Mom grins like I’ve given her the best present she could imagine. “Nice to meet you, Kendall. I’m Cindy.”
They’ve moved further into the house now. My Dad offers a polite wave and introduces himself to Kendall. We’re all standing awkwardly in the living room.
“What are you all doing here?” I offer Mom a stern look, not that it puts a damper on her enthusiasm. “It’s a long drive for another visit.”
“We’re going to look at some flooring tomorrow,” Dad says. “There’s a place up here our friend recommended. Ain’t anywhere around home to get that kinda stuff.” He holds his hands up. “Don’t worry, we aren’t crashing here. We’ve got a hotel room.”
There are places closer than Louisville for them to look at flooring, but I let that go.
“Have a seat.” I gesture to the couch.
They sit on the couch, and Kendall moves to sit in the recliner, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for me. I pull a chairover from the kitchen table. Mom’s looking at Kendall, and Dad alternates between glancing around and opening his mouth like he might be about to say something.
“So Kendall,” Mom says. “Where you from dear? I hear the accent.”
Kendall looks at me, perhaps for permission, and I give her a nod. Let her shock them. “Oh, I’m from Blacksburg,” she says.
At that, Dad’s head snaps over. He leans forward. “Yeah? What’s your last name?”
“Hodges. It was Amburgey back then. Took my mama’s name later on.”
My mom makes a tiny squeaking noise that she tries to cover with a cough. Kendall, for her part, looks extremely pleased with herself. Her eyes sparkle. God, I’m really into this woman. I should hate making my parents uncomfortable, but I can’t find it in me to care.
“You two are working together then?” My mom glances at me. Her eyes widen.
“We’re also dating,” I tell her and Dad. My father’s frown makes him look like puppet whose face has been pulled down. “This is who I was telling you about.”
“Oh.” My mom fluffs her hair up, a nervous habit of hers. “You never told us who it was, though. In fact, I recall you saying we wouldn’t know her.”
“You don’t really know her all that much, do you?”
Mom chuckles again. Dad’s still frowning at her like she’s a puzzle he might solve.
She directs her attention at Kendall. “You look awfully different now,” she says. My shoulders tense. “I didn’t even recognize you! Have you, uh, lost weight?”
“Low carb.” Kendall smiles, and I nearly laugh out loud. She told me just yesterday she would count carbs when hell freezes over, so I know that joke was for my benefit. “You’re just the same as I remember!”
My mom beams, even though I’m not sure Kendall meant it as a compliment. Mom at least loses some of the tacit disdain dripping from her expression.
“So, you’re a nurse now, Grant says?” My dad almost looks suspicious. My muscles tense. What the hell is he about to say?
If I’m being honest, it’s pretty awful having my snobbery reflected back to me like this. I know what my parents think of people like Kendall’s mother, even though so many in our home county are in a similar situation. Are they even worse than I thought? My mouth tastes sour.
“She just got into med school, actually,” I say.
My dad makes a noncommittal grunting noise, like he’s not that impressed. “I imagine your background helped. They favor that kind of thing.”
That asshole. My fists clench.
Kendall blinks a few times. Her black lashes fan with the movement. “For people who already work in healthcare, you mean?” She’s pretending not to know what he means.
“Robert.” My mom laughs nervously. She looks at Kendall. “Yes, I’m sure nursing has prepared you well.”
“I bet,” Dad says. I tense. “It’s sure nice to have a doctor for a boyfriend too. Maybe you won’t have to go through with med school.”
“What are you suggesting?” Kendall straightens in her chair.
“Nothing,” Dad says, and my blood boils. It scares me how angry he’s making me. “Just that with your upbringing, I’m sure you’re looking for someone who can . . . provide.”
