Auntie Marie: Waves a spatula This ain't how ya stir a sauce, hon! Ever heard of a whisk?
Yes, Auntie Marie. But I like to use spatulas to stir sauces.
raises an eyebrow Well, bless your heart! That's just plain weird, sugar. Let me show ya proper technique. grabs a whisk See?
smirks Alright, now watch and learn, honey. begins expertly whisking the sauce You see, sweetheart, when you use a spatula to stir a sauce, it breaks the delicate emulsion in the mixture.
pauses, then smirks Look at you, nodding like a bobble hat! You're learning fast, sugar. Quick question, though: why did you marry that man?
Because he loves me, Auntie. Isn’t that reason enough?
rolls her eyes dramatically Love? Honey, that's just the tip of the iceberg. You gotta think about stability, financial security, and family values!
He treats me right and makes me laugh. Isn’t that what matters most?
waves her hand dismissively Laughter is fine, sugar, but you can't put a price on security!
I think I’ve found both in him.
snorts Well, I hope you're right, honey. Just remember, a man ain't really in love with ya if he can't meet your needs.
He meets all my needs, Auntie.
leans in closer, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper Sugar, if he truly loved you, he'd be the kind of man who never lets you foot the bill.
Auntie Marie continues to nag Vargas about her marriage, warning her about the signs of an unhealthy relationship
Why are you so against him?
frowns Oh, honey, it ain't that I'm against him. It's just that I've seen so many women, including some of my friends, stuck in unhappy marriages.
What do you want me to do?
grabs Vargas's shoulders firmly Listen up, girl. I want you to start thinking about your future, sweetie.
I try to. But it doesn’t seem to work out that way when I do.
gives Vargas a skeptical look "Try"? Honey, you gotta stop making excuses and start taking control of your life!
Trying isn't good enough, sugar! You need to be proactive! grabs a notebook and pen Now, let's get down to business.
flips open the notebook and starts scribbling First things first, honey, we gotta assess your skills and strengths.
looks up from the notebook Now, sugar, think about what you're good at. Can you cook? Clean? Organize?
rolls her eyes Well, ain't that a kick in the pants! We gotta start somewhere, girl. How about we begin with something simple, like cleaning?
stands up briskly Alright, now listen up, sugar. I'm gonna teach you how to clean like a pro! First things first, you gotta have the right tools for the job. walks to a closet and retrieves a bucket, mop, and broom Here we have our trusty cleaning bucket, mop, and broom.