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Mom laughs. "I don't know, the music today, it all sounds like pop. I'm showing my age now, but it's not the same as when I was younger."
Bella laughs. "I know what you mean."
"Be honest, sweetheart, do I sound old when I say that?" Mom asks.
Bella presses her lips together. "A little."
Mom looks to me.
I nod. "A little."
"My son—you can appreciate his honesty. But then, he also thinks I don't realize that he lies to spare my feelings. I sound ancient complaining about the kid's music." Mom smiles at me then looks to Bella. "I was worried when he dropped out of school to play music. It's a hard road. He's done well."
Bella smiles. "He's a machine. And the way he knows exactly what he wants… it's admirable." She gets a dreamy look in her eyes. "Mom would have liked Joel. She would have been taken aback by all the tattoos, but he's so charming—"
"He is," Mom says. "I'm not sure where he gets it."
Bella laughs. "You two have the same green eyes."
"Thank you." Mom smiles. "What do you do in New York, sweetheart?"
"Oh." Bella chews on her lower lip. "I'm a student at Columbia Law School."
"A lawyer." Mom looks to me and raises her eyebrows nicely done. "Do you know what kind of law you'd like to practice?"
"Well…" Bella stares at her roasted potatoes. "I… Um…"
Her expression is the picture of misery.
Mom's voice gets softer. "What was that, sweetheart?"
"Well… I…" Bella pinches her pointer finger. Then the middle. The ring. Pinkie. Then she's doing the same to her other hand. "That's… it could be a long way off. Maybe."
I shouldn't step in here.
I know that.
But I have to do something about the pained expression on her face.
"Bella's thinking about leaving law school," I say.
"Joel." Bella's eyes meet mine. She glares what the hell?
"You don't want to go back," I say.
"Maybe." She stabs a potato.
"Not maybe. You hate law school," I say.
"No. I just…" Bella stares at the silverware like it has the answers to every question in the history of the world. "Let's talk about this later."
"So you can make another excuse?" I ask.
"Not right now." Bella's voice breaks. Her eyes stay on the table.
"Are you going to run away from this forever?" I ask.
She looks to me. "Does what I do forever really matter to you?"
