Page 123 of Unravel Me

"Okay," I murmur. "I'll talk to him when we return."

We go back to shopping, but I feel split in two. One half of me has been soothed by Silvio and now rests calmly inside me, while the other keeps trying to stir up anxiety, trying to make me worry, trying to shatter that newfound peace.

Thankfully, it doesn't succeed.

Not long afterward, we leave the store with a signed delivery contract for the furniture we'd chosen. Silvio paid for everything. It's a beautiful set in soft green with birch accents, its surfaces decorated with delicate floral patterns.

I fell in love with its woodland colors the moment I saw it, and Silvio wholeheartedly approved.

The entire drive home, I stay quiet, staring out the window while Silvio glances at me from time to time with a faint, knowing smile. My mind keeps circling the same questions, and no matter how hard I try, I can't push them aside.

When we get back to the house, Mauro isn't there, so the momentum I'd built up for our conversation has to be put on hold.

Instead, I take my seat at the table for lunch, trying to act as though nothing is weighing on my mind.

Emilio asks about the furniture set, and Gianni suggests we stop by a toy store because he saw some great educational activity tables there.

The conversation is light, and soon it turns toward the upcoming mayoral election. Renato has held the position for many years, and everyone expects him to win another term without much trouble.

After lunch, I go upstairs to my room and stand by the window, patiently waiting for Mauro. Around two o'clock, his Jeep finally pulls into the driveway.

He gets out and heads straight for the front steps before disappearing inside. I remain where I am, facing the door, waiting for him to come.

Instead of coming to my room first, Mauro slips into his own room for a moment. I hear his footsteps, then a knock on my door.

He walks in carrying two things. One is his phone, and the other is a small wooden box, the kind people keep jewelry in.

I've seen it sitting on his desk before, and I can't help wondering why he brought it with him now. His face is completely serious, and the look in his eyes tells me this is the moment when the truth is finally going to come out.

I stay silent, waiting. He types something on his screen, and the voice synthesizer reads it aloud.

"You deserve the truth, Jared. I should've told you sooner, but I'm ashamed to say… I was simply afraid I’d lose you."

His words sound almost surreal. They don't fit Mauro at all. He doesn't seem like someone who would ever be afraid of anything, especially showing himself in public, or being honest with me… and somehow that only makes me twice as frightened.

"You were afraid?"

"Yes, Jared. I was." He types the words, sadness saturating his energy.

"So it has to be serious. Can you please tell me what's going on?" I ask, my voice trembling as he just stands there without typing anything else, looking like he's struggling with what he has to say.

Finally, Mauro types a single sentence.

"This will explain more than all the words I could ever say."

Then he hands me the little box.

My hands shake so badly I struggle to undo the tiny clasp. Swallowing hard, I slowly lift the lid.

At first, nothing about it seems extraordinary. Inside, I see a gold chain and what looks like a gold pendant. I can't make it out right away because it's lying face down with its engraved side against the bottom of the box, but then I carefully pick it up between my fingers and raise it to eye level.

I stare at it, but my brain still hasn't caught up. The pieces haven't come together yet. I still can't see the whole picture.

The pendant is identical to mine.

Except… it's the other half.

The matching half…