Silence and Steely Focus
With each of Tara’s sentences, I studied my plate more intently, chewing slowly, refusing to rise to her bait.
Robert gave me a sympathetic look across the table, but I ignored it. I wasn’t about to engage in verbal jousting, not tonight.
Instead, I chose to observe, silently taking it all in. My patience was my armor, insulating me against the mix of emotions brought on by Tara’s continued spotlight stealing.