything else is all set, too, even the dessert."
"Honey, what's come over you?" Karen asked with a surprised look on her face and a startled tone in her voice.
Brenda blushed a little and shrugged. "Jeez, Mom," she said, "just because I try and cook once, you have to act like it's the end of the world."
Her mother gave her a big hug and said, "I'm sorry if I'm embarrassing you, honey. I'm pleased, I really am."
"Oh, by the way, Sylvia called and said she was going someplace with Paul and probably wouldn't be home until late," Brenda said.
While the casserole was cooking, they played several games of cards. Jason kept thinking about what Sylvia's mother had said during their time at the pool and wasn't really concentrating, which meant Brenda won all the games they played.
"What's up, Jason?" she asked while they were putting the food out on the table. "I can't believe you lost every game we played. What's going on, you trying to get on my good side or something?"
"No, that's not it," Jason replied. "I was just thinking about things."
They sat down and ate and, much to the surprise of Jason and Karen, the meal Brenda had cooked was quite good. Both of them said so, which caused Brenda to blush again.
"Well, since you guys are so grateful," she said, "you can do the dishes. I've got to be at the stable early tomorrow, so I'm going to bed early." She turned and headed upstairs.
"Jason, I'm sorry if what I said this afternoon upset you," Karen said as they cleaned up the dishes. "But I really do think it's important that those topics be out in the open. My darling, you really do need to face reality about this."
"What if I don't want to?" he asked. He knew he sounded petulant, but he couldn't help himself.
