Hidden Cravings

By and large, Niki hasn't had too many food cravings. At least that she's shared with me. But every once in a while, I get some signs that there might be more than she's letting on. About a month ago, for instance, there suddenly appeared a box of Crunch N' Munch on our shelves, a product that I don't believe has ever been in our house before. "I thought it would be a good snack," Niki said. Apparently it wasn't.

But earlier this week, on a day Niki spent home from work because she wasn't feeling well, I got another glimpse of what she might really be craving. And it also came unexpectedly. We recently bought a clock/radio for Nub's room, but after Niki opened the box when she was home the other day, we realized the clock part was hard to read and we might want to return it. "I already put the box in the recycling bin," Niki said. No problem, I said, I'll see if I can just grab it out. Sure enough, there it was right on top. So, I grabbed it, only to make an alarming discovery. Underneath it, partially obscured by a newspaper, was an unmistakable can of SpaghettiO's, a product that I definitely would have remembered seeing in the house if it had been on my watch.

I went back inside and found Niki. "Um, Niki, is there something you want to tell me?" She wasn't sure what I was getting at. "I said, is there anything you'd like to tell me about?" Then, realizing where I had been and what I had seen, she fessed up. Yes, apparently SpaghettiO's has been a craving, or at least on that particular home-alone day. Can't say it would have been my first choice, but at least it wasn't pickles and SpaghettiO's.