Her mouth opened slightly.
“You… own this place?”
I gestured to the seat across from me.
“Please sit down, Lydia.”
She hesitated before lowering herself into the chair.
“You… own this place?”
“I can’t stay long,” Lydia said quickly. “My neighbor is watching the babies, and she said she could only do it for an hour.”
“That’s fine,” I said.
Then neither of us spoke.
Lydia looked at the floor.
Finally, she cleared her throat.
“I actually came because…” She paused and swallowed. “Because I needed to say something.”
