At the mention of Thursday, Sylvain’s expression clouded over almost imperceptibly: it was clear he was discovering what was going on in a drip feed of information. He took a few moments to answer, still torn between propriety and the intoxicating thrill of sharing a confidence.
“Things aren’t...like they were between us.”
Nora nodded. “I know all about that.”
They both fell silent.
Chapter 20
When Tiphaine arrived home fifteen minutes later, she found Sylvain waiting for her. He stood in the kitchen as she took off her jacket, put down her purse, and poured herself a glass of wine.
“You didn’t tell me you were picking Nassim up from school today?”
“No.”
Sylvain waited for her to go on, but she said nothing more.
“According to Nora, he was meant to be coming here.”
“Nassim wanted to wait for his mother at home. All his games and toys are there, it’s where he feels safe. There didn’t seem any point forcing him to come and be bored at our place.”
“But you don’t go around to someone else’s house when they’re not home without checking it’s okay with them first.”
“I sent her a text,” said Tiphaine, taking a sip of wine.
“Oh, that’s fine, then! You knew she wouldn’t say no, you were doing her a favor.”
“Exactly.”
They looked at each other cagily, as if sizing each other up.
“Look, where’s the harm?” Tiphaine said. “What’s the problem with picking up the neighbor’s son?”
“You know very well what the problem is,” he retorted, trying to stay calm.
“No!” she said vehemently. “I don’t see what the problem is. I did Nora a favor because she asked me to. Remember, she’s the one who called me.”
“You jumped at the chance!”
“Damn it, no!” she cried.
“All right, then, explain to me why you went over there. To that house! Ten days ago, she invited us over and you swore you couldn’t imagine ever setting foot in there again. And now...It’s not just any old house and you know that perfectly well.”
“Shut up, Sylvain,” she hissed. “I don’t answer to you.”
“You don’t? Since when?”
Tiphaine was about to spit a biting retort at him, when suddenly she stopped and seemed to hold her breath. When the air left her lungs, her tone changed strangely.
“Everything is fine, Sylvain, I promise you. I don’t know what you’re worrying about.”
She spoke with a surprising softness, a sharp contrast to the hostility in her voice a few moments before. Sylvain took a moment to catch up.
“Of course I’m worried,” he said, still sounding exasperated. “I’m just not sure it’s a good idea.”
Tiphaine burst into laughter that sounded not entirely natural, but had the advantage of relaxing the atmosphere a little.
“What’s not a good idea? Damn it, Sylvain! Can you hear yourself? All I did was fetch Nassim from school and wait in Nora’s house until she came home. That’s it! A perfectly normal favor to do for a neighbor.”
