I Was Told It Would Get Easier(24)

I wasn’t sure I did know but nodded. “I look judgy? That’s not good.” I wanted another donut. Why am I always so hungry? I looked around for the waitress.

He shrugged. “Judgy’s too strong a word. I take it back.”

I asked, “Are the moms at your school not nice?”

“Oh, no, they’re nice. But for some reason the fact that I’m a contractor and not, you know, a fancy doctor or lawyer messes with them. They assume we don’t have money, and although they’re all good liberals and want to treat all people with equal dignity, they also don’t want to be insensitive and invite Will to play polo and discover he doesn’t have his own pony, you know?”

I laughed. “It sounds to me like you’re the one doing the judging. How many families in Los Angeles play polo?”

He grinned. “You’re right, I’m being unfair. A little bit. But, here’s a good example of what I mean: Back in ninth grade, when we started there, one of the moms in Will’s class offered me a bag of hand-me-down clothes, right?”

“Sure, that’s not unusual at all. I have a friend whose daughter is two years older than Emily and she passes stuff down all the time. The kid has excellent taste. Em loves it.”

“Yeah, but this kid was no bigger or older than Will, these were extra clothes they didn’t need. And when I said no thanks, which I did because he has plenty of clothes, she looked embarrassed and I realized she thought I was being proud and that she might have offended me.” He caught the waitress’s eye and signaled for another coffee and two more donuts. I could definitely like this guy.

I shrugged. “So? Did you clear it up?”

Chris stared at the table. “No, actually. I guess word got around that the guy with the dusty boots is sensitive, so nobody ever offered me anything again.” He made a face. “Will isn’t bothered by any of this, none of the kids seem to give a crap about parents anyway. I ask Will what his friends’ parents do and he looks at me like I’m nuts. Why would they talk about old people, when they have themselves to talk about?”

I grinned at him. “This is why children are our future.”

He grinned back. “We should teach them well and let them lead the way?”

“Yeah, if we don’t mind following someone who’s looking at their phone all the time. Was Will always into computers?” I asked.

“Yeah, if by computers you mean video games and Minecraft,” Chris replied. “It’s not like he’s been building microprocessors in the garage, he likes computers the way other kids like sports.” He sighed. “I think he wants to do computer science because it’s a good career, not because he’s deeply passionate about the future of programming.”

“And you didn’t go to college?”

“No, I was sick of school. I wanted to get on with my life, you know?”

The coffee and donuts arrived, and I took a bite while I thought back to that time.

I said, “I never considered not going, it was what everyone did. My sister was already at school, it seemed like fun.”

Chris looked at me. “And was it?”

“Sure. I made good friends, we’re seeing a few of them on this trip.” I shrugged. “And I had archery, which I was really into. It was fun. I hope Emily has as much fun as I did . . . They take things so seriously these days. And the debt is nuts.”

Chris nodded. “Yeah, I never had any debt. I worked in my family business for a few years, then started my own.”

“As a contractor?”

“Yeah. My parents focused on houses, I do larger buildings and stores, but it’s the same work.” He shrugged. “I like it. It pays well, and because my mother-in-law helps with the kids, I can afford better schools. I couldn’t do it without her.” He laughed. “And compared to all those fancy doctors and lawyers, I think I have less stress. What do you do?”

I said seriously, “I’m a fancy, overstressed lawyer.”

Chris made a face. “Whoops.”

I laughed. “It’s fine, I love it. I started out wanting to defend the defenseless, right, like you do when you’re twenty, but then I got pregnant with Emily and had to switch to plan B, which was go into corporate law and make a load of money so I could afford to be a single parent.” I noticed Chris hadn’t asked me about Emily’s dad, unlike everyone else. “Work kind of expanded to fill all my available time, though, so I’m not sure I’m doing all that well on the parenting front.”

I looked over at the kids. They were laughing at something on Emily’s phone and seemed fine. I turned back to find Chris looking at me.

“I’m sure you’re a good mom,” he said. “We all worry.”

I shrugged. “I’m lucky, I have a great nanny who takes amazing care of Emily while I’m stuck at work, but now I worry that I missed all of it.”

“Well, I have a mother-in-law and feel the same way.”

I hesitated, because I wanted to ask where his wife was, but it’s a minefield. He took pity on me.

“My wife left us when the kids were younger. She’d been leaving slowly for a couple of years and her mom had been there a lot, so I’m not entirely sure the kids were as traumatized by it as I was. Her mom took it worst.” He paused and looked over at Will. “He’s always had his head on straight, but my older daughter is a disaster already and she’s only twenty.” Another bite of donut, another sip of coffee. “But I guess like mother like daughter.”