3 Cups Cooked Rice (2 cups uncooked plus 2 cups water)
1 16 oz. Jar Cheese Whiz
1 8 oz. Package Shredded Cheese
Cook broccoli according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Sauté onion in butter until soft but not brown. Add soup and heat.
Mix broccoli, rice, soup mixture and Cheese Whiz together.
Pour into a buttered 9x13 casserole pan.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Clarissa
“Mommy, he’s wearing my Legit Life shirt!” Dante exclaims, watching the highlights of the first day of the Combine.
“That’s so awesome,” Parker says, nudging me. “Isn’t it, Mommy?”
“Yeah, it’s great, baby.”
Dante prances around the living room. “I’m going to be famous like Troy! Oh! I’ll make a video of Troy wearing my merch! I bet I get some orders!”
“Great idea, Duckie,” Parker says as Dante races off to his bedroom.
Parker turns to me as soon as he’s out of earshot. “Hey, enough is enough. It was a freak incident. You need to snap out of it. He’s okay.”
“I’m fine,” I lie.
“Bullshit. You don’t believe him?”
“Would you?”
She sips her wine. “I mean, yeah, I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt. He deserves that much. He’s taken great strides to prove himself.”
“You’re right.”
“But you’re still not convinced.”
“I can’t get the image out of my head.” I rub my forehead with my palm, my eyes stinging with fresh tears. “I’ve always wondered how he does it all. You know? School, work, practice, running on little to no sleep. But it’s just not…I don’t for one second want to believe it.”
“Then don’t.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Has he ever shown aggression? You know, ‘roid rage?”
“No. I mean, he has a temper, but nothing outlandish. He’s never once been aggressive toward Dante.”
“Then, there you go. I think if it’s his, it’s old and he’s too afraid to admit it because he knows he’d lose you over it. Or it’s not his, and he’s being honest, and you’re punishing him for nothing. Either way, something tells me he’s not the type to use. And it wasn’t heroin in that needle, babe.”
“I know. But when I saw Dante with that needle, Parker…God, I’ll never be able to explain how scared I was. I couldn’t move. I’ve never, ever felt fear like that.”
She squeezes my hand. “I can only imagine. But don’t you think you’re overreacting? He was probably terrified too. You haven’t replied to any of his texts.”