Ursula and her mother spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon catching up on family news and on household chores. They gave the apartment a thorough cleaning and took stock of the inventory in the pantry. Somehow, Ursula managed to smuggle food from the kitchen into her handbag right under her mother’s nose. Emboldened by her success, she tried again.
“What are you doing with the canned meat?” Mutter asked in a sharp voice.
Caught red-handed, Ursula’s body tensed, and her brain frantically searched for a viable excuse. Lying to her mother wasn’t something she enjoyed. But telling her the truth…even less.
“I thought we could celebrate your return and indulge with dinner tonight,” she said with a firm voice.
“No.” Mutter took the can from her hands and returned it to the pantry
