Looked at himself in the mirror. Looked at his daughter watching him in the mirror. This isn't what you think it is, he said. Okay, Dad. It's just she needed help.
That's what neighbors do. Okay, Dad. Maya, you look good in the navy blazer," she said and slid off the bed and went to pack her overnight bag for Mrs. Patterson's. Leaving Andre standing in front of the mirror with the distinct feeling of a man who had just been seen more clearly than he was ready to be.
They were in Andre's truck, a clean, dark gray F-150 that he kept in better condition than most people kept their houses. When Clare said quietly, "My mother is going to love you. " That doesn't sound like the concern it should be. You don't know my mother. She was watching the city through the passenger window, the Atlanta skyline, beginning to catch the last colors of the evening. Her love is it comes with expectations.
She decides she likes someone and then she immediately starts planning what role they're going to play in the family. Like casting a movie before the script is written. What role is she going to cast me in? Future son-in-law, probably. She's been angling for one of those for three years.
Clare paused. I'm just warning you. I've been warned. And my grandmother asks about income directly, like a job interview. She asked my cousin Marcus's girlfriend what her credit score was at Easter.
What did she say? 740. My grandmother nodded and said, "Respectable. " A small, genuine laugh escaped Clare's mouth, the kind that slips out before you can decide whether to let it. Grandma Lucille has strong opinions about financial responsibility. What's a passing score?
Showing up with a job and your own vehicle seems to be a good start. She glanced at the dashboard. You already passed the vehicle portion. Andre kept his eyes on the road. But the corner of his mouth moved.
What about your father? He asked. The laugh faded. Not completely. It left a trace of itself in the air, but it changed into something quieter.
My dad, Clare said, is the kind of man who loves his daughter completely and trusts her judgment almost never. She was quiet for a moment. He liked Ryan. They still golf together. I think part of him believes if he stays patient, I'll come to my senses.