A few nights later, the residents of 8422 Fordham Ave were preparing dinner, after the interruption of Ixchel and company' D&D rescheduling had put the kibosh on Audrey's dinner plans that evening. To make up for it, Ixchel was helping Audrey cook in the kitchen, as Uma and the twins were tasked with setting the table.
"You should cook more often, Chel," Audrey encouraged in the midst of working a recipe. "I've always enjoyed your family's cooking."
"I'm not that good at it, you're just as good of a cook," Ixchel replied humbly to her cousin.
Audrey made a sour face. "You're the only other one here that appreciates when I try to make dinner." It wasn't that often that the townhouse residents made the effort to eat together, given their various lives, although Audrey typically found herself thrust into the domestic role in keeping up house and home. "Still, it's a great spin on chili night. What spices do we need next?"
"Cumin and the adobe sauce, I can get that," Ixchel said. Spices and peppers were kept in a squat cupboard above the fridge. Audrey had a longer reach than her cousin, as Ixchel had to be on tiptoe to retrieve the ingredients.
As Ixchel planted her feet flat on the floor there was the slide and the thud of several refrigerator magnets falling off the door.
"Sorry," Ixchel said sheepishly.
"No, it's alright," Audrey said, as both bent to retrieve the fallen magnets.
Audrey got an eye view of the problem, her head almost smacking into Ixchel's chest. Both being on the heavier side, Audrey was used to trading clothes with Ixchel sometimes, as both bonded over their misfortune in the genetic lottery. Ixchel's bosom looked larger than Audrey had remembered, and the extra weight in her chest had knocked the fridge magnets askew as Chel reached for the higher cabinet.
Audrey was about to comment on it before she thought it might be insulting to her cousin, as she wouldn't like to hear un unflattering comment about her weight either.
Ixchel was oblivious to her cousin's concerns, focused on finishing the recipe, as the other ladies of the townhouse protested from out in the living room.
"Ugh, aren't you done cooking yet?" Reagan asked.
"Are you done setting up the table?" Audrey shot back.
"Why do we even eat together? It's always a pain pulling out this big table."
"Because it's nice to eat together as family every once in awhile," Audrey said. "Don't forget the napkins."
The twins and Uma sat at various chairs around the table, each on their phones. Uma was nursing her shoulder, somewhat sore from her boxing class. "Comeon, Red, get the napkins. It's worth it for chili night."
"Phoebe, get the napkins," Reagan said, her ditzy twin complying.
"Now, was it so hard to wait?" Audrey said several minutes later as she and Ixchel brought dishes to the table. Each place setting had a heaping bowl of Mexican chili, with cornbread and sour cream in the middle.
"Girls, please, can't we eat dinner without phones for once," Audrey said as she sat down. Her younger sisters and college roommate collectively rolled their eyes, as everybody tucked into the meal.
"Whoa," Uma said suddenly, taken aback. Reagan, noticing where Uma was staring, snickered.
"What?" Phoebe asked, her twin needing multiple attempts to gesture as to where she should look.
The old folding dining table wasn't the most soundly built, listing from the head to the foot of the table. Ixchel, being on the stout side, took advantage of this lean so she wouldn't feel like an out of place little kid at the grown-up's table.
"What?" she asked, confused as to the stares she was getting. See, given that Ixchel had been eating so much during D&D nights recently, the weight piling on her chest had changed how she sat at the table. Instead of sitting normally, her blossoming breasts now sat on the table in front of her bowl of chili.
Audrey, catching wise to what the other roommates were snickering over, coughed. "Reagan, honestly."
"What?" the rambunctious twin asked. "I haven't said anything. Just appreciating the view of the chili."
"Yeah," Uma added, "and that you can look over to actually see it?" Fresh chortles were had between the two.
"I don't get what you're saying," Phoebe asked, although even the ditziest of the Durant sisters could tell that her cousin looked to have gone up a bra size or two.
"Enough!" Audrey said, trying to silence the others. "You girls are nothing but trouble."
"You're going to have those faults stacked against us?" Reagan replied, emphasizing the word to Uma's sardonic groan.
"What are you talking about?" Ixchel asked, bewildered.
"Nothing, nothing," Audrey waved her hands. "Let's just enjoy our food in peace."
"Someone's clearly been enjoying it--OW!" Reagan swore, getting kicked in the shin under the table.
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