I swallowed hard, fists tightening as an irrational need surged through me—the need to touch her, to feel the heat of her skin under my fingers.
At that exact moment, a soft breeze slipped through the open window, carrying her scent to me.
Vanilla.
Fresh flowers.
And something else I could never name—but my body recognized instantly.
Every nerve reacted.
Memory slammed into me with brutal clarity. Every moment we’d shared in the past rose up, vivid and painful, wrapping around my chest like a tightening vice.
I closed my eyes for a brief second, desperate to regain control.
Too late.
Her scent surrounded me—intoxicating, familiar, devastating—filling me with a longing so deep it ached.
When I opened my eyes again, she had stopped moving.
Valentina was looking straight at me.
Our gazes locked, heavy and exposed, and I knew—uncomfortably—that everything I was feeling must have been written across my face.
I forced a breath in and looked away, struggling to regain any shred of composure.
She turned back to what she was doing almost too quickly, defensive in her movements.
But the tension stayed.
It hung in the air, thick and suffocating.
***
I felt completely out of place as I walked through the school gym.
Children’s voices echoed off the walls. Parents chatted. Teachers moved between displays covered in colorful posters and handmade projects.
It was all so ordinary. So normal.
And somehow, I was standing right in the middle of it.
Clara held my hand tightly, leading me to her little stand—decorated with planets and stars we’d carefully made together the night before.
I still couldn’t believe how much joy that simple evening had brought me.
Cutting cardboard. Painting planets. Gluing glitter.
None of it had ever belonged to my world.
But watching her smile—watching her beam with pride over what we’d created together—had made every minute worth it.
“Look, Uncle Enrico! Everyone’s looking at our project!” she said, her eyes shining.
“Of course they are,” I replied honestly, squeezing her hand. “It’s amazing.”
Her smile warmed something in my chest that felt almost painful.
