Disappointment

The sun climbed higher, warming the pool deck. Rocco splashed away happily in the water. The guards watched. And time passed.

But Vincenzo didn’t come back.

Every minute deepened the quiet ache in my chest until it felt like something sharp pressed beneath my ribs. I told myself not to care, that this wasn’t the same as before, that he was handling something important.

But the more minutes that ti