My mother and Joe have a lovers' shorthand, an economy of gestures that comes when you are close enough to someone to speak their language. I wonder if my mother and father ever had that, or if my mother was always just trying to decipher him.
The quote reflects on the unique understanding between two people who share a deep emotional connection. The reference to a "lovers' shorthand" suggests that my mother and Joe communicate effortlessly through subtle gestures, indicative of their closeness. This raises questions about my mother's past relationship with my father, hinting that their connection may have lacked that intimacy, leaving her in a constant state of trying to understand him.
This contemplation reveals...
