Page 35 of Fighting For You

We test-drove the Corolla and the Mazda. Knox sat in the passenger seat with his window down. The Corolla drove exactly the way it looked. The Mazda was lighter, more responsive, and made me feel like I was driving something that actually wanted to be driven.

"I like the Mazda."

"I thought you would."

"But the Corolla is the smarter choice."

"Probably."

I thought about my budget. The insurance payout from the fire had covered some things, but between replacing documents, buying essentials, and putting down rent at Barb's, the cushion was thin. The Corolla was two thousand dollars less. Two thousand dollars was two months of breathing room.

"I don't have to decide today, do I?"

"No. Ray's not going anywhere. And neither are those cars."

We thanked Ray and left. Knox drove south toward the Henderson seller, but the guy wasn't answering his phone, so we kept going until the lots ran out and the afternoon had settled in.

"Are you hungry?" Knox asked.

"Starving."

He pulled into a diner off Stephanie Street with a neon sign and a parking lot that was half-full for a Saturday afternoon. The smell of grease and coffee hit us before we got to the door.

We took a booth by the window. The vinyl seats were cracked at the edges and the table had that permanent stickiness that no amount of wiping would fix. I slid in across from Knox and picked up the menu.

I flipped through the pages. Burgers, sandwiches, breakfast all day. I turned to the next page and found a row of chicken tender options with different sauces and sides listed underneath.

"The tenders here aren't too bad," Knox said.

"I'll get those then."

He closed his menu. "I'll do a burger."

The waitress came by. We gave her our orders and she told us it'd be about fifteen minutes.

While we waited, we talked about the cars. Knox went through the shortlist. The Corolla from Ray's lot was the safest option, reliable and within budget. The Mazda drove better but cost more and had higher mileage. The Civic from the first lot was off the table because of the paint and the VIN sticker. The private seller in Henderson was still worth checking if the guy ever picked up his phone.

"If it were your money," I said, "which one would you buy?"

"The Corolla."

"That was fast."

"Because it's the right answer. The Mazda's more fun, but you need something that's going to run for three years without giving you problems. The Corolla will do that."

"You sound like my financial advisor."

"Do you have a financial advisor?"

"No. But if I did, I'd want him to sound exactly like you."

He shook his head, but I caught the smile before he picked up his water.

The food came. The burger was stacked high enough that Knox had to press it down with both hands before he could take a bite. My tenders were golden and still crackling from the fryer.

"This looks good," I said.

We dug in. Knox went straight for the burger. I picked up a tender and bit into it.