Therese was watching cars pass by as Carol drove the car. How gently she did it, as if it were as simple as smoking a cigarette by the fireplace. The older woman was taking slow drags of her cigarette, not looking quite directly at the road. Her mind seemed to wander somewhere far away, but Therese didn't feel it was the right time to ask her anything. Carol hadn't seemed entirely present since the moment Therese started packing. The woman had been lost in her thoughts, distant.
"Are you hungry?" Carol asked without looking at her.
"No."
"Have you eaten today?" Carol raised her eyebrows.
"No, I don't think so."
"There's some coffee on the back seat. Take it," Carol said, a slight edge of annoyance in her voice. Therese's chest tightened. Why was Carol annoyed with her? She reached back and grabbed the cup, taking a sip of the already cold coffee.
"Is it still warm?" Carol asked in the same tone.
"Yes, it's fine," Therese lied.
Carol frowned, then tasted the coffee from the same cup. "It's completely cold. Why wouldn't you say anything?" she asked.
Therese took the cup back, her cheeks flushing, and took another sip—from the exact spot where Carol had just drunk. She noticed the red mark left by the woman's lipstick. That sip tasted better than any coffee she'd ever had. She closed her eyes for a moment. What were these thoughts? If Carol knew what she was thinking, she'd probably stop the car and make Therese get out of it.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Carol mumbling under her breath about terrible traffic ahead. Then it struck Therese: Carol must have gone to the city to meet with the lawyers about her divorce. Judging by her mood, the meeting hadn't gone well. But this wasn't the time to bring it up. The tension in the car was thick, and Therese didn't want to make it worse.
"You seem distant today. Something on your mind?" Carol asked suddenly, her tone unexpectedly gentle.
"No, everything's fine," Therese replied quickly.
"You can talk to me, Therese," Carol said, pulling into the driveway of her home. She turned to look directly at the girl.
"Yes, I know," Therese said, trying to hold the woman's gaze but failing. Those eyes were too powerful, too insightful. She looked out through the windshield instead. "I just feel like you're… shut down. Like you're in your own world."
To her surprise, Carol didn't seem annoyed this time. "I'm sorry. It's just…" Carol hesitated. "I-I'll tell you about it later. I didn't want to start this conversation in the car." She opened the door and stepped out. "Come inside now, please."