I think that was when I reached my “limit of extreme situations I could handle in a week,” and I started to collapse. Good thing Andre had taken the tray into the living room to eat calmly and make sure his little sister slept well, because he didn’t see me like that.
But the one who did see me was Alexander, who walked into the kitchen right then.
I didn’t hear the others come in; I suppose they’d stayed by the burner to do whatever they had to do with the tiger’s body. It must have shocked him to see me crouched on the floor with my head between my knees (covered by the kitchen towel) trying to breathe. I know it was him because the first thing I heard after he opened the door was his voice:
“Johanna? What’s wrong?” he asked, alarmed.
“Why didn’t you tell me from the beginning?” I sn
