She was, as mentioned, wearing her glasses: small, steel-colored frames that I thought gave something of a hard look to her already angular features. I released her chin and we sat there for a moment, looking at each other and enjoying our new understanding. I gave her a small nod of encouragement, letting her know she was doing well, then spoke again: “Yes…what?”
For a moment there was a flare of anger in her eyes at this deliberate attempt at humiliation. I lifted my hand from her shoulder and stroked her hair. “But I’ve always suspected that sometimes you get very tired of having to be that person – of always being in charge, always having to be the one to make sure that everything gets done properly.”
She stared through her glasses at me as if I were a mind-reader, too stunned to even nod. The look in them was pleading, and she was biting her lower lip. “That’s what you need in your life – isn’t it, Nadine?”
Nothing. I gave her hands a small squeeze with mine and she turned her topmost hand palm up to take mine. I quickly removed my hand, leaned down to her ear and spoke.
