Her mother had almost said, “Natalie, are you happy?” and Natalie had almost said, “No”; her mother had almost said, “Everything seems somehow to go badly,” and Natalie had almost said, “I know it and I can’t help it”; her mother had almost said, “Let me help you,” and Natalie had almost said, “What can you do?” and that had been the nervous movement of her head that her mother had recognized and which had silenced her before she ever spoke.
Interesting to think you know your family so well that you can gauge their reaction without a word ever being spoken.
