I held my breath, waiting for Mama to decide.
"So?" I asked. She was taking too long to answer. She pursed her lip and sat there, her eyes looking into mine. I smiled, oblivious. "Mama?"
Then she sighed. "You asked if I'm sure..."
"Yes." I nodded. Please say no.
"My answer is..."
I gulped.
"She sighed again. "My answer is no."
I nodded, relieved. Thank God.
"B-But why do you say that?" I asked, tilting my head innocently to the side.
She held her face in her hands and rubbed her eyes. "I don't know."
I put a hand on her knee and patted gently. "Come on, Mama, there must be a reason. Why do you want me to stay?"
Mama stopped rubbing her eyes and held her face in her hands for a long moment. Silently, I slid my hand away from her knee and put it limply in my lap. She was thinking about something. Was she actually thinking about how to tell me nicely to leave? Had she changed her mind about me?
