“No, what did you say?”
“That you can come home with me. I’m sure my parents won’t mind.”
“Are you serious?” Sophia looked at Willa.
“Sure. My father’s favorite saying is ‘The more the merrier.’ There is always room at our table.”
“Thank you,” Sophia said. Comforted and slightly afraid at the same time.
On the Wednesday of fall break, all classes ended at eleven-thirty. The cafeteria staff had set up stainless-steel coffee urns, hot chocolate, and porcelain platters of crumb cake in the lobby of the dormitory. Sophia had wrapped several pieces of cake in a napkin and dropped them into her satchel bag for the ride.
“Let’s wait outside. I want to see if I can catch a glimpse of Max before he leaves.” Willa puckered her lips.
As Sophia stood with Willa in front of the administrative building, she watched shiny cars in shades of blue, red, and white glide through the roundabout with silver letters that declared Thunderbird, Grand Prix, and Starfire. Sophia felt a twinge of envy as herfellow classmates were reunited with mothers in silk dresses, under blond mink, wearing enough diamonds and pearls to decorate a Christmas tree.
“There’s the car,” said Willa excitedly. Her cape-collared coat was open, and as she waved, her miniskirt rose up her thighs, showing off brand-new opaque pantyhose. Sophia had worn her best hand-me-down drop-waist dress, which hung below her knees, and quilted coat. She tried not to think about how out of fashion she looked next to Willa.
A sparkling black Cadillac Fleetwood rounded the bend. The car slowed to a stop, and a tall, smooth-faced man exited the front seat in a crisp black suit with a midway cap. “Miss Willa, so good to see you.” He beamed perfect white teeth.
“Lovely to see you too, Paulie.” Willa motioned to Sophia and made a quick introduction.
Sophia smiled but thought,A driver?Just how wealthy was Willa? Sophia had seen chauffeured cars only on television, and the passengers were always white.
Paulie reached for the handle and opened the back door. A pair of patent-leather heels with interlocking C’s on the toe touched the ground. As the woman emerged from the car, Sophia saw that her hair fell in loose curls around her face. She wore a purple tweed skirt suit with the same “CC” on the buttons. The woman looked posh and expensive but slightly older than Sophia had pictured Willa’s mother.
“Grandma Rose,” Willa squealed. “I didn’t know you were coming to pick me up.”
“Darling, I wanted to surprise you.” Willa’s grandmother opened her arms wide, and Willa fell into them. “Let me look at you.” She took a step back and examined Willa. “You’ve grown, darling, and look at those rosy cheeks.” She pinched.
Sophia shifted from one foot to the other.
“Grandma Rose, this is my roommate, Sophia. I’ve invited her tocome with us. She lives too far to go home for such a short break. I hope that’s okay.” She batted her eyelashes in a way that conveyed she always got what she wanted.
Grandma Rose’s nose tilted up in the air as if she had just sniffed something unsavory. Sophia watched as the woman’s eyes took her in from head to toe.
“Hello, dear. I am Mrs. Pride.” She stuck out her gloved hand.
Sophia pumped it. “Sophia Clark.”
“Clark?” Mrs. Pride said. “Are you related to the Clark sisters? Detroit is such a long way to travel.”
Sophia looked blank. “No, ma’am. I’m from Prince Frederick, Maryland,” she said. Then noticed the look of disdain that passed through Rose Pride’s eyes as she leaned in closer.
“Farmland, then?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Sophia wrapped her arms around herself.
The way Mrs. Pride’s eyes cast up and down Sophia’s body, it was as if she could see the paint-chipped farmhouse with the missing shingles. What had Sophia agreed to? Was it too late to turn back? Perhaps hiding out in her dorm room wasn’t such a bad idea after all. The uncomfortable look from Mrs. Pride was crushing her, and they had not even left school grounds yet. How would Willa’s parents treat her?
“Well, let’s do get a move on. We have a little ways to go, and I don’t want to get caught in traffic.” Paulie took Sophia’s train case, which looked battered and bruised next to Willa’s coral Samsonite set, and placed them in the trunk of the car. When Sophia moved toward the backseat, Mrs. Pride held up her gloved hand.
“Why don’t you ride up front with Paulie, where there’s more room, dear,” she said to Sophia as she slid across the backseat and clasped Willa’s hand.
As they pulled away from West Oak Forest Academy, Paulie slipped Sophia a peppermint. She rested her head back on the softleather of the seat as she listened to Mrs. Pride coddle Willa with sweet words.
“Wait until you see the gorgeous dress I bought you to wear for Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Grandma Rose, you shouldn’t have.”
