Getting Salmon-ella

(My husband really wants to get dinner at a Latin American/Japanese fusion restaurant near where we are living at the time. He’s in the military so this would be one of his only chances to go to the restaurant. I agree even though I’ve been very queasy lately and nicer restaurants like that can be rude about substitution requests. After looking over the menu, I order the salmon well-done and with the sauce on the side.)

Waitress: “The salmon’s very good here. You should let our chef cook it like he wrote in the menu.”

Me: “Normally I would, but today I’m not feeling very well. I’d prefer to have it cooked through, please.”

(When the food comes out, my husband’s fusion dish looks amazing. My salmon isn’t even completely seared on the sides and is raw all the way through.)

Me: “Can I please have this cooked?”

Waitress: “It’s not like it’s easy to tell how cooked a piece of fish is. You should just eat it; you’ll like it better this way.”

Me: “I’m pregnant.”

(She took my plate back and brought cooked-through salmon. At the time I was still in my first trimester and had all-day and all-night morning sickness. The salmon was delicious and did not make me sick.)