Page 7 of Forbidden Knots

Sophie handed me her hand, helping me stand. As I lifted myself, wiping the dust from my knees, dirt clung to my skin from the oil I used. I looked up again, and he was gone. Like he didn't exist, like he was just a shadow watching me.

"Are you okay?" Sophie asked, concern etched on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I muttered, brushing off the remaining dirt. "Let's just get out of here."

FOUR

Storm

We reached my grandma's house, and as I opened the door, Sophie went silent, hesitantly standing in front. Her face was pale, and her eyes were scanning the house. I stood inside, my hand on the door handle, and as I watched her, I took off my Converse sneakers, still covered in dirt from the fall. Annoyed, I asked, "Are you coming in?"

She shook her head, her voice barely audible as she whispered, "This place is haunted."

I started to laugh. "Yeah, right, and my grandma is a ghost."

But her face remained pale. "I am serious, Thalia. I am not going in there."

I shrugged my shoulders. "How about I see you tomorrow at noon at the same spot?"

"But it's going to rain," she said, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"Let's meet there even if it rains," I chuckled. "I can ask my grandma for a tent so we can have lunch there."

"That's not a bad idea," her face brightened, and her lips spread into a wide smile. "I will tell my brother to make us ham and cheese sandwiches."

"Sounds fun," I said. "See you tomorrow."

"Ciao," she said, and I closed the door, making a screeching sound as I entered. Walking upstairs, I placed the bag at the top of the stairs in the corner and walked into the living room.

Grandma was in the kitchen, the smell of basil and rosemary filling my nostrils as I entered.

"Are you hungry,bambina?" she asked, offering me a spoon with hot sauce.

"Starving," I chuckled as I sat at the table.

She placed a white plate in front of me and a pot of pasta with tomato and basil sauce.

"You will make me gain a few pounds," I said, scooping pasta onto my plate.

Savoring the pasta, she filled her glass with wine and smiled at me. "At your age, I was twice your size," she chuckled. "They called meLotta Fragola."

I started to laugh. "It's catchy."

"I cried for days, but then I met your grandfather, and he showed me that no matter how I looked, I could be perfect just the way I am."

"That's so sweet," I said, my mouth full of pasta. "Mom never spoke about him."

"He died in the war, and she never met him. I was pregnant with her when he died, and every time I spoke about him, I just cried, so it was never a happy memory for her," she looked at me. "But he would have adored you both. He was a good man."

I took her hand. "It's okay to cry," I said. "Even the saddest memories are worth remembering sometimes."

She stood up, kissing me on the top of my head. "Sometimes those memories can destroy you too," she said. "Sometimes I still have nightmares."

"I have to ask," I started. "I met this girl, Sophie. Uhm," I hesitated, looking at my plate. "Why would she think this house is haunted?"

She turned toward me, a smile on her lips. "This used to be a funeral home, but stories are just stories, bambina. Noteverythingyou hear istrue."

As she said it, I choked on my pasta, basil catching me off guard. I quickly took a glass of water to save myself. "Oh, okay," I managed to say.

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