She is definitely feeling better. The worst is behind her. With her healthy ear, she recognises Lia’s steps on the balcony’s tiles, they are heading to the photinia hedge; then a squeak, water drops, a bumblebee buzzing. “Are you awake?”Lia’s voice comes from the left of the porch swing. She opens her eyes then, and she turns to see her. In fact, she can even “look” at her. Better yet, she can look at her and smile, even though she thought that would no longer be possible. Before it all happened, Renata could have boasted of having cried just twice in her life: once when, as a child, she got lost during a trip to the lagoon, and the second time, as a young girl, when her father passed away. A third time came though: when she saw Lia’s bloodied face. And after that, straight after that, all the other…