Monday’s task felt like the coziest one yet. On the board, in neat red handwriting, it read: “Mission #16 – Cook or bake something together and share it.” Ms. Larsen smiled as the class buzzed with ideas — gingerbread, cinnamon buns, waffles, even homemade pizza. “It’s not about perfection,” she said, “it’s about doing it together.”
That evening, kitchens across town came alive. Flour dusted countertops, laughter mixed with the clatter of spoons, and ovens glowed warm against the cold outside. Emma and her mother baked gingerbread hearts, decorating each one with shaky white icing and hanging a few in the window. Jonas helped his dad make pancakes — burning the first two but proudly flipping the rest. “Good enough to share,” his father said, smiling.
Ida’s family made a big pot of soup and brought a container to their elderly neighbor, who answered the door in surprise. “We made too much,” Ida said, though they both knew it was on purpose. “Then I’ll have to return the favor with cookies,” the woman replied, eyes twinkling.
When the students returned to school the next day, the room smelled faintly of cinnamon and something else — contentment. Ms. Larsen wrote a short note on the board before class began: “Meals feed the body. Making them together feeds the heart.”
And as snow fell softly outside, every student in 7B carried that warmth with them — the taste of effort, laughter, and love baked into the memory of one December evening.