In some families, heirlooms look like quilts, lockets, or dusty boxes in the attic. In this one, the prized inheritance is a pasta and red sauce recipe that's guarded by an outdated rule: you only get the recipe once you marry into the family. No ring, no sauce.
When one newlywed entered the family, she received the recipe as a wedding gift and quickly embraced the tradition of taking turns making it for gatherings, each person adding their own spin.
She'd grown close to her spouse's cousin who is a talented cook and lifelong family member and who, inconveniently, had never wanted to marry. That meant she was permanently excluded from the recipe, despite being born into the family.
When the cousin asked for a December batch, the newlywed asked a different question: why not just give her the recipe?
So she did, and the cousin made it immediately. The secret didn't stay secret long.
Now the family's upset. The aunts are furious, her mother-in-law is disappointed, and a married cousin unleashed a text-storm. Her spouse is indifferent; her father-in-law half-understands. But at Thanksgiving, she's getting the cold shoulder.
Who's in the wrong?
