Kitchens of the Great Midwest

Eva’s cousin, college student Braque Dragelski, details her morning routine, emphasizing her disciplined and healthy lifestyle. She vehemently rejects any fatty or unhealthy foods, viewing them solely as a means to sustain her energy levels rather than for their taste. However, her routine is disrupted when she suddenly feels unwell and vomits. During a visit to a Whole Foods store, she hallucinates seeing the words “pepper jelly” written on a vegan protein shake. A friend suggests that she might be pregnant, prompting Braque to take a pregnancy test, which is positive. As she comes to terms with her pregnancy, her mom calls, revealing that Braque’s cousin Eva has gone missing.

Overwhelmed, Braque reflects on her future as an athlete and Olympian, now seemingly impossible with a pregnancy. She ponders the potential fathers, considering Luc Richard, the tennis player, or Yuniesky Cespedes. Her friends discuss a spicy-themed night that poses a risk to pregnant women, but Braque says that she wants a professional abortion. Returning home, she finds Eva sleeping on her bed, as she has run away from home. Braque hallucinates the words “pepper jelly” on a boulder.

Braque reveals that her family avoids discussing Eva’s birth mother or her previous family.