Common ground

The silence in Becca’s living room was so thick and oppressive that it felt like it could cut butter. Dan sat in one of the armchairs, his face impassive, but his body itself was another story entirely. He was holding himself very rigidly and was clearly trying to control his disapproval and not say something that would startle his already skittish sister. Sandra sat beside Becca on the sofa, looking very defensive, as she waited for her brother to say something, while Becca pretended to be so engrossed in the peek-a-boo session that she was having with Alex, who was in a crib in front of her. Luckily enough, her Alex was very easy to entertain, and the rapturous laughter that he let out now and then served to dilute the tension a little.

“Did you hear what I said, Dan? I said that I’m going to leave the first week of January. I already told you I was leaving not too long ag…”

“Okay.”

“O … okay?” Sandra asked unsurely, sure that her ears were deceiving her.

“What were you expecting me