Stop acting like every problem belongs to you alone. I'm your brother. It does. No, Andre, you made it yours. The sentence hurt because some part of it was true.
Leah's eyes filled, but her voice stayed steady. I know what you gave up after mom died. I know why you did it. But you don't get to spend the rest of your life treating me like a debt you have to pay. Andre looked away.
You're going to school and you might lose this apartment trying to make sure I do. The argument ended without resolution. Leah went to her room. Andre sat at the kitchen table staring at job listings until the screen blurred. The question that had embarrassed him outside Marlo Dynamics returned in a sharper form.
Maybe kindness was easy only for people who could afford the consequences. Maybe people with $17 in the bank were supposed to keep riding. On Saturday evening, someone knocked on the apartment door. Andre assumed it was the landlord and took a second before opening it. Clare Mercer stood in the hallway.
She wore a simple coat and no visible entourage. Andre stared at her long enough that Clare said, "I realize this is unexpected." That is one word for it. May I come in? Andre considered refusing.
Then he stepped aside. Leah appeared from the hallway, recognized Clare from the story Andre had told her, and stopped. Clare introduced herself. Andre crossed his arms. I know who you are now.
Clare accepted that tone without reacting. Her eyes moved briefly around the apartment. The worn furniture, the university packet, the cracked laptop, the notice Andre had failed to hide completely beneath a magazine. She did not look pitying. Andre noticed.
I owe you an apology. Clare said, "You lost the interview because you stopped to help me. So, this is what guilt? No, because if you're here to give me a job because your shoe broke, I don't want it." Leah gave Andre a look that clearly asked whether he had lost his mind, but said nothing.
Clare reached into her bag and placed a printed copy of Andre's process improvement portfolio on the table. Andre's expression changed. Where did you get that? From your application. I forgot I attached it.
Apparently, so did almost everyone who reviewed it. Clare explained that the company had contacted only the references Andre had authorized. She told him what they confirmed. Then she said, "If I wanted to give you the job because I felt guilty, I could have done it before lunch on Tuesday. I didn't come here to reward you for fixing my shoe."
"Then why are you here?" "Because I want to know whether we rejected someone we should have been paying attention to." Andre looked at the portfolio. Clare leaned forward slightly. "Forget the interview you missed.