The silence that followed the woman's words was deafening. She stood there, before me, elegantly dressed, her green eyes fixed on mine, waiting for an answer I wasn't sure I could give.
"Mrs. Foster," Marco began, his voice protective, his body still positioned in front of mine, "I think you should leave."
"Marco." I touched his arm. "It's okay."
He turned to me, his blue eyes full of concern.
"Alice, you don't have to…"
"I know. But I want to hear what she has to say."
He hesitated, his jaw tense. For a long moment, I thought he would refuse. But then he nodded, kissed my forehead, and stepped back, not before shooting a warning look at the woman before me.
"I'll be right there," he said, pointing to the porch. "If you need me, just call."
I watched Marco until he sat on the porch
