"Madame Merilyn," I called, but she didn't turn her head. The entire hall fell silent, all eyes fixed on me, waiting to see what I would pull from my purse.
"I… didn't know what to get you," I began, my voice shaking slightly. "But Theo told me you liked poetry, so I bought this book."
A low ripple of laughter spread through the crowd as I drew out the small book. Christine's right hand came to rest on my shoulder, her left gripping my arm as if to steady me.
To my surprise, the old woman finally turned to look at me. I gasped softly, flinching under the weight of her stare.
She gestured to the Asian host, who bent to listen as she whispered something to him.
"Madame Merilyn would like to hear you recite a poem from the book," he announced, straightening.
"Umm… okay." I
