Unfortunately, she had a point.
After that, I started noticing too.
Adrian checked his watch during dessert.
He never drank more than one glass of wine.
He parked in a way that made leaving easy.
And whenever anyone suggested coffee after dinner, he became restless.
One evening I asked:
“Big plans?”
He smiled.
“Client call.”
“At eight?”
“International.”
“Where?”
He hesitated for half a second.
“Singapore.”
Claire slowly raised her eyes from her plate.
“Cool.”
Adrian smiled.
“Very different time zone.”
Claire nodded solemnly.
“Is that the same time zone as the Sunday-night plumber?”
I nearly inhaled a green bean.
“Claire.”
“What?”
Adrian laughed.
But his eyes did not.
Another Sunday, the excuse was an elderly neighbor who needed help opening medication bottles.
Another, an alarm company technician.
Another, a delivery that “couldn’t be rescheduled.”
Eventually I asked Mom:
“Have you ever been to his house?”
We were alone in her kitchen.
She was washing a wineglass.
She paused.
“No.”
“Six months?”
“Sophie.”
“I’m asking.”
“He’s private.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“He says his place is small.”
“Have you seen it?”
“No.”
“Do you know exactly where he lives?”
Her shoulders tightened.
“Near the south side.”
“That’s vague.”
“He told me the neighborhood.”
“Have you met any of his friends?”
“A few people from Willowcrest Community Garden.”
“Family?”
“No.”
“Mom.”
She turned.
“Stop.”
Her voice was sharper than I expected.
I went quiet.
Then she looked down at the sink.
“You think I don’t notice.”
My anger disappeared immediately.
“Mom.”
“I notice.”
Her voice softened.
“I notice every time he checks his watch.”
“Every time he changes the reason.”
“I’m not stupid.”
“I never said you were.”
“No.”
“But you keep looking at me like I’m about to get hurt.”
