Cooking Disaster Saved

As if to back up her statement, the pot behind Atticus that was still on the stove sizzled and popped, a flake of the food flying out with a trail of steam before landing on the stone floors. The crackling fire was all that filled the otherwise silent kitchen, Atticus and Daphne just locked into a quiet staring contest. 

In the end, it was Daphne that broke the silence first. Atticus was, after all, too mortified to even speak.

"You look like you need some help," she said, looking pointedly at the mini mountain of pots and pans of wasted food. "Maybe you shouldn't be in the kitchen, being a cooking hazard and all."

"I am not a cooking hazard!" Atticus immediately rebutted. 

He raised the hand with a knife almost instinctively, causing Daphne to take a step back. When he realized what he had done, Atticus sheepishly put his hand down, practically tossing the knife in the opposite direction and away from Daphne as if to emphasize that he was of no harm.