Rectify (verb): to correct; to make right

“You can’t be serious. How on earth did you burn water?”

He scratched his head, a red tint crawling up his ears. “I wasn’t paying attention…”

“Oh goodness. Move over and get me the pasta.”

Grimacing, the man awkwardly untied his pink flora apron and picked up the box of noodles in a walk of shame. His fingers were long and curved, elegant but not used to the meticulous world of the kitchen.

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His wife rolled her eyes playfully at his downcast gaze. “It was a long day at work, so you could just go rest, you know? I can take it from here.”

The imploring tone in her voice usually would’ve persuaded him, but he shook her off with a look of determination. In his heart was a lingering sense of longing that shadowed him since childhood. “If I do that every time I have a long day, I’d never learn how to make our boy’s favorite pasta.”

It was true. When he was younger, maids, servants, and butlers took care of everything he ever needed. His parents knew nothing of his preferences and interests, and he didn’t care for theirs, either. It wasn’t until he became the head of his own family that he realized the privilege of the rich and the sense of apathy it brought with it.

His wife sighed but not without mirth. Gently guiding his hands over a new pot of boiling water, she showed the engineer the loving intricacy of the culinary arts.