When Adrian saw me, he visibly perked up. "Is everything okay? You do not have to bother with my mother," he said.
"I just feel bad," I replied. "I mean, the food was not that bad." I lifted one hand and rubbed at my arm as if easing tension.
He laughed. "You do not have to lie, Nova. It was pretty bad," he said, and I laughed with him.
"I just feel terrible," I added. "She must have worked so hard for me, and now she is really upset." I let my voice carry sympathy I did not feel.
Adrian responded exactly as I expected. "It is not your fault my mother cannot cook but loves to talk a big game," he said. "She can be dramatic, but she really wanted you to have a nice evening."
"It was nice," I said. "Before all the questions." I let the pause linger, just long enough to suggest hurt from Lena's words without saying it.
