Daniel by Serhii Bezverkhov

At first, the house was completely quiet.

My mother, Sandra, told me to wash Snoop, our dog. She had been writing the whole night before some woman came. I don't know her, but my mother mentioned the journalist's visit at dinner. It must have been her. Mom was sitting in her favourite armchair and was slowly drinking wine in front of that woman. As far as I could hear, her name was Zoe. It seemed to me that Mom was whether lost in her endless thoughts or she was just exhausted. You can never tell because she often creates the image of a serene person. 

Washing Snoop was quite a challenge, as he resisted. However, I managed the task perfectly: no dirt, Snoop didn't flood the room with water trying to avoid the bath, and I also made sure he didn't have the unpleasant smell of dirty fur left on him. Everything was perfect. At least for me.

While Mom was busy with her own business, Dad wasted no time. Ignoring or simply not realizing the presence of the guest, he continued the renovations upstairs. I didn't always understand their relationship because they were strong individuals who were no match for each other. With the beginning of Dad's work, the air between my mom and that journalist, who she had been waiting for so long, was thickening. Rhythmic melodies of gentle and childishly playful instruments vibrated through the floorboards, Dad's music from his upstairs study filled the spaces between them. It was always like this. He was never physically present, yet impossible to ignore. It was my dad's superpower.

And this was not the first time when that power twisted my mother's plans. The atmosphere became so tense and uncomfortable that the two of them were unable to conduct the interview properly. The whole conversation was unnatural and forced, and in the process, my mother showed her character, saying that she hated sports, especially running, which Zoe previously called a hobby of hers. It was a clear sign - my mother wanted Zoe to leave. Witnessing this moderate chaos in the house, I decided to take a walk with Snoop.