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BRENTON
Helen and Candace’s official introduction started off rocky, despite my interventions. Helen had promised to bring Candace’s boots back soon and I told Helen I’d help her pick out her own pair. This earned a scoff from Candace. I tried to keep the conversation going, but Candace managed to derail it each time. I could tell Helen was a cross between nervous and stunned. We sat in awkward silence for some time before Helen spoke up again.
“So, Candace. Do you have a boyfriend?”
I coughed on my water. I thought that was probably the last thing Helen should have asked. Before I could steer the conversation in a new direction, Candace responded.
“Oh yeah. Alex. He’s a hottie.” Candace was chewing her food with her mouth open, just aching to get a rise out of me.
“I see. Does he play any sports?”
“Baseball. Doyouhave a boyfriend that my dad and I should know about?” Candace squinted at Helen.
Helen chuckled. “No, I do not. I had one not too long ago, but we broke up. He was pretty insufferable.”
“How so?”
“He just wasn’t very nice to me. It ruined my self esteem, so I kicked him to the curb and finally stood up to him. Your father was pretty helpful with that actually. We ran into him at Beverly’s the other evening, and your dad was quite the hero.”
I was shocked at Helen’s openness with my daughter, and very impressed. I could tell Candace was too at the way her glare seemed to change. I hadn’t realized how badly I wanted Candace and Helen to bond until now. I was on the edge of my seat, tense and nervously watching them converse.
They talked back and forth about their favorite stores. Helen gave Candace a few recommendations if she ever found herself in San Francisco. I poured Helen a glass of wine while they spoke.
“Oh, thank you.”
“I’ll take some too,” Candace said. Grabbing the bottle from the table and pouring herself a glass.
Helen’s mouth fell open, but she remained quiet, probably not feeling like it was her place to say anything.
“Funny, sweetie,” I said, grabbing the glass out of her hand.
“What? It’s not anything I haven’t tried before. Mom lets me drink sometimes.”
“She what?!” I exclaimed.
“Yeah. She even takes me to her favorite bar sometimes. Rita’s.”
I was too furious to speak. My fists were clenched and I was shaking. Helen put her hand on my forearm to calm me down, but pulled away quickly, second guessing the gesture, as neither of us were entirely sure where we stood now.
“Um, do you have a job, Candace?” Helen tried to change the subject, realizing that I wasn’t going to speak any time soon.
“Nope. You?”
“Helen works at a publishing company,” I told Candace, trying to calm myself.
“Actually, not anymore.”
This pulled me from my internal rage. I looked over at her. Helen was slightly hunched and her fingers twitched a bit.
“I was, um—Well, I was fired the other day.” Helen sat a bit straighter after fumbling her words for a few seconds, her shoulders back and her breathing even, probably trying to regain some confidence.
“Yikes, what did you do?” Candace asked.
“Candace!” I chastised.
“No, it’s okay. It was more what I didn’t do. I kept missing deadlines. It’s pretty distracting up here, and I let myself get carried away.”
My mouth was open, but nothing was coming out. Was I the distraction? I didn’t want to embarrass Helen, or presume that I had that much of an impact on her, so I didn’t ask.
