Chapter 84.7: The Women’s Brain Trust Unites
Candy’s POV—Sunday Night
I’m doing the research, reading back through my college texts and looking in SHRM for the answer.
How on earth do you fight sexism when a lot of women can’t even agree on a definition? Personally, I like the definition ‘discrimination based on gender and the attitudes, stereotypes, and the cultural elements that promote this discrimination,’ because it acknowledges both the act and the supporting culture, but I’m betting there will be at least one woman in the brain trust who disagrees with me.
That’s important in Miami. The culture supports this kind of discrimination. This is also going to be a hard discussion for the company leadership. I wonder if Steph plans to bring this up with the Leadership Core. The RangeMan ‘culture’ is militaristic and highly male-oriented. Men own the company, men run the company, and men are 99% of the company. Steph and I are the only company-wide leaders.
This could get sticky.
I take a break from reading and go to the kitchen in search of a snack. My phone rings and I run to answer.
“Hi, honey!”
“Hi, baby.” Hal. I grin and search through the fridge for a snack.
“Hi! How’s it going?” I place the grapes and cheese on a plate and return to our bedroom. It feels so empty without him. I find the hidden chocolate and add that to the plate. It’s that time. I need it but I have to hide it here. Hal has a serious sweet tooth.
“Rough. This branch is . . . ” He sighs. “I almost don’t want you to come.”
“Why?”
“Because they have no respect for women.”
“You already knew that.”
“But I’d never been here. Now that I’m here and I see it, it’s ten times worse.”
I sit back against the pillows. “I’m so sorry, baby,” I reply softly.
Hal snorts. “I’m OK. I’m a man so they don’t push me. Steph’s the one getting it and she won’t let me or Mack kill them.”
I laugh. “Which is worse, Mark or Miami?”
“Miami, by a long shot.”
My eyebrow rises. “Wow.”
“Yeah. I could take Mark every day of the week compared to this.”
“Well, what’s the weather like? Talk to me about something happy.”
I listen as Hal describes the weather, the beach, and the fact that Edna Mazur is driving Miami crazy. She’s having fun at the nude beach and they hate her. I laugh through his stories. I wondered what Stephanie had in mind. She just said that I’d helped her immensely.
“Well, I arrive Friday. I’m ready.”
“I’m ready,” Hal replies. “I miss you.”
“Oh, baby. I miss you too. Love you.”
“Love you. Bye.”
“Bye.” Click.
Monday—Noon
My phone rings as I’m considering what to do next. More research on sexism? Or more admin?
“Yo!” It wasn’t Hal’s ringtone.
“Yo!” Steph. I sit down and smile. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to figure out what to do next.”
“Ah. You have a moment?”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“I found a survey online to test for sexism. I’d like the women of this company to take it first so we can talk about it tonight.”
“OK. Meeting’s still at 1900 eastern, right?”
“Right.” Click.
I’m still trying to get accustomed to the phone manners at RangeMan.
I log into my email and find the survey. I take it and I’m surprised by my results. 1.18 hostile, 2.27 benevolent. Average of 1.73. I’m not a sexist but I do score close to the threshold for benevolent sexism. That’s interesting. And really eye opening. I pick up my phone and dial Hal.
“Hey.”
“Hey. Steph found a way to test for sexism.”
“Really?” He sounds really interested.
“Yes. I’m not going to tell you how and I’m asking you not to go looking. I want you to take the test honestly when she rolls it out.”
“OK. Your scores must have been interesting for you to call me.”
“Yeah. On average, I’m not a sexist, but I do score highly in one aspect of sexism.”
There’s a long silence. “OK, don’t tell me any more because I’m fighting my own curiosity to keep my promise to you. We’ll talk about it after I take the test, OK?”
“OK.” Click.
I was prepared that time.
1700. The conference line is packed and very quiet.
“OK, everyone took the survey?” Steph.
“Yes,” we chorus. Every housekeeper is here but Steph was slick. She asked Cindy, Monica, Lula, and Mariela to join the call. After all, they’re married to the leaders in this company and they’re part of the RangeWoman ‘sisterhood’. They can help.
It’s quiet before Ella speaks up. “I have to say Stephanie, this was eye-opening. I never thought of myself as sexist, but I scored highly in benevolent sexism.”
There’s a chorus of ‘me too’s’ on the line. “Did anyone score under 2.5 in benevolent sexism?” Steph asks.
“Me,” Lula says. “You know I’m not used to half that stuff so I don’t expect it.”
“Me too,” Monica says. “1.18.”
“Anyone else?” Silence. “Candy?”
I sigh. “2.27, Steph.”
“Wow. OK, is there anyone on the line whose ambivalent score came out over 2.5?”
“Mine did.” That was Ella, I know, and Maria, I think. I also heard a third voice.
“So, Ella and Maria but who else called out yes?”
“Yes, this is Lourdes. My ambivalent score was over 2.5 also.”
“I’m confessing too. This is Rose and I scored right over 2.5.”
“Mariela. Solid 2.72.” I cringe. Damn!
“Cindy. 2.54.”
I consider this. More than half of the housekeepers themselves score in the sexist range. Interesting. And, if I’m not mistaken, they’re all Hispanic. Oh, and Ms. Rose is black. The wives of the two southern XOs, who also happen to be SAHMs, also scored extremely high. I find it very interesting that Mariela scored as highly as she did. I can’t wait to see Mando’s score. I pull my sheet listing the ladies on the line. Susan and Lucia are the only housekeepers who came out clean overall but their benevolent must have been high.
“OK. So, now that we all know how we score, let’s talk about how we’re going to fix this in the men,” Steph says. I’m glad. No need to dwell on it right now.
I decide to begin here. “Well, I think it’s important to acknowledge that we’re talking about two types of sexism. The hostile sexism is a huge problem. That’s what people normally think of when they think of sexism, but the benevolent sexism is a problem too and we need to fix it.”
Murmurs of agreement on the line.
“Well, I’m not sure I completely understand the benevolent sexism score.”
“OK. Who is speaking?”
“Mariela.”
“OK. Well, the idea behind benevolent sexism is that you conform to gender stereotypes. It feels good but it’s dangerous because what happens if you step out of line? It’s the old Jackie vs. Marilyn debate.”
There’s a chorus of ‘Ahhhs’ and I smile. I had to think about a frame of reference everyone would understand.
“The old Madonna/Slut fight?” Monica says.
“Exactly. Either you’re worthy of being worshipped or you’re a whore to be used. Problem is, I’m neither woman.”
“I get it,” Mariela says. “I’m no Madonna because it’s hard making love on top of that pedestal”—every woman laughs—”but I’m no whore to be used and discarded. I’m a woman and should be respected. And worshipped on occasion.”
Laughter. “Exactly.”
“The problem I’m having is how to understand what this means in my life,” Lourdes says quietly. “I mean, after I took the test and got my score, I looked up some information but I still don’t quite understand. This almost makes it seem as if it’s wrong to be appreciated.”
And there it is. I knew it. Sigh. This is why it’s hard to get people to take benevolent sexism seriously. It seems so harmless!
“It’s not wrong to be appreciated. Honestly, if Hal want to drive during a long car trip, I’m fine with it. I don’t think he’s making a statement about my driving skills. But here’s something I’ve noticed: when’s the last time any of you ladies drove anywhere in the company of a RangeMan?”
It’s silent on the line. I know everyone’s thinking about that. It took me a long time to find a frame of reference every woman on this line would automatically understand.
“If there’s a RangeMan in the car, they drive. Every time and it’s simply assumed that they’re going to drive. Last I checked, we’re all perfectly capable of driving. Are you telling me that you never want to drive when you get in the car?”
“Oh, damn, she’s good. I know that drives me crazy,” Lula says. “I love driving my Firebird, but if me and Tank go anywhere, he’s driving. Every time.”
“Same here,” Steph says. “That drives me insane about Ranger. And Hector. And Ram, Hal . . . ” She trails off, naming all the RangeMen who have driven for her lately. Slowly, every woman begins talking about that. None of us drive when there’s a RangeMan in the car, no matter how short or long the distance.
“The point is that there’s a fine line between appreciation and taking over because there’s this unstated assumption that you’re a poor driver or you’re less skilled than the man in the car. Every woman on this line, well, except me, has had a course of driving skills with the RangeMen. When’s the last time you actually had a chance to practice the skills with one in the car?”
It’s quiet on the line.
“Benevolent sexism is little things like that. Context is important. Like I said, I don’t think Hal is saying anything about my driving skills when we go places. But I do have to remind him that I’m capable of driving. I have to ask for the car keys. It’s a habit with him that I’m trying to break because I love driving. So I’m trying to get him accustomed to at least asking me if I want to drive. I still want him to open doors and kill spiders”—lots of laughs—”but not because I can’t. I can open my own doors and kill my own spiders, but why not put those lovely muscles to use.”
Open laughter.
“In a male-dominated company like RangeMan, the men are going to be confused by whatever we come up with to modify their behavior because they see themselves as being helpful, especially to the housekeepers. There’s 40+ of them and one of you. They want to be helpful and that’s fine, and as long as you are comfortable with it, that’s fine. We just need to be on the lookout for sexist behavior.”
“I’m sorry, I’m still having problems with this,” Lourdes says. She sighs. “I know I’m new and I’m just getting used to this company, so I don’t want to be a nuisance, but this sounds like double-speak. We want them to be helpful but we want them to ask permission before being helpful? I don’t get it. The driving? That made sense. That’s pretty clear. I guess I need another example.”
I’m looking through my notes for another one when Monica speaks up. “Well, ladies, as an old-school feminist working at a NYC college, I have one. The ‘house Mom’ designation bugs me. It screams that your entire purpose is to ‘Mommy’ grown men and it’s not. Correct me if I’m wrong, Ella, but the role of the housekeeper is to ensure the men are fed healthy snacks in line with the RangeMan standard diet.”
“Right . . .” Ella says, clearly suspicious of where Monica is going. So am I.
“Well, the research behind benevolent sexism says that it reinforces conventional gender roles and punishes anyone who steps outside them, right Candy?”
“Right.”
“And I can’t think of a single role more tied to gender than Mommy and Daddy. So, in your roles as the house ‘moms’, you reinforce a sexist stereotype. That your duty is to take care of the men, feed them, fuss over them when they’re sick, listen to their concerns and mother them, etc. and so forth when your job, according to your contract, is to make snacks and do some light laundry. You’ve simply taken on extra duties, all that cooking you do, because you like them but it’s not your job.”
Bad way of putting it but absolutely right. Everyone is quiet.
“Again, as Candy said, context is important. If the men treat you respectfully and show their appreciation for you in your role as ‘RangeMan Mommy’, then there’s nothing wrong with it. That’s why I’ve always kept my mouth shut with Javi over it. But it could take on a nasty edge and I’ve always worried about that.”
“Right,” Maria says quietly. “And for some of these boys, that’s a bad precedent. That’s what happened to me here in Miami. Some of these boys treat their mothers horribly and because they treat their mothers badly, they treated me badly. Because I saw myself as ‘Mommy’, I didn’t realize how badly I was being treated. I never had children of my own. I thought it was normal.”
I can hear her swallow. “I allowed them to treat me badly because I was used to being praised for my meals and my perfectly white laundry and for being helpful, starting when I was a child. I was always praised for being helpful and cooking a perfect arroz con pollo, not for being smart or ambitious.”
“Right,” Monica says. “It starts early. We reinforce gender stereotypes early then spend the rest of our lives fighting them.”
Everyone is quiet. Monica has raised some very good points and I’m sure every woman on this call is uncomfortable.
“I loved my trip around the company,” Maria says. “The men around the company appreciated me and they were willing to help. That was the difference for me. They respected both me and what I do.” I’m nodding and smiling. “I’ll never forget how it felt when I got to Atlanta and Max actually asked me if plans he’d tentatively made were OK with me. He respected my ability to make a decision and my right to do it. I loved it. I honestly wanted to cry but I was determined to stop being such a watering pot!”
We laugh but I know Rose must be happy hearing that.
“And I think it’s important to make a distinction,” Cindy says. “The issue is not whether we can do something. It’s why they’re doing it for us. Like Candy said, I can drive perfectly well, so why is Danny driving for me? Is this a statement about my driving skills? If so, that’s a habit I need to break. If it’s because he grabbed the keys on the way out of the house while I was trying to get the boys into the car, that’s a coincidence but I also need to note the fact that I never get to drive.”
“Well, as our new HR director, what do you suggest, Ms. Candy?” That’s Rose. I like her. Completely direct and honest. I can’t wait to meet her.
“Well, I’ve been thinking about this all day. Steph’s doing a great job with phase one of the war.”
Ella begins laughing. “Ladies, she flew her grandma, Mrs. Mazur, in to fight them.”
All the women laugh. “How’s that going, Stephanie?”
Steph’s laughing so hard she can’t answer, so Maria does. “Beautifully. They hate Mrs. Mazur. She’s pinching their bums and making them take her to the nude beach. She’s the new favorite of every gay man at the beach because if she strips, the RangeMen have to strip.”
The laughter on the line is loud. Every woman is laughing at the poor Miami men.
“She’s shopping at the adult stores and clubbing in hookah bars and gay clubs. She’s in gay heaven and they’re in Miami hell! Do you know how many gay men there are in Miami? She’s meeting all of them!”
I’m wiping my eyes imagining this. “Excellent. So they’re getting a taste of their sexism and they don’t like it.”
“Oh, Edna’s good,” Maria says, laughing. “They’re getting sexism, ageism, and homophobia lessons all wrapped in one. Mack and Hal are laughing all the time and Diego and Thomas are enjoying it.”
“So phase one is a go,” Susan says. “Now what’s phase two?”
“Well, I sent the link out to all of RangeMan today and I’m watching the scores come in. It’s disturbing. Miami’s the worst but they aren’t alone, so I think that what we decide on in this call will be the basis of an attitude adjustment for the entire company,” Steph says.
It’s quiet again. “You mean that the entire company is scoring badly?” Lucia asks.
“I’m saying that, so far, the scores show that this isn’t just Miami’s problem. It’s just that Miami is the worst. NYC, so far, is scoring high in hostile sexism. Atlanta and San Antonio are scoring highly in benevolent sexism.”
“It makes sense,” Cindy says. “This company was, until a few months ago, all male except for the housekeepers and all of you ladies are in traditional female roles. You are the house ‘Moms’. You are there, essentially, to take care of the men.
I’ll tell you, as a SAHM, it’s hard to compete with all of you. I don’t even attempt to compete with Rose.” Everyone laughs. “But unless I drag Danny home, he could live quite happily in RangeMan, buried in work, being fed three meals a day and taken care of. Sometimes, I feel he only needs me for sex and laundry! That on-site apartment is the bane of my existence.”
We laugh but we all feel her pain. She’s making light of it, but it’s there.
“God knows I agree with you,” Mariela says. “I have to order Mando to come home. It’s been better lately, because Charlotte doesn’t have a housekeeper, but Lourdes, I hear that you are coming to Charlotte?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then I want you to know that he’s required to come home on Sundays. Please help me!”
We laugh.
“I must say, the boys take their cue from the leadership and none of the leadership is married,” Lucia says. We hear a snort.
“Gimme a few months,” Lula says. We cheer and congratulate her. “We’re waiting for Ranger to come home.”
“Well, in San Antonio, the boys take their cues from Tank, Lester and Bobby and we have an even split in the branch. About half of the boys are in stable relationships like Tank,” Lourdes says. “The other half are club hopping every night.”
“Guided by Les and Bobby,” Ella says. “Lord only knows what they’re learning.” We all laugh. I have a headache from this call.
“So, let’s talk about how we fight this,” Steph says.
“Well, I have some ideas. Terminations, salary decreases, demotions, volunteering at rape crisis shelters and abused women’s shelters,” I tell them, looking at my notes.
“Ooh, that’s good,” Lula says. “Especially the rape crisis shelters.”
“I don’t know,” Monica says. “Is that a good idea? I mean, one of the things I love most about the RangeMen is that they seem to have a high ‘protective’ factor and that’s an element of benevolent sexism, the ‘protective paternalism’.”
We’re quiet again.
“I think it’s a good idea for the ones high in hostile sexism,” Lula says. “They need to understand that if you think watching a woman gets slapped around is OK, that’s something fucked up about you.”
I nod. Thank you, Lula!
“Now, I didn’t look up the meanings in hostile vs. benefit sexism—”
“Benevolent, Lula,” Steph says, clearly amused.
“Whatever. I think we’re getting bogged down in shit that doesn’t matter. Somebody said it earlier: This is about respect. That’s what moving Maria around was about: getting the Miami men to understand that you need to respect both the position and the person filling it. So let’s think of more ways to do that, more ways to make the men think about respecting women, and let’s leave the other stuff alone.”
I’m cheering Lula. I know I’m going to love working with her.
We start coming up with ideas for making the men respect women. The traditional HR responses are on the table: salary decreases, demotions, and terminations, but these women are creative.
“Let’s make them baby-sit the kids for a day,” Cindy says.
“Is that a good idea?” Rose asks.
“Every other woman does it. Every other woman manages to do her job plus take care of the kids.”
“Yeah, but we’ll need a reason not to be available,” Rose says.
“I have one,” Steph replies. “I owe you ladies, all of you, a thank you for not only helping Maria but for taking care of the men. So I say that, sometime in December or January, we all take a vacation.”
Every woman on the line cheers. That sounds like an excellent plan.
“I think that if we all take a vacation and put the word out that the men will be babysitting at RangeMan, the men will get to see how hard it is to juggle everything on their own.”
“No, not babysitting,” Monica says. “Fathers don’t babysit their children. They take care of their children and they’ll do it with the help of their RangeMan brothers.”
“Right,” Ella says. “I agree.”
“Good plan. Without the housekeepers there to help, they’ll have to figure it out on their own,” Mari says. “I love my husband but if I left him with the girls for a week, I’d come home to a madman. Time for him to really learn how hard it is.”
“Yes, and we need to inform their female family members not to help. The men need to see what it’s like,” Susan says.
I write that idea down. That’s excellent.
“I have a perfect excuse,” Cindy says. “Mari, you’re having a little boy. Sounds like a reason to get together and have a baby shower.”
“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea,” Maria says. “A baby shower! No one could say anything to that and we all have a reason to get together and celebrate. And, Lula’s getting married! We could have a baby shower, then a wedding shower.”
Everyone cheers and starts talking excitedly.
“Perfect. Well, mark your calendars. We’ll do it someplace warm and away from the men. Any other ideas?”
“You know what?” Cindy says. “Let’s plan one for before Christmas.” It’s quiet on the line. “I mean, have you ever tried Christmas shopping with kids in tow? It’s a nightmare! Cramped stores, hostile shoppers, upset kids who want everything they see on the shelves—”
“Yes! I see where you’re going,” Mariela says. “Wouldn’t it be great if we put the word out to the wives and girlfriends of RangeMen that they’ll take care of the kids for a week to allow their wives and girlfriends to get the Christmas shopping done in peace? Talk about showing love to the women in their lives and teaching them a valuable lesson at the same time.”
“Not just wives and girlfriends,” Steph says. “Let’s expand it to any female family member. I mean, Hector’s son is really his nephew and he jumps at any chance to take him. Nikki would love to be able to drop Manny off at RMAtlanta and go shopping.”
“Hey, why isn’t she on this call?” Ella asks.
“She had to work late,” Steph replies. “We’ll have to be careful that it doesn’t impact business, but I think that’s an excellent idea.”
I do too. I’m writing it down.
We keep talking and thinking. The RangeWoman sisterhood is amazing. These women are creative and, when pushed, vindictive. The men won’t know what hit them.
Friday
We’re all back on the line. The scores are out.
Miami was the worst, followed by Atlanta, San Antonio, Charlotte, NYC, Boston, and Trenton. Hal’s pleased that Trenton came out best (he’s wondering if he can brag on that), but looking to see who his offenders are. Apparently, they came out at 2.55 in benevolent sexism.
I’ve tried explaining that the score isn’t horrible, but Hal doesn’t care. It’s over the cut-off. That’s all he’s concerned about.
“Well, ladies, all I’ve heard about today is sexism,” Cindy says. “Danny’s floored by Atlanta’s scores. He’s embarrassed and ready to fight back.”
“Honey, he pulled every leader in Atlanta into his office today to start reviewing those scores,” Rose says, laughing. “Then he asked me to join them. He wants to get started now fixing it. He’s not allowing it to stand!”
“Same with Mando,” Mari says. “Miami he expected. Charlotte he took personally.”
“Well, I’ll tell you, Tank is pissed. He sees an enemy he can’t put a bullet in,” Lula says, laughing, and we all laugh with her. “He’s not only looking at San Antonio but the company as a whole. An enemy he can’t shoot? One that requires looking at feelings? Tank’s looking sick. I had to buy extra Tylenol.”
I wonder if I should tell Hal that. He worships Tank. If Tank is pissed about San Antonio, it might make Hal feel a little better about Trenton. I wonder why Tank needs extra Tylenol, though.
“What about Bobby and Lester?”
“Lester was looking nervous. I think he talked to NYC. Bobby was on the phone with Danny.”
“True. Javi and Jorge are a bit numb,” Monica says. “They’ve already been on the phone with Les about the hostile sexism scores and it seems they were all thinking alike. The Wall Street men are the problem there, so Javi’s a little more ‘wait and see’.”
“Wait and see?” Steph says.
“Yeah. A lot of them are bitter about their departures and, according to Javi, the test only measures their feelings about women. If you were on a project team with two women and two men and you were undercut by a man on the team, you’re feeling bitter toward everyone but the test doesn’t look at your feelings for men.”
“Good point,” Steph says. “Well, I can tell all of you that Miami’s ready to fight. Mando took decisive action today. He’s not sitting on those scores and he took all our suggestions onboard. He and Diego are ready to clean up the mess.”
“Good,” Susan says. “Mark was also looking at the scores here. He was trying to think of ways to help Mando and correct the issues here.”
“Yes, the RangeMan XO brotherhood got together on a conference call to figure it out,” I announce. “They’re ready to fight this problem in their branches. I think, ladies, that our biggest cheerleaders are the men who have just gotten a wake-up call.”
I head back upstairs to change into my gym clothes. I like to do my workouts at the end of the day. Hal does his at the beginning of the day but he always hits the gym with me to make sure I’m getting the time in training. I’m glad Maria and Mack are here. Mack’s working on Maria’s boxing skills and she and I both take turns with the new punching bag.
It’s a lot of fun. I mentally put the face of whoever or whatever has annoyed me lately on the punching bag and pound away.
I enter the apartment and Hal’s lying back on the couch with a book over his face.
“Hal?” I plop down on the couch next to him and laugh. “Head spinning?”
Hal removes the book from his face and sighs. “No. Reading this and wondering about me.” I place my head in his lap, swing my legs over the arm of the couch and sigh.
“What are you wondering?”
“If I’m a sexist. If I treat all women with respect.” He looks at me solemnly. “Do you feel I respect you?”
“Oh Hal, of course I feel you respect me.” I smile at him. “Most men would have called me a slut for sleeping with you the moment I met you. I wouldn’t have had their respect, but you’ve never made me feel like I was any less of a person for my sexuality.” I grin. “If anything, I love the fact that you’re proud of me and that you don’t feel the need to show me off or make me cover up. My body is my own to control and you’ve never made me feel embarrassed for my decisions.”
Hal smiles. “I love your body but it’s your body, not mine.” He laughs. “Danny made me laugh about that.”
“Oh yeah?” I love Danny. He and Hal are such close friends. “What did Danny say?”
“When Steph was in Boston, in the Boston swag”—he makes a face; I giggle—”he said, ‘Have you ever been successful in telling a woman what to wear? And if your answer is yes, I want your secret.’ “
I laugh. Danny’s absolutely right. No way Hal ever dictates my wardrobe to me. He can give me an opinion but he’s not going to tell me what to wear.
It’s hard enough finding clothes for my body without Hal wanting to cover me completely.
Hal smiles. “Yeah. So I was reading and I read the bits about slut-shaming and it got me thinking. I grew up believing in modesty in dress. Cover up so you have something special to share with that special person.” My smile fades but I nod and listen. “So I started thinking about that. My family might have a fit about finding out you were a stripper and they’d die seeing you in your bikinis”—my smile is gone now—”but I realize that loving you, I don’t care about how you’re dressed. I see you, but would I feel the same way about any other woman walking around? Would I judge them harshly? And I was afraid that the answer is yes. So . . . “
I can see the conflict. He truly believes that. I sit up and straddle his lap. I cradle his face between my hands and kiss him gently. “Step one is realizing it. Step two is thinking about it honestly and sincerely. Step three is realizing that everyone is biased and prejudiced in some way. The fact that it bothers you is good. It should bother you.” He nods. “We’re surrounded by sexism right now and it’s hard not to wonder about how you treat women. It’s hard not to wonder if you’re just as sexist as the men surrounding us.”
Hal smiles and I feel better.
“Sis being in the company is changing a lot of things,” Hal says softly. “I mean, she’s fiercely independent and we’ve always moaned about that a little at Trenton. It just seemed like she was determined to prove she didn’t need us. We love her. We wanted her around more.”
“Steph has other, deeper issues that have nothing to do with the RangeMen making up her need for independence. But”—I smile at him—”she loves you guys. My scores scare me a bit but I’m a Miami native too. I grew up in that culture and, as much as I want to think of myself as fiercely independent, I accept that I have some prejudices.
We’re all learning a lot about ourselves. No need to be ashamed. We have to concentrate on fixing it.”
