Chapter 159

• There was a moment of hesitation before she reluctantly handed me the album with a heavy sigh. I wasn’t sure what the sigh was for; my head was still spinning in the euphoria of the brief but triumphant moment. I’d never before had to exert thatmuch intimidation or authority to get anything in the house. As far as I was concerned, that was my husband’s role. Now, I’d done it, and though a tiny part of me felt awful for speaking roughly to the woman, who was old enough to be my mother, I was satisfied.
• She knotted her fingers together and cleared her throat, staring at me with a sober expression I’d never seen on her before; her gaze flickered to the book and back to my face. “There is a reason this room is isolated.”
• Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair. I shouldn’t have been mad at her for just doing her job. “I guessed that much.” I raised the album. “He doesn’t talk about it, about anything. And it’s not…. I mean, I’m not complaining or anything, but he knows more about me than I do about him. Sometimes, it’ll be nice to know I’m married to an actual person and not someone who could have been carved out of stone, for all we know.”