Chapter 22

Of course he knew I was coming. His hearing is better than mine; he knew it long before I spoke to him. Mirko took his hands out of the sleeves of his dirty sweater again, lowered his hood over his shoulders, and wiped his face and eyes with his hands in a carefree gesture. Maybe he wanted to pretend that nothing was happening. He remained silent for a while, staring into space, and finally said:

“The other day, when I got off at the train station, I stopped to use the phone. I called Mom’s cell phone, and she didn’t answer. That’s why it took me a while to get back to the car.”

The air was trapped inside my lungs.

How could he laugh so lively when I put him back in the car? How did he manage not to mention a single word? How could he keep it a secret for so long? I instinctively tucked my tail between my legs, cowering. How did I allow my son to live with that pain inside his body until that moment? I did not know what to say. Sasha groaned and sought a more comfo