Chapter 40: SilkeHeaded toward the spare room where Lauren was sound asleep on the air mattress already, Silke saw her mom and Claudia sitting at the kitchen table, mugs of tea in front of them. It looked so much like old times that, dead tired though she was, she nevertheless stepped into the room and joined them. The tea was still steaming when Claudia filled another mug and pushed it over to her, and they sat in companionable silence for a few minutes.
“Why’d you bring her?”
Startled out of her pleasant stupor, Silke stared at her mom.
“Lauren,” her mom specified. “I mean, she seems nice enough and all, but don’t you think that this is an odd time to bring your landlady to Germany for a visit?”
“You didn’t tell her?” Claudia narrowed her brows at Silke.
“Tell me what?”
“That Laure
