“If you say Mistress one more time I’ll stick my sandal in your mouth, you hear me?” Corina barked, mad with impatience.
“Corina!” everyone warned.
She looked left and right and then shrugged. “What? Well, I’m sorry, but it was really getting on my nerves.”
“Just give her some space, okay?” Cotiso said and sucked in a deep breath. “Alina. Take your time. You can talk to us whenever you feel ready, all right, dear?”
Alina nodded.
“Well then, Maria, dearest, I know you’re tired, but aren’t you planning to feed us tonight? What will my guests think of me? And I bet Alina must be hungry, too.”
“Sure, I’ll be right back.”
Corina poked Tati’s side and whispered, “See? Why weren’t you that nice when you first got me?”
He whispered back, “What? I was.”
“Right!”
“I was. That was my best wine that I gave you that night.”
Corina rolled her eyes.
“You emptied a whole jug before you even took off your, ow, ow, ouch!” He yelped quietly as Corina pinched his forearm.
“Just shut up,” she whispered viciously.
Corina let out a hopeless breath then laid her head on Tati’s thigh. She kept staring at Alina as Tati toyed with her hair, while Maria ran back and forth all around the place, bringing the dinner plates to everyone.