HAD a Mexican feast. That’s what Weezy kept calling it, when it was really just fajitas and refried beans. She moved around the kitchen with a great sense of purpose, repeating the phrase “Mexican feast,” while Maureen sat at the counter and chopped jalapeños and Martha used the blender to make margaritas from a thick syrup, ice, and tequila.
Max and Claire set the table, and each time that Weezy said, “Mexican feast,” Max held up another finger to count. They were up to eight.
“Martha, did you tell Maureen about your job?” Weezy asked. Martha shook her head.
“What’s going on?” Maureen asked.
“It’s nothing, really. I’ve just been thinking about maybe leaving J.Crew. Maybe going back to nursing.”
“That’s great.”
“Well, it’s just an idea. I actually have to look into getting recertified and all of that. I’m not exactly sure what I need to do.” Martha looked overwhelmed just getting the words out.
“You’ll do it. We’ll figure it out. We can look it up online after dinner. I’m sure it will be no trouble.” Weezy’s peppy comments came out all in a row, and Max and Claire smiled at each other.
“You know …,” Maureen started. She held the knife in her hand and looked off in the distance, like she was trying to remember something. “I have a friend that runs a high-end caretaker business. Well, more of a friend of a friend, really. She places really smart, bright people in the homes of the elderly—the really rich elderly.”
“Really?” Martha asked.
“Yeah, and I was just thinking. That might be a nice way to ease your way back into it, you know? You could look into getting recertified, sort of reacquaint yourself with some parts of the job. And it pays pretty well.”
“That sounds interesting,” Weezy said. She looked so hopeful that Claire wanted to smack her. Weezy couldn’t hide how badly she wanted things to go well for Martha, all the time. “Don’t you think that sounds interesting?”
“Maybe,” Martha said. “Of course, the work I did as a nurse is totally different than a caretaker.”
“Oh, of course. We know that. But just like Maureen said, it would be a good way to ease your way back in.” Weezy was holding her hands together and staring at Martha.
“Okay, well, I’ll think about it.”
“I’ll get you in touch with the woman when we get back,” Maureen said. Martha nodded.
Weezy practically danced the fajitas to the table. She made a big deal of sipping her margarita and proclaiming it delicious. They all sat down and began assembling their fajitas. Max took three right away and piled on every topping there was, while Weezy repeated the conversation about Martha’s possible new job to Will, who had been upstairs while it happened.
“It’s very exciting,” Weezy said. “It just sounds great.”
They’d be talking about this all week. Whenever Martha did anything—got a raise, had a fight with a coworker, folded a shirt at her job—they all talked about it like it was the most interesting thing in the world, like she had done something so fantastic they couldn’t believe it.
“Max, when do classes start?” Claire asked. She wanted to change the subject.
Max looked up from the huge fajita he was about to put in his mouth. “Um, next week. I have only four classes, though, so I don’t have anything until Wednesday.”
“How can you have only four classes?” Martha asked.
“Got ’em all done,” Max said. He smiled and shoved the fajita in his mouth.
“I had full semesters all through college,” Martha said. She was looking at Cleo, who was the only one polite enough to listen. “Nursing is tough, I’ll tell you that much.”
Max put his hand on Cleo’s thigh, which was bare, since she was of course still in her bikini. Claire wondered if her dad still felt uncomfortable eating with a half-naked stranger, or if he was getting used to it.
“What’s your major, Cleo?” Martha asked.
“Economics and French,” she said.
“That’s an interesting combination,” Weezy said. “I wouldn’t have thought those two go together.”
“They don’t, really.” Cleo laughed a little. “I wanted to study French, but my mother told me it was a waste of time and that I had to pick something in the business school. But I figured out I could do both if I took some summer classes and a couple extra here and there. I just love my French classes.”
“That’s great,” Weezy said.
“See?” Max said. “Cleo balances me out with her classes.”
“That’s just how Martha was with her nursing classes,” Weezy said. “She always