“How did it go?” I ask as I pull away from the curb, trying my best to not ask questions specifically about Holly. I only want to know because I’m worried about my daughter, not because of my checkered history with Holly. Still, it makes me realize it was a good call to reach out to Cherrybomb. She’s only sent a couple messages, but I already like her. She’s sassy, and she doesn’t care what people think of her.
Shit. Am I only interested because she reminds me a little of Holly?
Oh, for fuck’s sake.“Great,” Jane says, but something about the way she says it makes me think she’s holding something back.
“What did you learn?”
“How to make an avatar.”
“Really?” I ask, shooting her a glance. “What’s it look like?”
“A person,” she says grumpily, then turns to face me. “Why’d you make Holly go out into the hall earlier?”
“I just wanted to ask what she was going to be teaching you.”
Her dry look makes it clear she doesn’t believe me.
“Did you make any friends?”
She groans. “This isn’t kindergarten, Dad, and besides, it’s other kids from school. I already know them all.”
“Okaaay,” I say slowly, “Then did you get to sit by someone you like?”
“Ollie. He’s like the only boy in the class. But we were so busy we didn’t have time to talk. Holly and Mikey were teaching us how to code.” She cocks her head. “Can I get a computer?”
“A computer? You already have a tablet.”
“But Holly says you can’t do this type of coding on a tablet. I need a computer.”
Holly says, I grumble in my head. “You want to code at home?” I ask out loud.
“Yeah. It’s cool. Did you know that women made the first digital computer?”
“Uh…no. I never gave it any thought.”
“Holly said that guys try to tell girls they aren’t smart enough for science and math, but that women not only made the first digital computer in 1951 but also helped NASA get to the moon. She says there’s a movie about it. Can I watch it tonight after I finish my homework?”
I’m not sure how I feel about Jane hero-worshiping Holly, but at the same time…it’s nice to see her enthusiastic about something. She hasn’t been this animated for weeks. “There’s a movie about the computer?”
“No, Dad! About the women and the moon. It’s calledHidden Figures. Can I watch it?”
I feel like I have whiplash. “Uh, yeah. I’ll tell Nanny Faye it’s okay.”
“Thanks, Dad. And the computer…can I get one?”
“We’ll have to hold off on that. Computers are expensive.”
She doesn’t give me an argument, but some of the joy has siphoned out of her. Is she upset because I didn’t readily agree to her request? She’s not one to pout when she doesn’t get what she asks for—especially something expensive—but she’s hard to read these days.
When we get to the brewery, she heads through the side door into the dining room and hops up on a barstool in front of Brittany.
“The usual?” Brittany asks with a wide grin.
“Yep.” She leans her elbow on the bar top and rests her chin in her hand. “Hey, Brittany, did you know that women made the first digital computer in 1951?”
“I sure didn’t,” she says and shoots me a grin.
I shrug, then check the ice bins as Brittany fills a glass with ice and Sprite then adds lime and a couple of maraschino cherries. As she pushes it across the counter to Jane, she adds, “But it doesn’t surprise me much.”
