My hurried movements come to an abrupt halt and I take a hard seat back in my chair. In a heartbeat, I feel as if I've aged a few decades all at once. Julian pokes his head curiously out of the doily, a captive audience.
My mouth opens and closes, but I'm not sure what to say.
"What news do you bring?" I sigh. My chest feels heavy, squeezed tight by dread.
One could say that I'm a glutton for punishment, already expecting the worst. But at this point in my life, I'm almost used to being stabbed in the back out of nowhere. It doesn't make the pain hurt any less though.
My good hand digs into my thigh as I await Emma's answer.
"It's not Marie," Emma says after ensuring that the door is closed properly behind her.
A long sigh of relief escapes my mouth and I close my eyes. However, an invisible 'but' still hovers in the air and they open back up instantly.
"But what?" I ask impatiently.
