Dinner was confusing

Mrs. Phuan had him sit next to her on one side of the table while the girls sat on the other. That had created a momentary conflict when Cindi tried to insist that she sit with him but her mother shut her up in a hurry.

Dinner was delicious and Mrs. Phuan spent her time telling him how her girls could cook delicious meals... as if he was in any financial position to provide ingredients.

Cindi and Pam both spent a lot of time squirming... and their mother made sure to call everyone's attention to it, asking if they were comfortable, if they needed to change seats. After Pam excused herself for a minute and came back with two pillows, one of which she gave to Cindi, things calmed down.

"In Vietnam where our ancestors originated," Mrs. Phuan said, the man is the head of the household. Women are taught to be obedient, that they must stay at home and have babies and do nothing else. Here in America, it is different. Women can be anything. I hope that my daughters will become doctors, like me, but I want them to be happy whatever they do."

"I want that, too," Matt said.

"My husband is more traditional. He resents that I earn more than he does and wishes that the girls would get married to nice Vietnamese boys and stay home to have babies."

"It sounds like that might cause some conflict."

"It would except he spends his time in Vietnam where the girls are more obedient, he tells me."

What was she trying to say? That her husband had basically abandoned his American family? That he wasn't coming home and that Mrs. Phuan, if legally married, was practically single?

"My girls do not have to be obedient. I made sure they trained in fighting. They can be strong."

"That is sex--I mean attractive to me." He only wished his parents had insisted that he become some sort of ninja warrior so he wouldn't have bo put up with assholes like Jordan shoving him around.

"Yes, perhaps," she said. "Now, for dessert I prepared Che Bap, a traditional Vietnamese dish. Pam, why don't you help me bring it in. Cindi, entertain our guest."

"But mother," Pam protested.

"Now."