I nod, though something tightens inside me.
"That's fine."
She pauses. Then, in a lower, almost inaudible voice:
"I don't want scenes. No doubts. No signs of something that shouldn't exist anymore. Let's keep everything as it is... at least until after Thursday."
I look at my cup. The coffee is steaming, but I don't drink it. My throat burns with a mix of anger, sadness, and resignation. But I just nod.
"There will be nothing. I promise you."
Susy nods too. And we return to silence. A silence less charged than yesterday's. More contained. More adult.
*****
Later, when everyone has left for their respective obligations, the sound of the doorbell breaks the silence of the house and startles me. I hear footsteps at the entrance and, shortly after, a male voice talking with Mom.
I app
