Closed Staying Over

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory had taken a few weeks off to go help her sister. Annika was having a few complications with her pregnancy and Mallory had agreed to come live with her for a bit to help out her and Shane. Mallory hadn't actually met Shane yet, he'd been out and about, but Mallory had already gotten Annika into the bath and down into bed. She'd rubbed Annika's swollen feet, got some soup into her. Mallory had moved into the kitchen now that her sister was sleeping and was singing softly to herself as she made dinner. It was an old favorite, Pelmeni. She'd picked up the ingredients, and this was a long process, but she wanted to do something comforting for her sister.

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane had been surprised by how quickly from the announcement to Annika being visibly pregnant had been. She was beautiful when pregnant, but it came with complications and difficulties. She was mostly fine, but he was pretty clueless and just trying to set up their company, so they could still make money during it. So, Annika had invited her sister to stay with them. Shane had been busy, he'd been working and then out and just hadn't seen her yet. It had just been a few events falling into each other. But now he was coming home just in time for dinner. He wanted into the house and smelled the air. It was familiar, but he couldn't place it. He took off his coat and shoes and wandered first to the bedroom where he spotted Annika sleeping and then to the kitchen. "Hey, Mallory, right?" he said, "I'm Shane, obviously. Or Shawn, as Annika likes to call me," ​

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory looked up when she heard a voice, smiling softly at the man. She wiped her hands on her aprons and walked over, offering a hand out. "Hello, Shane." She greeted. "I've heard all about you. I was just making dinner, would you like to help?" She moved back to her work. "I am making Pelmeni." She explained. "It's a Russian dumpling. I've already made the dough and the filling, now we just need to put them together." She smiled softly at him.

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane smiled at the woman, Mallory. He nodded, 'Sure,” he agreed. He wasn't about to say no to helping out Annika's sister how had come to help them out. Shane took off his jumper and rolled up his sleeves. Shane washed his hands before making his way over to her. ”Where do you need me?” he asked, looking between things. ”How's Annika doing?” he asked too. ​

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory smiled, setting a few things up. "Alright, well, we need to put these together now." She explained, taking a spoon and scooping out a little bit of filling onto a bit of dough. She showed him how to fold them, before setting it into a bowl. "Once we've gotten them all together we'll boil them. You don't always have to make them from scratch, but I thought she'd like something more personal." She offered with a warm smile. "I can give you the recipe if you'd like."

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane was working away at her instructions, doing what he was supposed to. He nodded lightly. ”Sure, that would be good,” he figured if Annika liked it, and it could bring her the comfort of home, then it made sense for him to have the recipe. He wasn't the best at cooking, but he could muddle on by most of the time. ”Was this something you made as kids or had made for you?” he asked, knowing that Annika's childhood had been a rather odder one and that they might not have learned to cook then.

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory smiled softly. "A bit of both," She told him easily. "We had a nanny when we were younger. She loved to make this for us. When we were a little older, I asked her to teach me. She was eager for it, but she'd only taught me a few recipes before father found out." She sighed. "He fired her, and never brought in another nanny. Thought it was a bad influence, I believe." She chuckled softly. "I still snuck into the kitchens, learned new recipes as we grew."

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane had likely just heard more from Mallory about Annika and her life growing up than he had from Annika. They were friends, and something more now, but they'd never been ones to talk about growing up or life before this. "That's strange, that he thought a nanny a bad influence and just left you to your own devices," he said. "But, at least you all got out," he mused, thinking of how he knew that Annika was happier now being away from all of it. "I learned how to cook some basics before I lived with my aunt and uncle, and then didn't really bother with it for a while,"

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory chuckled. "My father was all about image. He had more control over us with fewer people in our lives. Or at least, that's what he thought. But I think what really broke it all was when he tried to force my brother into a marriage he didn't want." She sighed softly. "But Dimitri and his husband are living happily now. Without him, Annika and I eventually found our way out as well." She confided, setting aside another pelmeni into the bowl.