cupboards behind me. “She’s in the first trimester.”
“Is she well?”
“Yes, everything’s okay. When did you realize?”
“I had six children, Patrick. I know the signs.
And then I saw her adjust her T-shirt a few times,
trying to cover something up that is difficult to
hide.”
“No one knows, she wants to wait a bit more.”
“And the father?” she asks delicately.
“How do you know it’s not mine?”
“Because I’m your mother, darling. If it was
yours you would have told me right away.”
“It’s complicated. He left her for someone else
and she found out she was pregnant and didn’t
want to tell him. She didn’t want to have him tied
down to her.”
“She’s a good girl.” She smiles. “And I can
understand her decision. But it’s not easy having a
child and a family, as you well know. It’s already
difficult even with a partner, how is she going to
make it without a father?”
I lower my glance because I don’t know how to
answer.
“And you? What’s your take in all this?” she
asks me, pouring the coffee.
“She’s a friend, she works at the pub. She’s
alone and…”
“And you’re a good boy, Patrick.”
“It’s not true, you know.”
“I know I raised a difficult child who was
