"Daddy! Wake up!"
Should I pretend to be asleep until she leaves?
"Maya says if you don't want to wake up, I can tickle you." How assertive she sounds all of a sudden, almost like an adult standing her ground.
Before she can enact her plan, I let out a yawning stretch. "Good morning."
Her gentle chuckle coaxes a smile onto my face despite the heavy worries. And then it dawns on me what Maya has achieved for my daughter in such a short time.
Sophia is happy.
"Jasmin ordered breakfast. We've got waffles and Fruit Loops." Suddenly, the mattress dips behind me. "Want to know what else Maya ordered?," she asks mysteriously.
Maya. Every second sentence from my daughter carries her name. She's probably eavesdropping at the door, ready to step in if needed.
Is she wearing that pastel green dress today, the one that makes her look as sweet as cotton candy?
"Sausages. And bacon. And beans in tomato sauce." I can practically hear the disgust in my daughter's words.
Quickly, I throw back the covers and turn to face her. "That's what people eat for breakfast here in Ireland," I say, lacking a more humorous response.
"But I like to eat Fruit Loops more." She folds her arms across her chest and drops her chin.
Well, she can. Why is she making such a fuss about it? "Then do so."
For a moment, she regards me with a disappointed expression, then she springs from the bed and dashes toward the door. "Hurry up before there's nothing left."
Not that it would bother me. Hunger is the last need I have right now. Nevertheless, I peel myself from the sheets, slip into some pants, and glance at the mirror on the wall paneled with dark wood.
The sleepless night is etched onto my face. I tousle my hair into place with my fingertips before stepping out into the shared living room of the suite.
Maya sits on the oversized dark green sofa with a cup of coffee in hand. Behind her stands Jasmin. Both are staring at the TV, transfixed. Almost automatically, I follow their gaze, and my movements freeze instantly.
"Thousands of fans are deeply disappointed," saysthe heavily made-up blond reporter into the microphone. She stands in front of Dublin Castle, stagehands busy dismantling the grandstand behind her. "Joshua Friedberg's concert for tonight has been abruptly canceled."
The camera zooms out farther, bringing Tamika into view. She appears as unyielding as a rock, a professional smile gracing her face as she turns toward the camera.
The reporter fixes her gaze on the viewers in front of their screens. "What's wrong with the pianist? Why can't he perform?" A moment of intense questioning follows. Pure sensationalism. "Only here on RTE News Now will you hear all the exclusive details from his manager in a few moments."
The camera cuts away, launching into a commercial break. Jasmin withdraws with a troubled expression. And while on the television screen a woman is desperately trying to remove a stain from her shirt, Maya's head slowly turns in my direction.
I could still escape. All I need to do is turn around, and I'd disappear into my room instantly. But my legs refuse to move. As do Maya's lips. Only her eyebrows knit together in a silent question. But unlike Tamika's gaze yesterday, there's nothing accusatory about it. She lowers her bowl of cereal onto her wide-legged pants adorned with a psychedelic pattern.
I have no idea what she expects.
An explanation? That I break down in tears in front of her, pouring out my heart? Or just a casualgood morning, as if everything were perfectly fine?
"First Vienna and Prague. Now Dublin," she says suddenly. Despite the softness of her voice, it standsout distinctly against the chatter of the television commercials. "What's going on here?"
God, what should I answer? I'm tired of the lies, yet I hesitate.
She tilts her head to the side, her gaze probing. But just as she opens her mouth, Sophia rushes into the room.
"Felix and Fridolin are fed," reports my daughter proudly, settling down next to Maya on the couch. Then she looks up at her, her eyes gleaming with conspiracy. "Daddy is having breakfast with us today."
Maya's features soften. "How lovely." She flashes me a grateful smile.
When she looks at me like that, I feel as though I've finally done something right. Warmth floods through my body. I can even feel it tingling down to my toes.
