Such a Fun Age

Alix begins to develop unhealthy habits regarding Emira, frequently checking Emira’s phone from where it sits charging on the front table of the Chamberlain home. By looking at the messages and notifications on the lock screen, Alix is able to decipher the different relationships that Emira has. Though Alix knows that her feelings toward Emira “weren’t completely unlike a crush” (76), she does not know how to deal with these externally.

In an effort to ply information from Emira, Alix offers her a glass of wine one night towards the end of the babysitting shift. Recognizing to some extent that she is “courting her babysitter” (79), Alix shrugs off any discomfort and engages in conversation with Emira, trying to get the younger woman to open up. By the end of their talk, Emira has admitted to seeing someone new; as the children fall asleep, Alix resigns herself to learning more another day, and gives Emira the leftover bottle of wine.

Emira gets to her date with Kelley that night a little bit late. This is their second date, so Emira has gotten to know Kelley better: his childhood in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and his job as a coder. Emira shows Kelley the expensive bottle of wine that Alix gave her.