Agnes was no fool; she generally picked up technical skills quite quickly.
But for some reason, forming the pies just didn't come naturally to her, no matter how many times Jared tried to teach her.
Of course, it didn't help matters that Jared was standing uncomfortably close to her as he tried to guide her hands.
He'd lean up to her ear to whisper instructions, his low voice sending shivers down her spine as his lips occasionally brushed against her earlobe.
Agnes' ears turned a bright red and she could hear nothing but the pounding of her own heart.
Jared's warm hands covered her chilly ones as he patiently guided her through the motions of forming the pies.
Agnes' hands were icy cold, but Jared's were warm and comforting.
It was a warmth she had missed.
She suddenly remembered a winter during college when she loved dragging Jared along on trips to the food trucks lining their campus.
When her hands got cold, Jared would clasp her hand in his own and tuck it into his pocket.
It was warm.
But remembering it now, it was painful.
Those memories flooded her mind and she pushed Jared away, her voice faltering, "Forget it, I'm done. I'll help Nana in the kitchen."
With that, she retreated to the kitchen, leaving Jared standing alone, lost in thought.
Their son, Nocturne, sauntered over to Jared, said, "Mom's probably mourning the past, isn't she? Your plan worked pretty well. You should use it more often."
Jared couldn't help but chuckle, reaching out to ruffle Nocturne's hair and saying, "You're quite the clever one, aren't you?"
Despite having flour smudged on his face, Nocturne didn't seem to mind, replying seriously, "Books say that casual physical contact can promote the secretion of dopamine."
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