I found Mariana on the back terrace watching birds settle along the garden wall.

“I don’t need to see your statements,” I said.

She looked at me with tired eyes.

“I was prepared for you to demand them.”

“I’m sorry I gave you reason to expect that.”

She turned away, but after a while she said, “Thank you for not asking.”

It was a small moment.

At the time, it felt like the first honest conversation we’d had in months.