sleeves.
“Morning, Matt,” Julie said. “Celeste looks nice today, doesn’t she?”
“Morning. Celeste always looks nice.” Matt hurried past them to grab a banana from the counter. “Why is she wearing a scarf?”
Julie practically snorted. “You two are definitely related.”
Matt talked through a mouthful of fruit. “It’s not winter. We have to get moving. You ready?”
Celeste nodded and took her backpack from the floor. “Julie, are you sure this scarf is a good choice for me?”
“You are a beautiful girl, and it doesn’t really matter what you wear. I like the scarf on you, but take it off if you want. As long as you don’t borrow your brother’s T-shirts, you’ll be stunning.” Julie turned to Matt. “Don’t think that bag strap ishiding your shirt from me. I can still read it.” Today’s T-shirt said:
ME: like you, only better
. “You’re straight out of
GQ
, Matt.”
“I do my best. Come on, Celeste. Julie, do you want a ride? I just have to run a few errands after I drop her off, and then I’ll be back for a few hours before I have to be at school.”
“No thanks. I have to leave in a few minutes for class, and I don’t mind walking to the T.”
“Bye, Julie. Thanks for the scarf. I guess. And my hair.” Celeste followed Matt out of the room.
“And the music. Don’t forget to listen to the music!” Julie called after her. “I’ll see you after school!”
Julie sat down at the kitchen table and sipped her coffee while she went over her schedule for the week.
“Hello,” Roger said as he came into the room. “Oh, you made coffee? Wonderful. I’ll make a cup for Erin. We’re both biking to work today, and we have these delightful cup holders that fit right on the handlebars.”
“It’s a beautiful day for a ride,” Julie said. And it was. The humidity had vanished over the weekend, and the temperature had dropped to a comfortable seventy-five degrees.
“What do you have there?” Roger asked as he filled two stainless travel cups. “Is that your course schedule?”
Julie nodded. “Yeah. First day of classes today.”
Erin breezed past her, clad in dark pants and a short-sleeve dress shirt, her outfit completed by a bike helmet and riding gloves. “What’s on the educational agenda for today?”
“Applied Calculus and then Intro to Psych,” Julie said. “Those are both Monday, Wednesday, and Friday classes. I’ll be home with plenty of time to get Celeste, though, so don’t worry.”
“Applied Calculus, huh? Didn’t you do that in high school?” Erin asked.
“I took an AP calc class, and this seems to be the next step. Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have Intro to Eighteenth-Century Literature and then Economics of Poverty in the US.”
Erin adjusted her bike helmet and grabbed two water bottles from the fridge. “That’s a good first-semester schedule you’ve chosen. Roger, are we set?”
“We are. Don’t forget that I have my final pretrip meeting tonight, so I won’t be home until late. Julie, hope your first day of classes goes well.” He patted her shoulder as he walked past her. “I’ll grab my gear and meet you out front, Erin.”
“I don’t know what time Matt will be back from school. If he isn’t home by six, would you order dinner for us from the Bulgarian restaurant? The menu is by the phone, and they have our credit card on file.” Erin tucked a strand of hair under her helmet. “Enjoy yourself, college girl.” Erin turned to leave and then stopped. “I hope this isn’t an awkward question, Julie, but do you have money for your textbooks? I know how overpriced they can be.”
“I just got my financial-aid check, and since I’m not paying rent now, I should be fine.”
“Don’t be shy about letting me know if you need help with anything.”
Julie could think of a number of nonfinancial things that she’d like help with.
Gee, would you like to tell me why the hell your teenage daughter is glued at the hip to a
“Morning, Matt,” Julie said. “Celeste looks nice today, doesn’t she?”
“Morning. Celeste always looks nice.” Matt hurried past them to grab a banana from the counter. “Why is she wearing a scarf?”
Julie practically snorted. “You two are definitely related.”
Matt talked through a mouthful of fruit. “It’s not winter. We have to get moving. You ready?”
Celeste nodded and took her backpack from the floor. “Julie, are you sure this scarf is a good choice for me?”
“You are a beautiful girl, and it doesn’t really matter what you wear. I like the scarf on you, but take it off if you want. As long as you don’t borrow your brother’s T-shirts, you’ll be stunning.” Julie turned to Matt. “Don’t think that bag strap ishiding your shirt from me. I can still read it.” Today’s T-shirt said:
ME: like you, only better
. “You’re straight out of
GQ
, Matt.”
“I do my best. Come on, Celeste. Julie, do you want a ride? I just have to run a few errands after I drop her off, and then I’ll be back for a few hours before I have to be at school.”
“No thanks. I have to leave in a few minutes for class, and I don’t mind walking to the T.”
“Bye, Julie. Thanks for the scarf. I guess. And my hair.” Celeste followed Matt out of the room.
“And the music. Don’t forget to listen to the music!” Julie called after her. “I’ll see you after school!”
Julie sat down at the kitchen table and sipped her coffee while she went over her schedule for the week.
“Hello,” Roger said as he came into the room. “Oh, you made coffee? Wonderful. I’ll make a cup for Erin. We’re both biking to work today, and we have these delightful cup holders that fit right on the handlebars.”
“It’s a beautiful day for a ride,” Julie said. And it was. The humidity had vanished over the weekend, and the temperature had dropped to a comfortable seventy-five degrees.
“What do you have there?” Roger asked as he filled two stainless travel cups. “Is that your course schedule?”
Julie nodded. “Yeah. First day of classes today.”
Erin breezed past her, clad in dark pants and a short-sleeve dress shirt, her outfit completed by a bike helmet and riding gloves. “What’s on the educational agenda for today?”
“Applied Calculus and then Intro to Psych,” Julie said. “Those are both Monday, Wednesday, and Friday classes. I’ll be home with plenty of time to get Celeste, though, so don’t worry.”
“Applied Calculus, huh? Didn’t you do that in high school?” Erin asked.
“I took an AP calc class, and this seems to be the next step. Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have Intro to Eighteenth-Century Literature and then Economics of Poverty in the US.”
Erin adjusted her bike helmet and grabbed two water bottles from the fridge. “That’s a good first-semester schedule you’ve chosen. Roger, are we set?”
“We are. Don’t forget that I have my final pretrip meeting tonight, so I won’t be home until late. Julie, hope your first day of classes goes well.” He patted her shoulder as he walked past her. “I’ll grab my gear and meet you out front, Erin.”
“I don’t know what time Matt will be back from school. If he isn’t home by six, would you order dinner for us from the Bulgarian restaurant? The menu is by the phone, and they have our credit card on file.” Erin tucked a strand of hair under her helmet. “Enjoy yourself, college girl.” Erin turned to leave and then stopped. “I hope this isn’t an awkward question, Julie, but do you have money for your textbooks? I know how overpriced they can be.”
“I just got my financial-aid check, and since I’m not paying rent now, I should be fine.”
“Don’t be shy about letting me know if you need help with anything.”
Julie could think of a number of nonfinancial things that she’d like help with.
Gee, would you like to tell me why the hell your teenage daughter is glued at the hip to a
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