Then I heard a quiet knock.
Elena stood at the door.
“You’re still awake.”
“So are you.”
She gave me a faint smile.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
I stood.
“Come here.”
She walked into the room.
I looked at her carefully.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I tried.”
“When?”
“Many times.”
She sat down.
“Your mother would listen to our calls.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She always insisted that she needed to be nearby when we spoke.”
I remembered those calls.
Every time I asked Elena how she was doing, my mother was somehow there.
Elena continued.
“Once, I tried to tell you that Julian hadn’t eaten properly for two days.”
My heart stopped.
“What happened?”
“Your mother took the phone from me.”
She wiped her cheek.
“She told you I was sick and confused.”
I closed my eyes.
I remembered that conversation.
