On Friday morning, Gracie stayed home to watch Stevie while I went to my interview with Miguel.

We met in his office at ten o'clock sharp.

After we greeted each other and made small talk, Miguel started off my interview with some softball questions. "Tell me. How do you usually prioritize tasks?"

I took a moment to gather my thoughts before replying, "I tend to start with a big picture question. For example, how do I execute a large-scale project from conception to completion? What are the objectives at various stages of the project? Then, I would break down these objectives into finer points, prioritizing each task in a time-sensitive order that would achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness."

"How do you approach leadership?"

"My approach to leadership is all about respect, and I believe respect is a two-way street. I must respect my team members' specialized skills in order for them to respect my judgment as their supervisor. I don't believe in micromanagement. I believe in picking the right people for the right job and trusting them to get it done."

Miguel then graduated to some tougher, more job-specific questions.

"Have you ever experienced conflict with supervisors, and how did you handle it?"

Of course I had.

Some of the conflicts I had experienced with my superiors in the Corps were legit in nature, stemming from genuine misunderstandings or shortcomings on my part as a new recruit.

Other conflicts, however, had little to do with my lack of ability and everything to do with the color of my skin. Racism and discrimination also permeated the military, much like it did everywhere else in society, even though it was the one place I had hoped—as a dumb eighteen-year-old kid—to advance my career on an even playing field.

It hadn't taken long for reality to open my eyes and kick my ass. Back then, I often needed to perform better than my white counterparts just to gain half of the recognition. I often needed to be the one to show restraint and tact even when I was the one being disrespected. Matty stood up for me back in the early days. He never let anyone push me around when I was only a lowly-ranked private.

I chose to answer this triggering question with some tact and restraint.

Coughing slightly, I replied to Miguel, "I've rarely encountered a conflict with a supervisor—or colleague—that couldn't be resolved in a timely manner. I think every problem has a solution as long as you recognize where the other person is coming from and what you can do to meet them in the middle. In occasional situations where I knew the other person was at fault, yet, set in their ways, I always tried my best to be the bigger person and find a way to work with them and maintain my professionalism, regardless."

Miguel nodded and continued on, "What actions would you take if a project is falling behind schedule or exceeding the project's budget? Also, how would you structure a team for a project? What do you consider?"

Even though I didn't have any prior experience as a project manager, I had done some thorough research over the past few days and felt mostly prepared to answer these questions.

Still, I was the most nervous about this part of the interview. My inexperience was bound to seep into my answers. I tried, however, not to give him any bullshit and striving to address the core of what I believed Miguel wanted from a future manager: The ability to utilize a team to its full potential as well as the ability to assess damage and find solutions that could get desired results.

From there, I drew from my experience in the military to fill in the gaps of what I didn't know, emphasizing the transferrable skills I could bring into construction by providing Miguel examples with ballpark numbers, timelines, and strategies I had used to revise missions that went awry in the Corps.

Eventually, my interview took a more lighthearted turn. Miguel and I dipped back into the past to reminisce about the summers from over a decade ago, the summers when we used to work together. He asked about my time in the military, and I gave him the PG-rated version of some of the shit I saw in Afghanistan. He seemed fascinated by everything I had to say.

At one point, Miguel grinned like a proud mentor, roasting me at the same time he complimented me, "You've come a long way, Gray. You were such a dumbass back in high school. You've done well, though. You've grown into a real man."

"Eh, I'm still a work in progress," I mumbled sheepishly.

Towards the end of my interview, Miguel offered me the job on the spot, "I think—you might be the right guy to take my place."

Without hesitation, I accepted his offer, "Thank you so much, man. I can't wait to start, and I definitely won't let you down."

I left my interview in a cloud of triumph, driving home with my windows rolled down and Tupac on full blast. I was feeling good. After pulling into the driveway, I rushed inside the house to share the good news with Gracie and Stevie.

I found my girls in the living room.

Right away, Gracie looked over when she saw me enter.

Her eyes grew bright with curiosity and anticipation when she demanded, "How did your interview go?"

I grinned at her. "I got the job! Y'all are looking at the newest construction manager at Dalton!"

Giggling and gurgling, Stevie clapped her hands as though she understood me.

Gracie's entire face beamed with pride and joy as well.

She squealed, "No way, Gray! That's amazing, I'm so happy for you. Congratulations!"

"Thanks," I muttered with a small, pleased smile.

Gracie cheered, "We should totally celebrate!"

I arched an eyebrow. "Should we?"

"Yeah! Me, you, and Stevie should go out somewhere! This is a big deal!"