“I’m generous.”
***
Inside, Emma ordered him soup, meatloaf, and coffee. She asked for plain, cooked meat for Gypsy.
I ordered the cheapest soup.
Emma noticed.
“You said I could get what I wanted, Mom.”
“You can.”
“So can you.”
I ordered the cheapest soup.
“I want soup.”
She gave me the look she used when she knew I was lying but loved me enough not to say it.
Barry ate slowly. He slipped small pieces of food to Gypsy beneath the table.
When the check came, Emma emptied her purse. She counted every bill and coin twice.
Barry watched her.
“Why spend everything on a stranger?”
“I want soup.”
“Because you looked lonely.”
“Lonely people don’t always deserve kindness.”
“Maybe not,” she said. “But they still need it.”
His eyes shifted toward me.
“Did your mother teach you that?”
“Yes, she did.”
