A quiet settled over the table.
His father cleared his throat slightly. “How’s work?” he asked, looking at me over his glass.
“It’s going well,” I said.
“We were so proud of you being appointed ADA last month.” Jonathan’s colleague nodded slowly.
“That’s impressive,” one of them added.
Carolyn smirked, “I’m sure the firm’s recommendation helped.”
There it was.
Her reminder that I didn’t earn anything I had here on my own.
“Yes,” I said evenly. “I’m grateful for the support.”
His mother set her fork down. “You’ll need to be careful,” she said.
“With?”
“The way you present yourself,” she replied. “That office requires a certain level of refinement, and no matter how much money Charles invests in your appearance, you still have those Crestwood ways about you that poke out at the most inopportune times.”
I slowly rocked Genny back and forth to keep me from crawling across this damn dinner table and showing her just how the fuck Crestwood girls got down. The funny thing is, my mom did the same thing as Carolyn. Once Jared went to jail, she moved us to the North End and tried to convert us into suburban girls. But even my mom’s fake bourgeois ass hated Carolyn.
Charles finally spoke. “She’s doing fine,” he said.
I’m surprised he actually took up for me. It wasn’t the type of firm stance that I wanted, but I would take it. His interjection was just enough to move the conversation forward.
His mother nodded slightly, but didn’t push. The rest of dinner passed like that.
Carolyn made small, smart-ass comments. Her words were carefully worded observations. Nothing that could be called disrespectful outright. But nothing that felt like acceptance either. By the time we stood to leave, I felt that quiet pressure that I had felt earlier again. I wasn’t happy, and I had to find a way to get me and my baby girl the fuck out of here.
“Make sure you send over your updated case list,” his father said as we gathered our things. “It’s good to stay ahead.”
“I will,” I replied.
His mother walked us to the door.
“You have potential, Chanel,” she said.
I paused. Because I already knew what was coming next.
“You just need to make sure you don’t waste the opportunities you’ve been given.”
I nodded. “Of course.”
We stepped outside, the door closing softly behind us. I adjusted Genesis in my arms as Charles unlocked the car. Didn’t open it or assist me with putting Genny in her car seat.
Neither of us spoke right away.
“You okay?” he asked finally.
I looked at him and took in his calm expression.
At the man who had helped me build this life.
“I’m fine,” I said, as it was the answer I had learned to give.
