She gazed at herself in the looking glass. Jorge had done a fantastic job with her new costume. This time, her dove wings looked more angelic than cherubic. And the cut of her garment was to die for. Every curve of her body was on full, glorious display.
She turned to the side. “Does this make my rump look big?”
Gabriel paused his tinkering with the door lever. He eyed her. “Extremely.”
“Fantastic.” She wiggled the rump in question.
Her friend rolled his eyes. “You are so…”
“Delightful? Exuberant? Wonderfully clever?”
“Sure. Let’s go with that.Dammit.” One of the screws in the pulley system fell out and clinked onto the floor. Gabriel bent to retrieve it.
Esmeralda returned to appreciating her reflection. She pulled back her lips and examined her smile. She gasped.
“Why didn’t you tell me there was pepper in my teeth?” She started digging between her molars with her sharp nails. “Seriously, I haven’t checked my face since supper. You let me walk around like this for a whole hour. What sort of friend are you?”
When Gabriel didn’t reply, she checked for him through the mirror. He was sitting on the floor. Ignacio’s mint box rested on his lap. She’d nearly forgotten she’d taken it from him and kept it under her cot. The lid was open, and what appeared to be dozens of tightly rolled-up papers had been strategically arranged inside.
Of course they were. Anything Ignacio touched had to be organized to annoying perfection.
Gabriel had already taken one out and unfurled it.
Esmeralda’s entire body went numb when she recognized the carefully squared parchment.
“Fourteenth of February, 1919. D plus P: age fifteen,” he read.
Her heart thumped heavy against her ribs.What was this?
Gabriel continued, “Dovie. What is your happiest memory of us? Pigeon. My happiest memory of us is the first time you convinced me to climb out onto the roof. I can’t recall smelling fresher air or seeing more stars. We talked all night. I was so tired the next day, I fell asleep while scrubbing the dishes.”
Gabriel’s eyes met hers in the mirror. “Is this…”
Esmeralda couldn’t reply. She couldn’t even force her lips to move. Her hand went to her chest. Something like panic writhed behind her ribs. He’d kept some of their notes. Many of them, it seemed. And from the sound of it, he’d dated them too. Of course he did. He loved to keep thorough records of just about everything.
She started to pant. She couldn’t get enough air inside her lungs.
Ignacio held on to their letters.
But why keep these when they had parted the way they did?
Her mouth went dry.
Why bring them here when he knew she was a snoop? Was he playing some sort of malicious game?
“What’s eating you, Esmeralda?” Gabriel asked.
She couldn’t catch her breath. “This dress is too tight.”
Gabriel rushed to her side. He grabbed her hands. “Look at me.” She did. “Now slowly inhale. Count to five.” She tried her best. “Release that breath for another count of five.” They did this several times until her pulse slowed, but nothing helped the burning inside her heart.
“Why would he have these?” she whispered.
“Is it not obvious? The boy cares for you.”
“But…that can’t be true.” He’d been cold and indifferent since they’d reconnected. He let Anella kiss him, for stars’ sake.
“Sure seems true to me. What happened between you two?” Gabriel asked gently.
