Roses never fade

Rossi'

use was ee

und under the sink. The cut on my cheek wasn't

o

mething permanent to remembe

zzed on the

as S

t suit you. It's a bride's color. You looked like a stain standing ne

llowed by

the passenger seat of

is hand rested posse

dn't

he floor-to-ceiling windows. The rai

out of the penthouse. I hailed a cab and gave

gnized me. They assumed I was there to see Marco o

ough without even

grass to the old peach

ay, we had buried a time capsule under its ro

o my knees

hovel; I dug wit

was cold

rt. The fresh bandages on my arm soaked th

dn't

brushed aga

d the lid open. Inside lay two folded sli

ed my pa

Vitiello until the end of

at thos

d. Literally. I had pricke

sh, naive gi

folded Dan

nt the Family to be stron

fi

ven when I sat beside him, listening to

t in hi

er and tore i

and let the pieces fall. I watched the dark water ca

icked up

night his sight returned

a new hole, deeper this time. I th

it and patted it down until t

st burying

rying El

vibrate

ay? Luca said you

en. His name no long

epl

ne. I don'

f the garden, leaving my heart