but he would soon learn that appearances can be deceiving.
The room returned to its hollow chatter momentarily, as if they were trying to brush the incident under the rug, but I could see the undercurrent of tension rippling across the table. My son-in-law resumed his seat, smug in his victory, while his mother continued to converse animatedly, apparently unbothered by the violence she had just witnessed. Adrienne slowly rose from the floor, her eyes downcast, her shoulders hunched, as though she were trying to make herself as small as possible.
I caught her eye, just for a moment, and I hoped she saw the promise I made silently to her in that fleeting glance. I hoped she saw that this was not over, that she was not alone, and that this was not how her story would end.
