Marcus's mother came for Christmas.
She came for four days and stayed in the guest room and approached the holiday with the practical energy of a woman who considered sentiment optional but competence mandatory. She had opinions about the turkey, which she communicated by simply taking over its preparation at seven a.m. on Christmas morning. Nobody argued. The turkey was excellent.
Ava adored her immediately, which I think surprised Claudette. She was not a woman who expected to be adored. She was a woman who expected to be respected, which was different, and which Ava apparently communicated in her own way by choosing to sit in Claudette's lap for extended periods and bringing her various objects for evaluation.
"She's very sociable," Claudette said, looking down at Ava with an express
