
So he mentioned it, casually—too casually.
“Shouldn’t you rinse them first? My mom always did.”
Later, as Evan replayed the moment in his mind, he realized the argument was bigger than eggs. It was about the habits we inherit without even knowing it—little rituals from childhood that feel like truth simply because they’re familiar.
He hadn’t meant to criticize her, but he suddenly understood how easily old routines can turn into unfair expectations.
Mira, meanwhile, sat at the small dining table, turning her fork between her fingers. She wasn’t angry about the eggs themselves—she was hurt by the comparison to Evan’s mother.
So when Evan corrected her, it felt like he dismissed the care she had put into the meal. She had woken early, wanting to surprise him with breakfast because he’d had a stressful week.

He explained that rinsing eggs wasn’t a rule he believed was universally right—just something he associated with comfort and safety because it was a routine his mother followed.
He hadn’t realized how quickly he spoke, or how it might have felt like a judgement rather than curiosity. Mira listened, her expression slowly shifting from guarded to thoughtful. She shared that her frustration came from wanting her efforts to matter, not to be compared or corrected.
By evening, they found themselves cooking together again.
This time, both of them laughed as they cracked the eggs—no rinsing, no rules, just the sound of shells tapping gently against the bowl.
In that small kitchen, they created a new understanding: that building a life together meant blending traditions, communicating gently, and learning which habits to keep and which ones to let go.