Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Rescue - Recuse - Secure (07/24/25)
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TITLE: No You Didn't | Previous Challenge Entry
By April Wenzel
07/30/25 -
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Ted came in behind her, shook his head, and said, “No, she doesn’t.”
Ellen glared at Ted and placed her hands firmly on her hips. “Yes, I do!”
“Morning, Mom,” said Melissa. “Did you get a speeding ticket or something?”
Ted shook his head. “No. She didn’t.”
Ellen snapped at Ted. “I told you not to follow me.” Then said to Melissa, “Sweetie, I need you to file a lawsuit for me.”
Ted shook his head. “No, she doesn’t.”
Ellen squinted at Ted.
“Mom, I don’t represent clients anymore, remember? I’m a judge now.”
Ellen dropped her hands. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot.” She stood silently, then smirked. “That’s even better. You can be the judge. You’ll side with me.”
Ted shook his head. “No, she won’t.”
Ellen stomped. “Would you stop doing that?”
Ted shook his head. “No. I won’t.”
Ellen threw her hands in the air. “You see what I put up with?”
Ted shook his head. “No. I don’t.”
Melissa suppressed a laugh. “Okay, Dad. You wanna give us a minute?”
“Sure, sweetie.” He kissed Melissa on the cheek. “I’ll be in the kitchen making fancy coffee.”
Melissa took her mother’s hand and led her to the sofa. “Let’s chat.”
“I didn’t come to chat. Why can’t your father take anything seriously?”
“Mom, you know that’s not true.”
“Okay, but sometimes I wish he didn’t find himself quite so amusing.”
“At least he’s not boring.”
“No, but he thinks I am.”
“That’s not true. What made you say that?”
“Well, you know what today is, right?”
“Of course, your fiftieth anniversary. The whole family’s coming to your party tonight.”
“Well, they can celebrate without me. Your father probably won’t even notice. He can be the life of the party without me.”
“Mom, that’s ridiculous.”
“Oh, so now I’m ridiculous. Your father’s the funny one, and the joke’s on me.”
Melissa rubbed her mother’s hand. “I’m sorry. You’re not ridiculous. That’s not what I meant. What happened? Why are you so upset?”
Ellen took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Well, this morning I gave your father his gift. It was that electric bike you helped me pick.”
“Right, he’s wanted that a long time. Didn’t he like it?”
“Oh, he loved it alright. He took it for a spin, then came back and handed me a gift.”
Melissa smiled knowingly. “What was it?”
Ellen crossed her arms. “A cookbook and a pan. Can you believe that? Fifty years of cooking, cleaning, laundry, childbirth, and taking care of that man.” She sniffled. “And he gets me a cookbook and a pan!” She swallowed and rubbed her nose. “I’ve never felt so unappreciated in all my life.”
Melissa handed her a tissue box.
Ellen wiped tears from her eyes and blew her nose. “Apparently my recipes and pans are getting old and boring just like me.” She blew her nose again. “You know, I didn’t mind making sacrifices all those years, but that gift was a slap in the face.”
“Did Dad say anything?”
“Yeah, I stood there realizing how little he valued the last 50 years.” She sniffled. “And you know what he said?”
“What?”
“He said, ‘Look at the recipes.’ That’s all he said. I lost it. That’s when I came here. I told him not to talk to me or follow me. Obviously, he didn’t listen.”
Melissa stood up. “I think there’s been a huge misunderstanding.”
“Oh, no. I know a cookbook when see one.”
“Mom, do you trust me?”
Ellen wiped her nose. “Yes.”
“Normally I’d recuse myself, but I think I can settle this case.”
Melissa went into the kitchen, spoke briefly with her father, then brought him to the living room.
“Mom, I think Dad was trying to get you to open the cookbook. Is that right?”
“Yes.”
“Dad, can you show her why?”
Ted held out two round-trip tickets to Paris, France. “I thought you’d see the French cookbook and the fancy French cookware and understand. The tickets were inside the cookbook. That’s why I told you to look at the recipes. I needed you to open the cookbook.”
Ellen stood up, threw her arms around Ted, and began crying on his shoulder. When she was calm enough to speak, she said, “I’m so sorry. I ruined everything.”
To which he simply shook his head and answered “No. You didn’t.”
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