The world stopped.

1 tbsp mayo • 1 tbsp ketchup • 2 tbsp honey • 1 tsp white vinegar • 1/4 tsp Worcestershire • 1/4 tsp garlic powder • 1/4 tsp onion powder • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika • Whisk well.

She’d tried to forget it. She’d tried store-bought Kraft, Wish-Bone, even a fancy organic brand with a sunflower on the label. Nothing worked. The real stuff was sweet but not cloying, tangy with a whisper of paprika, and thick enough to coat every crinkle of lettuce like a velvet blanket.

Ellie grabbed a bag of iceberg lettuce from the fridge, tore it into chunks, and drizzled the dressing over it. She took a bite. No croutons. No cheese. Just lettuce and that sauce.

She closed her eyes. For one perfect moment, she was back in the dimly lit booth, the peanut shells crunching underfoot, a basket of rolls warming her elbow. It wasn’t exactly the same—but it was hers.

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