[ She sighs, slightly exasperated, though it's also shot through with affection. ]

I love my mom. I do. But it's like...

I have three older brothers. One's an assistant district attorney, one's a doctor, the third one runs a community service agency, a nonprofit. All [ Two fingers lift away from her glass, curling a couple of times, forming half-hearted air quotes, ] respectable jobs.

When I started she thought I'd joined one of the gangs and was shaking people down for money. Now it's, why don't you get a [ there go her fingers again ] respectable job, or, god help me, why don't you get married so I can stop worrying about you.