MICHEL CHARASSE So much work! They haven’t stopped for a single moment. Òscar’s appeared and he and Annette have worked non-stop, the whole afternoon. Àlex went up to his room after lunch to rest and they haven’t seen hide nor hair of him. He’s calling on his privilege of being just a chef, even if he does have a small share in the business. Annette prefers not to criticize him for not helping, knowing that he’s expecting some kind of rebuke, but she doesn’t want to give him the pleasure of being right about that, or to light the spark that would set off another fireworks display. He’ll get used to the new situation, she thinks. She is touched by the story of Laiex and can’t get it out of her mind. Àlex’s sincerity and the horrible situation of a father abandoning his own child have deeply affected her. He told the story unaffectedly, in a tone devoid of feeling yet still conveying guilt, longing and utter sadness. Annette feels desperately sorry for him and wishes she could embrace him, cradle him, give him all the love he’s been deprived of for twenty-eight years, and tell him that it’s not his fault, that he’s more than paid for his decision.
