There are people who fill silence and people who find it. Mom’s friend arrived Friday with opinions about everything and the volume to share them. Her voice carries through walls, around corners, into dreams. Even Gus has retreated to the guest bedroom—an unprecedented diplomatic maneuver. I have discovered that the studio offers the deepest refuge, though her laughter still reaches me there. Dad works with headphones now, something I have never witnessed. The house feels smaller when occupied by someone who requires all of its air to breathe.

#pawscarwilde #houseguests