At first, he behaved normally. We drank tea together, and then he went outside into the yard. But when he returned, I noticed that he seemed nervous.
He kept checking his watch. Then he asked,
“When is your father coming back?”
“Probably this evening. Why?”
“No reason.”
A few minutes later, he suddenly turned off the television. His expression was so serious that I instinctively sat up straighter.
“Emily, you’re a grown woman now. I think it’s time you learned something.”
“What is it?”
He walked over to the window and closed the curtains. Then he returned to the door and locked it. My heart began pounding.
“Uncle Richard, why are you locking the door?”
He turned toward me.
“So nobody walks in unexpectedly.”
“Who would walk in? We’re alone here.”
