Ways to Make Sunshine

On Sunday, Ryan’s mom is too tired to go to church and so she rests in bed while Ryan and Ray watch television. After watching a kid’s cooking competition on Netflix, Ray asks their mother if he can go ride bikes again with his friends. Ryan asks to go too, and she and Ray argue until their mother tells them to quiet down, reminding them that their father is sleeping. Their mother gives Ray permission to go biking and suggests that Ryan stay home to help her with dinner.

Ryan and her mother begin making chicken wings for dinner, and as they prepare, Ryan gets the idea to add extra spicy sauce and pepper to Ray’s chicken wings to get back at him. After frying the wings, Ryan puts aside the chicken wings for Ray on a plate. At dinner, Ryan’s mother notices that Ryan is not eating and instead watches Ray, who bites into a wing and at once throws it back on his plate. Ray’s eyes tear up and he coughs as he tries to gulp down water. Realizing what Ryan has done, Ryan’s mother demands she apologize to Ray and then go straight to her room. Ryan tells Ray “You were being mean to me and you wouldn’t let me ride bikes with you today” (127) and her mother cuts her off, telling her to apologize correctly.