The hold on my hand loosens, and his fingers slip from mine. I close my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. What will I see when I open them? Will he tell me he’s changed his mind?
I gather the courage and lift my lids to face the truth.
Alessandro is standing next to me, undoing the knot on the leather string around his left wrist. Once finished, he places the string with the teddy bear charm atop the tombstone and takes my hand again.
“Goodbye, Natalie,” he says in a rough voice, then bends and drops a kiss to the top of my head. “Let’s go, baby.”
* * *
The digits on the dresser clock flip to ten-thirty, reflecting off the glass keeping out the night
There’s a small backpack on the floor, barely half-full. I don’t want to take anything purchased with my husband’s money,
