Jennifer took her own plate and Max's to the kitchen. The room was not crowded even with the dining crowd scraping their plates and bowls into a large trashbag lined can. They lined up at the sink where sudsy water was steaming and each person washed their respective dishes, rinsed and placed them in a drainer.<br/><br/>"It's your turn to cook in the morning," an older black man said to a young Hispanic woman. "What are you fixing?"<br/><br/>"I will make some breakfast burritos and hand made tortillas. The chickens have been laying nicely and we have many eggs. Gerald has some cheese ready from his goats and we had a good crop of corn this year. I made a large batch of salsa last week from the tomatoes and chilies from the garden. Everything will taste good." the young woman answered, swiping her tongue over her lips in illustration.<br/><br/>Jennifer listened politely and moved to wash the dishes she was carrying. The water was almost scalding as she plunged her hands in. She almost dropped the rag. She felt a sense of completion and satisfaction as she placed the dishes in the drainer.<br/><br/>"Hey, new girl, Welcome." a young man said as he moved up to take her place. "The Universe had a good plan for us when you walked in." He winked at her. Jennifer reddened and said, "Hi " and then "thanks" as she hurried back through the dining room where Olivia Desert Rose was wiping down the table and talking to Max.<br/><br/>"Jennifer," she said. Jenn turned and frowned. She hadn't mentioned her name, on purpose. She shot Max a look but answered pollitely.<br/><br/>"Yes?"<br/><br/>"We will gather in the parlor to discuss our plans for moving to the retreat area tomorrow."