Santino didn’t stay long.After a short while,he said he had a school meeting and left in a hurry.
When he was gone,Aurelia quietly began tidying the room,gathering everything from her years with Santino into one pile.Ten years of being stuck in this swamp had drained her completely,and only in her exhaustion did she finally decide to let go.
The table was covered with safety charms she had prayed for on Santino’s behalf.Back then,when they climbed the mountain to pray to God,she had wished for his safety,while Santino had wished for her long life.But later,everything changed.
Tears slid down her cheeks,dripping onto the back of her hand.
She threw all those memories into the fire,and the flickering flames carried away ten years of love and courage.
When the ashes settled,Aurelia opened her phone and saw a new post Astrid had just shared on social media.
The attached photo showed Santino kissing Astrid’s cheek,his eyes cold as they stared into the camera,as if declaring she was his.
Aurelia’s hand froze mid-scroll,and it took her a long time to come back to herself before she finally left a simple comment:“99.”
Just as she was about to put her phone away,a new message from Astrid popped up.