Chapter 12
Milan, Italy
Sergio
WHEN SEVERAL DAYS went by without any further contact from Val, Sergio began to once again question whether he had, in fact, imagined the entire thing. Then one morning, just as he’d about ceased hoping, it happened again.
{Sergio, are you there?}
{Yes, I am,} he sent.
{I’m back in Milan, and this time my sister is with me.}
{Hello, Sergio, this is Sera, Val’s sister. How are you?}
{I’m okay, I guess, but I was beginning to give up hope.}
{Don’t do that,} Val sent. {Our father is working very hard to get you out of there, but these things take time.}
{We’ve tried to contact you from where we live,} Sera sent, {but for some reason you can’t hear us.}
{We have to go now,} Val sent. {Mama wants to take us shopping with her.}
{Yeah,} Sera sent, {but w
