As she walked silently into the living room, Debra dropped her plate, and it shattered into white shards with a deafening clatter. The guest, whose face was hidden by a deep hood, walked across the soft carpet to the kitchen and sat down at the table. Feriel, who was picking at the meat stew, looked in surprise at the immovable shadow and licked the spoon.

“Hello, mom,” the guest threw back her hood, rested her chin on her right fist and calmly looked at Debra. - What's up?

The woman pressed her hand to her mouth, and did not know what frightened her more. The daughter's empty gaze or the...