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Opening night

Becky had dreamed of this day ever since she was little. While there were a few phases where she wanted to be a sheriff or a veterinarian, she pretty much always wanted to be a chef. She had loved cooking with her parents and grandparents when she was little and, when she was a bit older, with her siblings and cousins.

She tended to take charge int he kitchen, directing people to do what she wanted. This didn't initially result in the tastiest dishes, but eventually it all worked out. She used to think it was because she was the oldest of all the kids, so she was their natural leader and, well, what little kid doesn't enjoy bossing adults around? But later she realized it was because she cared so much how the food turned out. When she had that epiphany is when she realized that being a chef was the only job she could ever have and be happy with.

After years of culinary school and working her way up in other kitchens, she started her own YouTube channel called Beck's Kitchen where she would show some pretty basic cooking techniques to her nieces and nephews and cousins (the little ones, not the ones she'd use to boss around). She became popular enough that she was able to start her own patreon and, eventually, secure a loan from a bank to open a real life Beck's Kitchen.

Beck's Kitchen was going to have cooking classes for kids and adults during some meals of the week (she even had a special program set up to provide them for free to kids who couldn't afford it), but also be a full functioning restaurant the rest of the time. She was very excited for the place to open. It wasn't terribly big, but it had two floors so maximize seating space.

It was finally opening night at Beck's Kitchen and she was a bundle of nerves. She knew a lot of the people coming were her friend and family, but there were also critiques coming and she also knew she had to do some filming for her YouTube channel. She quickly filmed a little about how nervous she was (she figured any grand opening video without that would just ring dishonest).

Becky took time to say some encouraging words to all of her staff, letting them know how excited she was, but how she knew there would be some flubs and that no one should panic about them. It was their first night, and it wasn't something you could perfectly rehearse, so no one should be embarrassed if they miss a line. She also encouraged them to reach out to her if they got overwhelmed.

Then, the guests arrived. Her parents were the first to come in because they couldn't bear to be a minute late to anything. They marveled at their daughter's restaurant, snapping far too many photos and trying to introduce themselves to all of the staff at once. Becky sat them down and wished them a good meal.

The next to arrive were her siblings and cousins with their kids. Becky smiled and embraced all of them, filming a quick hello to her fans. She got them seated as well. Normally, Becky would be in the kitchen at this point, but she wanted to be sure she was there to great the critiques in person.

She didn't have to wait long, they strode through the door with their noses in the air. Becky greeted them warmly and took them to their table. She quickly changed into her chef coat and got to cooking.

After that, it felt like the night flew by. There were a few dishes returned and Becky once even sent out the wrong entree because she had gotten distracted by her nerves. One of her little cousins had loudly declared her food terrible because it had fish in it, but that was par for the course. One server had spilled water on one of the critiques which sent everyone into a brief panic spiral, but they all managed to recover. Becky left the kitchen as people were leaving and they looked to be all smiles.

The next morning, Becky read the reviews out loud to her team. They were all glowing, but the one who had been spilled on snuck in the line:
"I'm sure Beck's Kitchen will continue to make a big splash."

It had been a good night.

(Prompt by Kimisha Cassidy)

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