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“First thing in the morning. I like to write the codes after a good night’s sleep.”
“You’re the expert.”
“We will let you know,” Malcomb said and hung up.
Inside, I found Ali engrossed by something on his laptop; he barely waved when I said hello.
Nana Mama was almost done with a shrimp and pasta dish with basil and garlic, and it smelled fantastic. Jannie was setting the table.
“How did practice go?” I asked.
“Light jog and stretching,” Jannie said.
My grandmother said, “She came in beaming with confidence.”
Jannie smiled. “I’ll do my best, but I honestly have no expectations. Whatever happens, I’ll be fine. Whichever school I decide on, I’ll find a home there.”
“Gotta like that attitude,” I said.
Bringing the steaming bowls of food to the table, Nana Mama said, “It’s the best attitude I can imagine. What time does your race start?”
“Around eleven, Nana.”
“Oh, good. Damon called. He’s got a week free before finals and he’s coming up for the race. He’ll get to Howard around ten thirty.”
I grinned. I hadn’t seen my oldest child in several months.
“How’s he getting here all the way from Davidson?” Ali asked.
Nana Mama started laughing. “Some college friend’s mother is turning fifty, and there’s a surprise birthday party in Chevy Chase tomorrow night, so the girl’s father is flying her home on the family jet.”
“And Damon is hitching a ride?”
“La-di-da,” my grandmother said and cackled. “I could never have imagined such a thing when I was his age.”
We were all laughing as we sat down to eat. It was pretty remarkable to think about my twenty-year-old in a private jet.
Ali said, “I’ve been looking at the girls you’ll be racing against, Jannie. There are some really fast—”
“I don’t care who they are or how fast they are,” Jannie said, scooping pasta from the bowl onto her plate.
“But—”
“But nothing,” my daughter said firmly. “Coach says I’m not racing them.”
Ali frowned. “Then who are you racing?”
“Me,” she said. “My best.”
“Oh,” my youngest child said, brightening. “I like that. You think you’re going to break your personal record?”
“I think I’m going to run like I know I can and I’ll see what happens,” Jannie said.
Ali was very goal-oriented for his age and I could tell her answer bothered him, but he sighed and said, “I hope you crush it.”
“I know she will,” I said and winked at Jannie, who smiled back.
The meal was delicious as usual, and hardly anyone spoke for several minutes. Then Nana Mama yawned and put her fork down. “Where did you say Bree went off to?”
