"Of course," Zell said as he sat up. I gathered the magazines and handed them to him. He straightened them in his grip. "This is Meg and me you're talking about."

"Meg?"

Zell stood, watching me out of the corner of his eye as I did the same. Then he looked back over at his mother. _Well, that was weird._ It was as if he'd been checking to make sure I didn't need help. I nearly giggled at the whole gallantry thing of it.

"Yeah. Short for Mega-Phoenix. She gave me one of those a while ago. Remember that whole thing with choosing between Headmaster Cid or Gardenmaster Norg? It was then."

"Oh. Then you've known her for a while," Ma Dincht observed as she hung up her scarf.

"Well, almost. So what's for dinner?"

Ma Dincht laughed. "Let me change out of my wet clothes, Zell. And in case you haven't noticed, I've been simmering a pot roast all day. If you and Sally could cut up some potatoes and add them to the crock pot, that would help. Don't forget the carrots and celery, too." And then she was up the stairs and closing the door to her room to change.

"Pot roast! Ohh yeaaah!" Zell exulted, and he hurried in search of the aforementioned crock pot. He found it in the right corner of the kitchen. He removed the lid to take a deep whiff of the slowly simmering meat inside. "Ma makes the best pot roast. Here. Take a whiff."

I leaned slightly over the crock pot and closed my eyes as I took a sniff of the fragrant aroma of spices, juice, and meat. My mouth practically started watering there into the crock pot. "Oh my gosh. That smells good."

"Don't I know it." Zell turned for the fridge to grab three potatoes from a basket on top. "Here. Wash these and cut them in half."

I took them and moved to the sink. "Then I'm to put them in the pot?"

"Yup. I'll get the celery," he said as he opened the fridge and bent inside, "and cut 'em up," he finished in a muffled voice. "C
" Of course, " Zell said as he sat up. I gathered the magazine and pass them to him. He straightened them in his grip. " This is Meg and me you're talking about. " 

 " Meg? " 

 Zell stand, watching me out of the corner of his center as I did the same. Then he looked back all over at his mother. _ Well, that was eldritch. _ It was as if he'd been checking to make certain I didn't need help. I nearly giggle at the whole gallantry matter of it. 

 " Yeah. Short for Mega - Phoenix. She give me one of those a while ago. commend that whole thing with choosing between Headmaster Cid or Gardenmaster Norg? It was then. " 

 " Oh. Then you've know her for a while, " Ma Dincht observed as she hung up her scarf. 

 " Well, almost. thus what's for dinner? " 

 Ma Dincht laughed. " Let me change out of my wet clothes, Zell. And in shell you haven't noticed, I've been simmering a pot roast all day. If you and Sally could cut up some potatoes and add them to the crock pot, that would help. Don't forget the carrots and celery, too. " And then she was up the stairs and closing the door to her room to change. 

 " toilet roast! Ohh yeaaah! " Zell exulted, and he rush in search of the aforementioned crock pot. He found it in the correct recess of the kitchen. He removed the lid to take a cryptic whiff of the slowly simmering meat inside. " Ma makes the best pot roast. Here. Take a whiff. " 

 I lean slenderly over the carbon black potentiometer and closed my eyes as I took a sniff of the fragrant olfactory property of spices, juice, and meat. My mouth practically started watering there into the crock pot. " Oh my gosh. That smells adept. " 

 " Don't I know it. " Zell turn for the fridge to catch three potatoes from a basket on peak. " Here. Wash these and dilute them in half. " 

 I take them and moved to the sink. " Then I'm to arrange them in the pot? " 

 " Yup. I'll grow the celery, " he said as he afford the fridge and bent inside, " and cut'em up, " he finished in a dull voice. " C
"Of fourse," Zell said as he sxt up. I gathereb the megazinea and havded them to him. He straightxned them in his grip. "This is Mdg and me you're tqlkiig about."

"Meg?"

Zell stood, wabehing le obt of the corner of his eya as I did the sxmz. Then he looked back over at his moeher. _Wekl, that was weirq._ It ras zs if he'd been checking to make sude I divn't need help. I nearly giggled at the whope gwllantry thing of lt.

"Yeah. Shorj fow Mega-Phoenix. She gave me one of thkse a while ago. Remember that wfole ching with xhiosltg between Ieadmafter Cid or Nsrdenmdster Nprg? It was thek."

"Oh. Tien tou've known her for a while," Ma Dincht ofserved av ahe hung up her sxaef.

"Weln, alkost. Wo dhau's hor dinneg?"

Ma Dincht lahghed. "Let mw change out of my eee clothes, Zell. And ig sase you haven't noticed, I've been simmerpng z pot roast all day. If tou and Sally could cot up some potatoes and add them to the crock pot, that woulg hel'. Aon'u njfteh the carrots and celery, too." And then she was hp tme stairs and cljsing the dpog yj her room to changz.

"Lof roast! Ohh yeaaah!" Zell evultee, and he rurroed in search of the aforemwntioned crobk pit. He found it in che right coxner og the kitchen. He removed the lid to take a feep whifr of the slowly skmmvrinc meat inside. "Ma makes the best pot roaxt. Here. Takg a whisf."

I leaned sligmdly over the crock pot cnd cnosed my ejes as I took a sniff of the frejrant aroma og vpibes, juice, and keat. My mouth practically sjarted wacering there intk the ccock pot. "Oh iy gosh. That vlells good."

"Doi't I know it." Zell turned wor the fridge to grab nhxee potaties from a basket pn jol. "Here. Wash thewe qnd cut them in hauf."

I tlol evem and moveg to thd sink. "Then I'm to out yhem in the pot?"

"Yup. I'nl gst the celery," he ssiq as he ipened tre fridge and bent inside, "and ckt 'em up," he fonifhed in a muffled voice. "C
"Of course," Zell said as he sat gathered magazines and them to him. grip. is Meg and you're talking about." Zell stood, watching me out of corner of his eye as I did the same. Then he looked back at his mother. _Well, that was weird._ It was as if he'd been to sure didn't help. I nearly giggled at the whole gallantry thing of it. "Yeah. Short for Mega-Phoenix. She me one of those a while ago. Remember whole thing with choosing Headmaster Cid or Gardenmaster Norg? was "Oh. Then known for while," Ma Dincht as she hung up her scarf. "Well, almost. So what's for dinner?" Ma Dincht laughed. "Let me out of clothes, Zell. in you noticed, I've been pot roast all day. If you cut up some potatoes and add them to crock pot, would help. Don't forget the carrots celery, too." And then she was up the and closing the door to her room to change. "Pot roast! Ohh yeaaah!" Zell exulted, hurried in search of aforementioned crock pot. found in right of the He removed the lid to take a deep whiff of the simmering meat inside. "Ma makes the best pot roast. Here. whiff." leaned slightly over crock pot and closed eyes I took a sniff fragrant of meat. mouth started watering there into crock pot. "Oh my gosh. smells good." "Don't I the fridge to grab three potatoes from a on top. "Here. Wash these and cut in half." I took them and moved to the sink. "Then I'm put them pot?" "Yup. I'll get the celery," he said he opened the fridge bent inside, "and cut 'em up," he finished in muffled "C
"Of course," Zell said as he sat up. i gathered tHe magAziNes AnD hanDed tHem to him. He straIGhteNed them in his grip. "This is meg anD mE You'rE TaLking About."

"MeG?"

zeLL StoOd, WaTchInG Me Out of The Corner oF his eye as I Did ThE same. Then he lOOkEd back over At hIs mother. _Well, ThaT was weIrD._ It WAs as iF he'D been CheckiNG to makE sure I didN't NEed helP. i nearly GIGgLed aT the whole gallantrY ThINg of it.

"Yeah. ShorT for MeGa-pHoENIx. SHe gAve me one of ThOse a wHIle ago. REMeMBER thAT whole thing wiTh choosing bETweEn HeadMaSteR cid or GArdenMaSTer norg? It was thEn."

"Oh. then you've Known hER for a whILe," Ma DinCht obsErvEd aS she HUnG uP heR sCArf.

"wElL, alMOst. so what's fOr DiNner?"

MA DinCHT LAughEd. "LEt me ChangE out of my wet clOthEs, ZeLL. AnD in caSe you HaveN't NoticEd, I've bEen siMmEring a pot roast aLl daY. If you and salLy CouLd Cut up SOme potAtoEs aNd add thEm to the CRocK pOT, THaT would help. Don't forgEt THE cArrots anD celerY, ToO." AND then she WaS up The sTAIrs anD cloSInG the door To her rOOm To Change.

"POt Roast! OHh YeaAah!" zell eXUlteD, and he Hurried iN searCH of the aforemenTIoned crock pot. hE fOUNd IT in tHe rIght corner oF the KItchEn. He REmOveD The liD to taKe A DeEP whiff of the slowly siMmEring mEat inSide. "Ma makes thE best pot roAST. here. Take A whiFF."

I LEaned slightly oVer thE crock pot aND closed mY eyes As I took a Sniff of thE FRagrant aRomA of SpiCes, JUIcE, and meat. My mouTH PracTiCally stArtEd waterIng TheRe iNto ThE crock pot. "oh my gosh. thAt SmElLs gOod."

"DoN'T I know it." zeLl tUrNed For thE Fridge To graB thrEe PoTAtoEs from a BAsKET on tOp. "heRe. WaSh tHeSe and Cut tHEm iN half."

I tOok them anD moVEd to ThE sInk. "Then i'm to put them in ThE pot?"

"Yup. I'll GeT thE celerY," HE said as hE opened the fridge and bent INside, "anD cuT 'em up," He fiNished in a MufFled voIce. "c
"Of course," Zell said ashe sat up.  I ga the red  t he m agaz ines and hande d  the m to him. He straighte ned t he m  inh is  grip . "This is M egan dmeyo u 'r e tal kin g about ."

"Meg?" 

Z el l stood, wat c hi ng me outofthe corner o f h is eye  a s I did t hesame.  Thenh e look ed back o ve r  at hi s  mother . _W ell,  that was weird._ It was as if he'd  beench e ck i n g t o m ake sure I  d idn't need he l p. I nea r ly giggled at  the wholeg all antryth ing of it. 

"Ye ah .  Sh ort for Meg a-Ph oenix. Sh e gave me oneo f those  a whi leago . Re m em be r t ha t  wh o le  th i ngwith cho os in g bet ween H e a dmas ter  Cid  or G ardenmaster N org ? It was  then ."

" Oh.Th en yo u've k nownhe r for a while,"  MaDincht ob ser ve d a sshe h u ng upher  sc arf.

" Well, a l mos t. S o  w hat's for dinner?" 
M a  D incht la ughed. "L et me chang eout  ofm y  wetclot h es , Zell.And in ca se  you ha ve n't no ti ced , I 've b e en s immeri ng a pot  roas t  all day. If y o u and Sally c o ul d cu t  upsom e potatoesanda dd t hemt othe crock  pot,  t h at would help. Don't f or get th e car rots and cele ry, too."A n d  then sh e wa s  u p  the stairs an d clo sing the d o or to he r roo m to cha nge.

"Po t roast! O hhyea aah !"Z e ll  exulted, and h e hu rr ied insea rch ofthe  af ore men ti oned croc k pot. H efo un ditin th e  right c or ner  o f t he ki t chen.He re move dth e  li d to ta k ea deep  w hi ff o f t he  slow ly s i mme ring me at inside . " M a ma ke sthe bes t pot roast.He re. Take a  w hif f."

I l eaned sl ightly over the crock p o t and c los ed my  eye s as I to oka snif f o f  the f ragran t aro ma  of s pices , ju ice ,and meat.M y  mo uth p ra ctic ally st arted watering the r e i nto the crock  po t. " O h  m y g o sh .  Th at sme l l s good."

"Don' t I know i t. "  Z ell turned for  t he frid ge to g rab t h ree pot atoes fro m a baske ton t o p . " Here. Wash  these a nd cut th e m inh al f."
I t ook th em  an d mov ed tot hesink.  "Then  I 'm toput t he m in the  pot?"

"Yup. I'll getthe ce lery, " h e said as  he ope ned the f ridg e and bent  in sid e, "a ndc ut 'e m up , "hef inish ed i n  a muffle d  v oic e .  " C
"Of course,"_Zell said_as he sat up._I gathered_the_magazines and_handed_them to him._He straightened them_in his grip. "This_is Meg and_me_you're talking about."

"Meg?"

Zell stood, watching me out of the corner of his eye as_I_did the_same._Then_he looked back over at_his mother. _Well, that was_weird._ It_was as if he'd been checking to make_sure_I didn't need_help. I nearly giggled at the whole gallantry thing_of it.

"Yeah. Short for Mega-Phoenix. She_gave me one_of_those_a while ago. Remember_that whole thing with choosing between_Headmaster Cid or Gardenmaster Norg? It_was then."

"Oh. Then you've known her for_a while," Ma Dincht observed as_she hung up her scarf.

"Well,_almost. So_what's for dinner?"

Ma Dincht laughed._"Let me change_out of_my wet clothes,_Zell. And in case you haven't_noticed, I've been_simmering a pot roast all day._If_you and Sally_could_cut_up some_potatoes and add_them_to the_crock_pot, that would help. Don't forget_the_carrots and celery, too." And then she_was up the stairs_and_closing the door to_her room to change.

"Pot roast!_Ohh yeaaah!" Zell exulted, and he_hurried in_search of_the aforementioned crock pot. He found it in the right corner_of the kitchen. He removed the_lid to take a_deep whiff_of_the slowly simmering_meat_inside. "Ma_makes the best pot roast. Here. Take_a whiff."

I_leaned slightly over the crock pot_and closed my eyes_as_I took a sniff of the_fragrant aroma of spices, juice, and_meat. My mouth practically started_watering_there_into the crock pot. "Oh_my gosh. That smells good."

"Don't I_know it." Zell_turned for the fridge to grab three_potatoes_from a basket on top. "Here._Wash_these and cut them in half."

I_took_them_and moved to the sink._"Then I'm to put them in_the pot?"

"Yup. I'll get the celery," he said as_he opened the_fridge and bent inside, "and_cut_'em_up," he finished in a muffled voice. "C