cafe they used

ll of freshly ground coffee in the air. Andrea was already there when he arrived, smiling as

it's be

drinks. "Yes, too long," Pierre replied, settling comfortably into his ar

tedness. They talked about the time that had passed, their res

little more stable and organized than Pier

oing, Pierre?" Andrea asked

e. "It's... it's complicated. Nothing really exciting, you know. I feel a little... out of

could read between the lines. She knew him

Pierre. It'll be okay. You'l

he window. The world seemed to turn without him. He wasn't a child an

ed, but I haven't moved. I'm a bit the same

ed softly, as if to soothe

t. We end up finding ourselves, in our own wa

l a little... stuck, sometimes. Li

o disappear. Andrea, seeing that Pierre had no intention of elabor

ievous smile on her lips. "We promised we'd never forget those evening

recalling those

rget? Those even

n, and what had become of them. Pierre realized how much he missed those conversations, e

. Pierre hadn't told Andrea everything, of course. He wasn't rea

ach other again," Pie

plied with a wink. Pierre nodded, feeling a little lig

ached the bottom of his torment. The coffee with Andrea had ended on a warm note, but

. The feeling of not belonging to this place, to this life, never left him. E

d himself in the hall. The smell of the house was un

proached discreetly, hoping to go unnoticed, but he wasn't so lucky. As he entered the living room, he saw his stepfathe

s to be done, Élise," Claude

s to understand that he belongs to this family now." Pierre's

felt a sense of

spoke of so freely? Ignoring the conversation, he slipped away silently an

ocate him even more. He collapsed onto his bed without energy

te in sleep. But even in his dreams, he couldn't e

wind of thoughts and worries. The weight of his existence was pushing him dow

ld around him seemed to freeze. The whispers of his mother and stepfather downstairs faded into