ours.’
I almost smiled.
Because Derek had always mistaken silence for weakness.
He thought kindness meant stupidity.
Patience meant blindness.
Love meant submission.
And Lena?
Lena thought she had finally won.
I took the papers from his hands.
The ballroom went completely silent.
Even the babies barely moved.
Lena’s confident smile twitched slightly.
She expected screaming.
Begging.
A breakdown dramatic enough to satisfy her.
Instead, I turned calmly toward a nearby waiter holding a silver pen beside the guest book.
“May I?” I asked.
The terrified waiter nodded instantly.
I
