Roo regarded the loaf of bread. It sat squarely on the sideboard, a knife beside it. She sighed, climbed down from the stool and went in to the sitting room.
Dielle looked up from her work as she entered. “What’s up?”
Roo fell on to the sofa beside her. “The bread…is too big.”
“How do you mean?”
Roo pulled a cushion from behind her and hugged it to her chest.
“It is lunch. So is that I was going to make a sammish. I found the bread, but it’s in one too big piece.” She shook her head forlornly. “No good for a sammish.”
“I see.” Said Dielle. “Did you try cutting it in to smaller pieces?”
Roo looked at her blankly. Dielle put her book down and stood up.
“Come on. I’ll show you.”

Once in the kitchen Dielle picked up the bread knife and handed it to Roo.
“Use this to cut a piece off.”
“This?”
“What else?”
Roo turned to the bread and poked it with the knife.
“Will not be the right shape.” She said, turning back to Dielle.
“Why not?” Dielle asked. “What shape do you want it to be?”
“Want it to be in the shape of how it is when it grows.”
“Grows? How do you grow bread, Roo?”
“How do you what?”
Pablo was stood at the doorway, watching them.
“Roo’s explaining how you grow bread.” Dielle replied.
“I see.” Pablo said, leaning against the doorframe. “I’m intrigued. How does one do such a thing, Roo?”
“With bread seeds.” Roo replied solemnly. Pablo suppressed a smile.
“And where do you get those from?”
“From there.” Said Roo, pointing to the sesame seeds on top of the loaf. “Is what you plant-“
Dielle tried to disguise a laugh as a cough, hand over her mouth.
“You do!” Roo insisted.
“And does a bread plant grow?” Pablo asked seriously.
“No.” Roo said, as If explaining the concept to a small child. “Bread is like potatoes and it lives underground.”

There was silence for a moment before Pablo caught Dielle’s eye and both of them burst out laughing. Roo huffed and sat down on the floor, glaring at both of them.
“Is not funny.”
“What’s not?” said Eden, who had poked her head around the door to see what the fuss was about.
“They are laughing at the bread.” Roo said, still glaring. Eden glanced at the loaf.
“…I don’t get it.”
 Roo wriggled her toes and huffed again. “Is that they were asking where bread comes from. And I told them, and they started laughing and have not stopped yet.”
“It was her explanation.” Pablo said, trying to regain control of himself. “Tell her, Roo.”
Roo sighed long-sufferingly and got to her feet.
“ First is you get the bread seeds.” She said, pointing to the loaf. “And is you put them in the ground for some time. Then when the time is done you get a big spoon and dig the bread up and take the dirt off and make a sammish.”
“Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.” Eden replied. “But have you never seen the other way of doing it?”
Roo shook her head. “Is no other way.”
“Oh there is.” Eden said. “We can show her if you like, can’t we?” She looked to Dielle and Pablo.
“We can?” Pablo asked.
“Of course.” Said Eden, elbowing him out of the way of the cupboard and bringing out a baking tin. “We can make some bread.”
Pablo backed away towards the door. “Well, I’ll leave you to that then. There are some…things, that need to be done and-“
“You’re not going anywhere, mister.” Said Eden, throwing an apron over his head. “You’re helping.”
“I don’t know if that’s such a good…” Pablo protested at Eden tied the apron strings round his waist and handed him a spoon.
“It is a very good idea and you will help and we will have lots and lots of fun.” Said Eden, staring him down. Pablo wilted.
“If you say so.”
“Good.” Eden beamed.

“Right, this is where you come in.” She said a while later after the dough had been made. She held out the bowl to him. “You knead the dough.”
“For what?” Pablo asked. Eden rolled her eyes.
“’Knead’, with a ‘k’. Not ‘need’. Like, squidging it around. You’re the big manly man. Here’s your chance to be all macho.”
“I just squidge it around.” He repeated doubtfully as he took the bowl from her.
“Haven’t you ever made bread before?” Dielle asked. Eden laughed.
“Him? He’s never cooked before in his life! Well, except that one time. But we don’t talk about that.”
“No, we don’t.” Pablo agreed hastily. “So what am I doing with this?”
“Tip it out on to the counter.” Eden instructed. “Right, now get squidging.”
“I have to touch it?” Pablo asked, wrinkling his nose.
“Honestly, Pablo!” Eden said, grabbing his hands and pushing them in to the dough. Pablo screwed his face up in disgust. “You’ve been watching us make it! You know there’s nothing gross in it!”
“Eugh.” Pablo said, holding the dough out at arm’s length. “How much kneading does it need?”
“We’ll tell you when to stop.” Said Eden, sitting down and crossing her legs.

Roo, meanwhile, was watching the dough with deep suspicion.
“What’s up?” Dielle asked.
“That is not bread.” Roo said.
“Not yet it’s not.” Dielle replied. “But it will be once it’s been in the oven.”
Roo shook her head. “No. Is too squishy. Is no one could make a sammish with that.”
“It’ll harden up once it’s been cooked.” Dielle explained. Roo shook her head again.
“No. Ovens make things hot, not hard.”
“Well I’m sure you’ll see once we’re done.” Eden said. “Right, Pablo, you can stop now. Put the dough in the tin then put the tin in the oven.”
Pablo did so, then went to the sink to wash his hands. “And now we wait.”

An hour or so later they reassembled in the kitchen. Eden opened the oven door and brought out the tin.
“Voila! Ladies and gentleman, we have bread!”
“See Roo?” Dielle said. Eden tipped the bread out on to the sideboard and Roo climbed up on to a stool to inspect it. After a few minutes careful consideration she climbed back down and crossed her arms.
“You cheated.”
“How?” Eden asked, taken aback.
“This bread,” said Roo, pointing to it. “Is looking just like that bread.” She pointed at the loaf from earlier.
“Maybe because they’re both loaves of bread.” Pablo muttered under his breath. Eden hit him surreptitiously and glared.
“Why does that mean we cheated?” Dielle asked.
“Because they are the same. Is you must have put a proper bread in the oven and thrown the mess away, then said that this bread is the mess. But it cannot be because is all in one piece.”
“But we told you before, Roo.” Eden said. “The oven made it solid.”
“No. That cannot work.” Roo replied. “I will show you.”
She went over to the fridge and took out a bottle of milk. She poured a little in to a clean bowl and put it in the oven.
“The heat is put on.” She said, turning up the gas.
“Roo, I don’t think this is the same-“ Dielle ventured.
“Shh!” Roo interrupted. “I am showing you.”
The little group fell silent, watching the oven. After a few minutes Roo turned off the gas, opened the door and brought out the bowl.
“See?” she said triumphantly. “Not hard. Still swishy. But it’s warm now. Ovens make things warm, not hard.”
“It’s a conspiracy, Roo.” Pablo said dryly. “They want to cover up the truth.”
Roo nodded seriously. “Yes.” She took a spoon from the drawer, cast the bread a dark look and left the kitchen, still carrying the bowl of milk.
Eden looked to Dielle in mute amazement. Dielle shrugged.
“Well, we tried. She’s not going to believe us.”
“Oh dear.” Said Pablo with no real anxiety. “Can I eat the bread now?”