ana

ny argument could have. He stared at me, h

u have it covered'?" he d

You have your plan, and I sho

eliberately provocative. You're creating a

op of the closet and began to pack. Methodically. Impersonally. Socks, underwear, two sets of prac

ly. We were laughing, young, and impossibly happy. For a moment, a wave of grief washed

e cold, pragmatic stranger in the other room. They weren't the same

can by my desk and dropped the frame in

sentimental. H

rway. He had followed me. His eyes were fixed

ithout looking at him. "Ten

went to my mother's room, helped her pack her essentials, her

ce. Bryant and Katia huddled in his office, whispering and pointedly excluding me. I didn't care. I s

ng darkness, punctuated by distant shouts and the occasional smash of glass. Our buil

ispenser in the kitchen was programmed to release a strict

atia. She had a glass filled to the brim with ice cubes, and she was letting the purified water from the dispenser

ke a child caught with h

utting the fridge door. "I

, then at her. I was too tired to be furious

" I said, my

," she said quickly, h

in the doorway, drawn by ou

id immediately. "I

ce dripping with condescension. "For God's sake, Adi, she's under a lot of press

g concerned about our dwindling, life-sustaining

s about conservation-it wasn't for us. It wasn't for me. It was to ensure there was mor

. A slow, triumphant smile spread across

chen. I opened the pantry and took out my pre-portioned bag of prot

" Bryant asked, his voic

ull. "I'm taking my resource

ping peacefully. I gently woke her. "Mom, I need

ed her into my bedroom and then turned to fa

ce calm and final. "We will be stayin

s is my home!

uch longer

he door. He put his

face a mixture of anger and

eye. "You wanted a separa

ound echoing the final closing of a chapter in my life. I leaned my back against the