Stew

	Judy sighed, slamming her head onto the desk. This case was becoming a real headache. It was quitting time anyway. Rubbing her temples, she got up from her desk and slung her jacket over her shoulder. It was cooler that morning, but a malfunction of Sahara Square’s massive heaters had sent a heatwave throughout the city. She had stayed a bit later than everyone else, so the building was empty except for a janitor as she left. She paused outside for a second. The plaza was uncharacteristically quiet, so she took a moment to enjoy the stillness that came from it being too late for the diurnal mammals to be out, but too early for the nocturnal ones to start their day. Or night, to be more accurate.
	The subway back was just as quiet as the plaza. Judy made a mental note to leave the office this late more often. Using the silence as an opportunity to think, she wondered why Nick had ducked out early. He hadn’t said anything to her when he left, and hadn’t returned any of her texts. Maybe he wasn’t feeling well? She hoped he wasn’t coming down with something, especially since they were sharing a room now. Clearing her head with a shake, she heard her stop called by that same monotone voice she heard every morning and evening.
	Standing outside her building, she could smell something cooking. Something really good. Something…familiar? She looked up the front of 	the building. The only balcony door open was the one for her and Nick’s room. Cheese and crackers.
	She ran up to her floor as fast as she could, hopping up the stairs three at a time, not even bothering to wait for an elevator. Standing outside her room, her nose confirmed her suspicions. The smell was coming from her apartment. It brought back so many memories. Opening her door (unlocked, like usual. Nick still hadn’t quite adjusted to living somewhere that had doors) she tentatively walked inside, following her nose to the kitchen.
	Nick sat on a stool, slowly stirring a pot on the stove. He perked up when he saw Judy walk in, and she noticed that he was wearing her apron. And that it it barely reached past his midriff.
Judy could barely contain herself at the sight.
	“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Carrots,” Nick said with a smirk. “I’ll take that as a ‘thanks for the birthday dinner, Nick.’”
	“Birthday?” Of course. With this new case taking up most of her time for the past three weeks, she’d completely forgotten. In the hopes that Nick wouldn’t realize she’d forgotten her own birthday, she quickly changed the subject.  “Where’d you learn to make carrot stew like that?”
	“I might’ve called up a certain Bonnie Hopps,” he said, relishing Judy’s growing expression of horror. “I told her that her daughter’s birthday was coming up, and since I’m dating said rabbit-”
	“Nick you didn’t.”
	“Oh, but I did.”
	Judy slowly sunk against the wall. “And they took it well?” she managed to squeak out.
	“Well, your mother took it okay-ish, but you dad started saying some words I’ve never heard in the Bible.”
	Judy sunk all the way down the wall, plopping on the floor. She felt a mixture of shame and disappointment bubble inside her. She buried her head in her paws. “Nick, I’m so sorry. I know, they might be a little behind, but you have to understand that my Dad has had some pretty bad experi-” She looked up to gauge Nick’s reaction so far and saw him barely able to contain his laughter. The light flicked on in her head.
	“You JERK,” she said, laughing in embarrassment, getting up to punch him.
	“Hey hey hey! Don’t disrespect the chef!” Nick said, still busting a gut. Holding her head so she was just out of hitting range he wiped the tears from his eyes with his other paw.
	“They were fine with it, Carrots. You Dad had some pretty sweet words to say that I honestly forgot the second I hung up. I did, however, record the recipe your mother gave me,” he said, waving a piece of loose leaf with very neat handwriting in the air with a smug look on his face. “She said this was a certain bunny’s favorite dinner growing up.”
	Judy walked backwards a few steps and plopped down into one of the two chairs around their small dining table. She closed her eyes, and, breathing in the aroma in the room, let the memories flow over her. The times when she was sick for days and ate nothing but carrot stew. The times when the neighbors came over for Bonnie’s famous stew and filled the house to overflowing, the cold winter nights when-
	“Heh, little bit too warm for stew.” she said, opening her eyes and looking over at Nick.
	"Well, blame the climate control technicians,” he huffed, crossing his arms and mock pouting. “It was so close to being perfect.”
	“It’s fine,” she laughed, “We can eat on the balcony, it’ll be nice.”
After pulling the small dining table out, Nick set out two bowls and an empty wine bottle with a wildflower in it.
	“Why, Mr. Wilde, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say this was a date,” Judy said in mock surprise as she took her seat
	“My dear Miz Hopps, I’d never dare such a thing!”
	Giggling at their own corny dialogue, Nick sat down across from her.
	“Really though, Nick, this was really sweet of you.”
	“Good thing I didn’t wear that apron for nothing,” he deadpanned.
	“Nick! I’m serious!”
	They stared at each other for a few moments.
	“Happy birthday, Carrots.”
	They talked long into the night.