The ladies have been baking for a month.

She's been baking for a month at least.

We played really well. We executed well on offense and defense. We stepped it up against (Pontiac).

I'm excited. I've got four defensive specialists so that benefits me.

This was why she enjoyed baking. A good dessert could make her feel like she'd created joy at the tips of her fingers. Suddenly, the people around the table were no longer strangers. They were friends and confidantes, and she was sharing with them her magic.

The measuring and mixing always smoothed out her thinking processes - nothing was as calming as creaming butter - and when the kitchen was warm from the oven overheating and the smell of baking chocolate, she took final stock of where she'd been and where she was going. Everything was fine.