Bobby's Arc

Chapter 5 of 8

Claire answers on the second ring. Her brother explains who Bobby is and what she wants. There's a pause. Then Claire says she'll meet Bobby at the courthouse tomorrow morning at nine. Bobby hears it in her voice — not enthusiasm, not suspicion. Just calculation. She thanks him and heads back to the refuge, but sleep doesn't come easy. The courthouse steps are wider than Bobby expected. She arrives ten minutes early and waits by the columns, watching cars pull into the lot. Claire shows up at nine exactly, carrying a folder thick with papers. She's younger than Bobby imagined, maybe thirty, with the same careful eyes as her brother. They shake hands. Claire doesn't waste time. "I'll give you full access to the permits process," she says. "You can see every form, every inspection report, every rejection letter I got. But first you register your name on this." She pulls out a document from the folder. It's old paper, edges water-stained and soft, but the fields are blank and waiting. "It's a county health registration form," Claire says. "For your own operation. Not mine. I looked you up. You've been running an underground refuge for three years. If you want to learn how to build something that lasts, you start by putting your name on record." Bobby stares at the form. Her hands don't shake but they want to. This wasn't the deal she thought she was making. She came here to help Claire, to learn by watching someone else take the risk. But Claire's eyes are steady and Bobby recognizes the test. Claire's asking if Bobby actually wants to build something or if she just wants to keep hiding behind other people's dreams. Bobby pulls a pen from her pocket. She writes her full name in the first blank space, then the address of the building she called about last week. When she hands it back, Claire doesn't smile, but she opens the folder wider. "Good," Claire says. "Now we can start." Bobby feels the weight shift. She's not helping Claire anymore. They're building two kitchens. And everyone will know her name.