unnecessarily explained what a country club was.
At one point, she asked my mother,
“Have you ever eaten somewhere like this before?”
It sounded polite.
It wasn’t.
My mother answered without any sign of discomfort.
Then she asked Catherine about her gallery.
She asked Robert about his legal work.
She listened closely.
She contributed thoughtful observations about her own clients and career.
If someone bothered to actually listen, it was obvious she was sharp, experienced, and intelligent.
But the dress remained there like an uninvited guest.
And I could see
