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Hours go by. I whip us some lunch with Bella’s help, get changed, and then Liv arrives not too long after.
I’m the one who answers the door, and in that moment, everything is weird.
“Hi, Alex,” she smiles, awkwardly. “Bella is already here?”
“Since early in the morning.” I roll my eyes. “Come on in!”
She passes by like she’s dodging me, as if to avoid even the most remote possibility of physical contact. I walk on after her, and she’s already removing her camera from the case and starts to adjust and correct the lenses, getting ready to snap some pictures.
“Any place Ican’tphotograph?” Liv says, without looking at me.
“Um…” I give it some serious thought. “Just the bedrooms, mine and Harlan’s. All the other rooms are game.”
“Got it!” She signs me the ‘okay’ sign with her fingers.
“You came!” Bella invades the foyer with her arms up, heading over to greet Liv. Harlan comes in tow, looking curiously at Liv’s camera.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m here!” Liv says, embracing Bella and making me wish I could get a hug too. “Can we get things going, or have you already?”
“No.” Bella waves her hands in front of her. “I haven’t started yet. Let me get the recorder and we’ll do it.”
“Alright,” Liv says and then surprises Harlan with a picture. “Just pretend I’m not here, hun!”
I get one step closer to her, and I know she notices it, because of the way her shoulders tense and how uncomfortable her body language gets.
“You know…” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper. “You didn’t tell me if you like me or not.”
She turns to me, and then it’s my turn to be surprised by a picture. Liv lowers the lens just enough to peek at me, and says, sounding sulky and bitter, “Is it so important that people like you?”
“You? Yes. Besides—”
“Okay, I’m back!” Bella shouts into the room, interrupting our conversation. “Let me see…”
She peruses a piece of paper she’s holding in one hand, while the other mans the audio recorder. Satisfied with what she reads, Bella commences, “Okay, Alex! Why did you choose to live in California?”
“Well,” Liv photographs me and Bella, “After going to the Academy and then completing my service in the Navy, I made the decision to move to California. It was a decision that perfectly aligned with my professional and personal aspirations. The tech industry hub here in Silicon Valley provides an unparalleled environment for my cybersecurity venture. Moreover, California's commitment to renewable energy and supportive policies has allowed my solar panel business to flourish.
Beyond the business landscape, California's vibrant culture of philanthropy and community engagement deeply resonated with me. The state offers numerous opportunities to make a meaningful impact, and I am passionate about contributing to causes that matter.
Basically, California offers a unique blend of innovation, sustainability, and a thriving philanthropic scene that makes it the ideal place for me to live, work, and continue my journey of giving back to the community."
“Can we do the house tour?” Liv asks, “I’m running out of things to photograph.”
“Oh, sure! You two are already familiar with it from the party the other night, but I’ll show you around.” And I start to walk, heading for the living room.
“And what good do you think you can bring to San Francisco?” Bella continues.
Harlan follows us, lips parted, paying close attention to the conversation between me and his aunt and staring in open fascination as Liv goes around with her camera. Liv walks ahead and snaps picture after picture, only occasionally turning toward us for more photographs.
And I go on, “It all started with Helding Heights. Then it spread to every low-wage community here in the city, and in surrounding cities. My goal is to continue to grow further throughout all of California and then hopefully into even more states.”
We cross the living room towards the dining room, which overlooks the balcony, the place where Liv and I had our first encounter. I notice that she avoids looking at it.
“So, if you lived somewhere else, there would still be a charitable Alex?” Bella continues.
“Probably,” I think about it for a second. “Not sure I would have the same money, but I would find a way to serve the community even so.”
Bella reviews her list of questions again. “This is getting good!”
