They ate in silence for a few minutes, the comfortable kind. When they were done, Zephany started to gather the dishes.
"Since you cooked, I'll handle the washing," Kendrick said, standing up.
Zephany turned to him, eyebrows raised. "Didn't you do everything before? Even when you were the one cooking, you still washed the dishes. So let me do it too."
He shook his head gently. "It's okay. I'm happy doing those things for you."
She straightened her shoulders. "Well, I'm happy doing those things for you too."
They stood there, both holding onto the dishes, neither one wanting to back down. The air grew stubborn between them, playful but persistent.
Kendrick narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice warm but teasing. "We can argue about this all morning, you know."
Zephany huffed, not quite meeting his eyes. "I can be stubborn too."
"Oh, I noticed."
Just then, the chime of Zephany's phone alarm filled the air.
