That was fast. She called me immediately when something came up. She needed to know I'd do the same. He paused. She said I passed the probationary period.
Silence. Then Marcus. Yeah, that's her voice caught. Just barely. That's really good.
It's 42 days in, he said. I've still got a lot to prove. You've already proved it, she said to the person who matters in that situation. A pause. You know what I keep thinking about that night in the restaurant?
You sitting there about to leave and I almost didn't ask you. I stood there for like 30 seconds trying to talk myself out of it. Marcus turned that over. What made you do it? You looked She thought about it.
You looked like someone who would actually stop. Most people, you can tell they're already somewhere else in their heads. You were just there, present. I know that sounds. No, he said.
I know what you mean. A quiet settled between them. Not empty quiet, the kind with weight. Deshawn has a school thing Friday, Marcus said. A science presentation.
He's doing it on terasaurs, obviously. Clare laughed. Obviously, he mentioned, and I'm not putting any pressure on this, it was his idea, not mine. He mentioned that it would be cool if there was someone there who already knew about terosaurs. He kept his voice even.
Because most people don't. A pause. Are you inviting me to an 8-year-old's school science presentation? Clare said. Deshaawn is inviting you, Marcus said.
Through me, with full deniability on my end. She laughed again. That laugh, the one he'd first heard in the restaurant when he'd told her about Deshawn correcting people about terosaurs. And that had been the first real laugh of the night. And he'd noticed it then and he noticed it now.
I'll be there, she said. Okay. What time? 10:00 in the morning. I'll text you the address.