After years of hating Barbra's guts, I was now put in the position of having to try and like her. Sooner or later, she was going to be my daughter-in-law.

My relationship with Steve was slightly better than it had been. Our talk the other night was a surprise, but the communication between us was still awkward. I didn't want to make any mistakes and damage the little progress that we'd made.

So, I treated her kindly, with feigned respect, hoping somehow it would become real and the kindness would become contagious.

Unfortunately, Barbra didn't quite see it that way.

"Are you talking down to me? Don't talk down to me, Hugo. It's condescending and rude. Tell him not to talk down to me, Steven!"

Then I watched Steve go into action.

He took her hand, smoothing it with his own and almost immediately she calmed down. She stopped barking at me while his fingers made small circles on her palm. His voice lowered, he spoke a gentle word or two near her ear. She paused with an almost hypnotized look on her face, turned to me and said, politely, "Excuse me."

Then she got up and walked out of the Mocha Daze office.

I looked at Steve, my eyes a question mark.

"Oh, she's not mad at you, if that's what you're wondering," he said. "She's over that. I told her to go get me a cup of decaf."

Steve was very good at control.

Just like his old man.

I controlled my surroundings.

He controlled other people.

*****

He kept Barbra and I in tow throughout the whole discussion.

Near the end of the business meeting, his beeper went off and he looked at his watch. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a small pill case, flipped the plastic cover and popped the contents into his mouth, dry swallowing them.

"Headaches," he said.