Chapter 19

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you. Why are you always shaking? Do not do that, please. A part of me and Mirko is as human as you are!” he scolded me in a whisper, that voice that sounded like a growl. “That’s exactly what Anya did. I explained it to her. I thought she accepted it and that she still loved me, but she just… she was there, and at the same time she wasn’t. She never looked at me with the same eyes again, nor at Mirko. I swear I don’t care that she fears me, but Mirko, her son! She thinks we are monsters.”

He stopped and sighed. He brought a hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, hissing through his teeth. His tone softened as he continued, as if defeated. “I… sorry. That was really very, very rude of me. I’m sorry. I’ll go see… excuse me, Johanna, please.”

And he left, although he hesitated when taking the first step. Seconds later, I heard the front door open and then slam shut. Mirko was in the living room, drawing, and his father h