Carol felt she had pretended to be sick enough.
If she stretched the act any longer Luca might start calling doctors, and that would ruin everything.
Now the two of them sat on the couch.
An old sitcom played quietly in the background while a bowl of popcorn rested between them.
Carol picked a few pieces from the bowl lazily. Her son leaned back against the couch, one arm resting along the backrest behind her. He looked relaxed. "How is your father? I never did ask," Carol said casually, her eyes still on the television.
Luca reached into the bowl and grabbed a handful of popcorn before answering. "Still as threatening as ever. The older he is, the stricter he becomes."
Carol hummed quietly. "I always thought you were going to take after me…." Carol began.
Even before she finished the sentence, he felt the old reflexive irritation crawl up his spine..
