For the next several minutes, Takoda proudly continued cutting the tomatoes under Kade's supervision, occasionally stealing tiny pieces and eating them before they made it into the bowl. Each time Kade caught her, he would give her a stern look, only for her to smile innocently and claim that she was "testing the food." Eventually, he caught her reaching for another piece and stopped her with a pointed look.
"Takoda."
She froze with the tomato halfway to her mouth. "Yes, Father?"
"How many have you eaten?"
She glanced down at the remaining tomatoes before answering carefully, "Not many."
Kade raised an eyebrow, and Dakota immediately joined the interrogation. "That's not an answer."
Takoda thought about it for a moment. "Five."
Kade looked at the bowl. "You've eaten almost half."
"I was testing them."
"You've tested them enough."
Takoda giggled before pushing the bowl toward him. "Okay. You test the rest."
