Almost without thinking,she pushed the door open and immediately saw Santino and Astrid sitting close together at a table.
Her sudden appearance felt like an intrusion,as if she had stepped into the intimacy of a young couple,out of place like an unwanted third wheel.
She instinctively wanted to hide her tired appearance and slip away,but Astrid looked up and called out to her with bright almond-shaped eyes.“Aurelia,what a coincidence,come eat with us.”
Aurelia waved her hand to refuse,but out of the corner of her eye,she noticed Santino’s face growing darker.
His voice was cold,yet there was no room for refusal.“Since you’re here,why not sit with us?”
Aurelia was stunned into silence.The boy who had once been thin and quiet had unknowingly grown into a man whose presence weighed heavily in every movement.She gathered herself,pulled a chair over,and sat down.
Astrid handed her the menu,and as Aurelia looked at it,every dish on the page felt familiar,each one tied to memories she had once shared with Santino.
She passed it back with a faint smile.“You two order,I don’t really know this place.”