reticent

41

• AMALIA •

I hand Xander a permission slip to go to the competition on Wednesday. He glances up at me after reading it. "Will you have to miss school?"

I nod. "Is that okay?"

He thinks for a moment before nodding. "Yeah." He says, scribbling his signature down. He glances at the date, then gets his phone out. "Are you going on the bus again?"

I nod once more. "Yep."

"Okay. We'll all meet you there."

I shake my head. "You guys don't have to come."

"I already told you, we are." He mumbles, sliding the permission slip back over to me.

I smile, then frown. "What did you do to Archer?"

He furrows his eyebrows. "What?"

"He's been asleep for, like, two hours since he came back."

He smiles. "He'll be fine." He assures me. "Go get ready for bed."

     "I'm not tired."

     "You have school tomorrow, kid. Go to bed." He says.

     "I don't have to go." I whisper.

     "You've already missed too much school." He reminds me. "Get to bed."

     I sigh and nod. I round the table to kiss his cheek before turning and walking out of the kitchen. I make my way up to my bedroom, and I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

• LORENZO •

I gaze out at the night sky, shutting my eyes. When I reopen them again, a young girl is in front of me.

     I smile. "Hi, Amalia."

     She smiles back. "Hi dad." She says, her arms behind her back as she swings herself side to side. She tilts her head. "I miss you."

     I furrow my eyebrows. "What do you mean, baby? I'm right here."

     She shakes her head. "Not anymore. Not to all of us. You don't know who we are."

     "Of course I know who you are." I reply.

     She shakes her head again, frowning. "Do you remember when we all went to Italy?" She asks.

     I try to think back to it, but then shake my head. "No. We haven't been yet."

     "Yes we have." She replies. She looks behind her, and suddenly I'm not in the back garden anymore. I'm sitting on a patio chair, and the dark sky is replaced by a light sunny one. I look around, finding Amalia sitting beside me.

     I clench my eyes shut, but then open them again. I'm still here. Am I dreaming?

     "Sweetheart," I begin, "what happened?"