Claire was loving the calm. In this last month, even the teachers had eased up. They weren't pushing them to study themselves into the ground anymore. Now the advice was just to shore up any weak spots, and if your brain was totally fried, you could go home and rest. Pretty much everyone was running on empty anyway.
The countdown finally hit zero. It was the day before finals. Pandora had come all the way in from the countryside just for this. She'd packed not one but two gorgeous cheongsams, one for each day of the exams, and when she put them on with her jewelry, she looked unbelievably dazzling. Claire was pretty sure if she brought her grandma to school, Pandora would steal the show, no contest.
That necklace she wore was an emerald and looked like it cost a small fortune. And that was before you even noticed the matching earrings and bracelets. The whole look had Claire grinning from ear to ear.
"Grandma, why are you making such a big deal out of this? I'm only taking the finals, not getting married," Claire laughed.
“It's supposed to be a big deal," Pandora replied, pouring all her warmth into the words. “Otherwise, people will think you don't have a family looking out for you. I even had Edison get a suit custom-made. We're all doing this together, full support." It made Claire feel incredibly special, hearing that. Pandora had wanted to drive all her grandkids to their exams, but since she had more than one granddaughter taking the test, she didn't want to play favorites. After a little hesitation, she gave up the idea and just called everyone to encourage them instead.
Shirley was almost surprised to get the call. After hanging up, she rang Claire right away.
"I swear, I'm only getting attention because you're the center of the universe this year,” Shirley laughed. "If Grandma didn't have your exam date burned into her brain, I bet she'd have forgotten I was even doing this. Claire, you have to give it your all, seriously. Don't embarrass the family."
Claire chuckled. "I can only represent my own family, you know. I'm not responsible for yours."
Shirley burst out laughing. "Come on, we both have the last name James, don't we? Maybe five hundred years
ago our fam were the same
you come out at the top, I'll totally bask in your glory. You know? Bask in glory? Get it?"
Claire played dumb, pretending not to get it. After a few more minutes of banter, the call ended.
That night, Pandora brought Claire a glass of milk. "Claire, try to get some sleep early, okay? You'll need to get up early tomorrow."
Pandora was
as never the type to push Claire to cram all night or stress her out. She just quietly made Claire feel seen and loved. Honestly, Claire
could feel she mattered more to her grandma than ev even her u her uncle Agassi did.
Scenes like this were happening in homes all across town. The kids had already worked themselves to the bone. If they didn't get a good night's sleep now, how were they supposed to face the exams in the morning? Everyone knew the finals were a battleground. You had to stay sharp.
Claire promised her grandma she'd go to bed at ten, and kept her word. She was up at seven, ready for the big day.
Pandora had already ordered a hotel breakfast, and Edison had arrived to join them. Jenny was there too, and with Pandora's help, she'd changed into a cheongsam as well.
Jenny leaned in and whispered, "Claire, not only does Pandora have style, her jewelry is something else. I looked up that emerald necklace online—at least a million bucks, seriously."
Claire believed it. Anything Pandora wore was probably worth a small fortune. Never underestimate a woman just because she lives out in the country. People often had no idea.
Jenny sighed, lowering her voice. "Standing next to her, my outfit makes me look like her maid."