***
A few weeks later, I brought them to meet her anyway. We met at a small coffee shop near my apartment. Anna was ten minutes late, and I could see that as every minute passed, my mother grew more annoyed.
But Anna didn’t have a choice. Aaron’s sitter had canceled, and she’d had to bring him along.
When they arrived, Anna looked flustered. Her hair was in a loose bun, she wore jeans and a pale blouse, and one side of her collar was slightly curled. Aaron clung to her hand, eyes scanning the pastry counter as they walked in.
« A good man is hard to find. »
« This is Anna, » I said, standing to greet them. « And this is Aaron. »
My mother stood, offered her hand, and gave Anna a smile that didn’t have any warmth.
« You must be exhausted, Anna. »
« I am, » Anna replied with a soft laugh. « It’s been one of those days. »
My mother asked Aaron a single question. « What’s your favorite subject in school? »
