Coleman, she said, do you have a few minutes? Of course. She sat down across from him and she looked at him with an attention that most people reserved for documents they were about to sign. I read your report three times. She said it's a lot of data.
The data was clear. That's not what I was reading three times. She leaned forward slightly. I was reading the reasoning, the way you built the argument, the structure of how you explained what happened so that someone who wasn't in the technical weeds could understand it completely. A pause.
That's a skill that most people in your position don't have. I've spent a lot of time translated things for people who need to make decisions, Darius said. You learn how to make it clear. Your daughter, he looked up slightly startled. Derek mentioned you have a 7-year-old, she said.
Not intrusively, just factually the way she seemed to deliver most things. I imagine you've had to explain complex things in simple terms more than most. Darius smiled despite himself. She has questions about everything. Every single thing.
If I can't explain it in a way that makes sense to a 7-year-old, I usually realize the problem is that I don't fully understand it myself. Victoria studied him for a moment. That's actually a very sophisticated framework. She'd be delighted to hear you say that. She thinks she runs the household.
Victoria's mouth moved just slightly. Not quite a smile, but something in the neighborhood of one. What's her name? Amara. Something crossed Victoria's face then.
Quick, there and gone. That's a beautiful name. She chose it herself. Meaning she didn't choose it, but from the moment I said it, she owned it. Does that make sense?
More than you know, Victoria said quietly. Then she stood up, straightening her jacket with the efficiency of someone who did not allow herself to linger in soft moments. The board will hear about your contribution to this account recovery. I'll make sure of that, she extended her hand. Thank you, Mr.
Coleman. Genuinely, he stood and shook it. It was just the right thing to do. In my experience, she said already turning toward the door. The right thing to do and the thing people actually do are not always the same.
She left. Daria sat back down at his desk. He looked at the navy blue tie with the little yellow stars hanging on the hook behind his door. The one Amara had declared was the smartest tie in the whole world. He thought about how Victoria Hayes had said the name Amara.