Double Trouble

Chapter 46

Riccardo

Although he is looking down to his lap, I can see tears forming in his eyes. Nevertheless, he is wearing a real smile. A smile that reaches his eyes, his ears and his whole face. It isn't forced neither fake. It's just real and at the same time painful though.

I breathe hardly in and out. Pain. The only thing I feel at the moment. It isn't just the fact that Nelione isn't here anymore, more the realization how much they meant for each other. The first emotion we see on them - now on Neliono - is because of Nelione.

It hurts like hell. I don't know what to do. Comforting him? Providing assistance? Both options don't seem so good in my view. I'm not in the position to comfort him and providing assistance is kind of strange. So I just sit here with a lots of thoughts going through my head.

Suddenly Neliono moves again, shoves the chain over his head and regards it one more time before he looks at me - our whole family again. The word 'Nelione' got everybody's attention. We are high award and still curious and desperate in finding out who the responsible for his dead is or was. Making the one regret his decision to ever lay a hand on him in the first place. Nobody gets away with killing one of our family members.

"D-Do you want to look through it? It's a picture - chain." - He asks me in a low voice, trying to prevent any sight of emotion but I already see the tears and his strained facial expression.

I take the chain surprised by his offering out of his hand, carefully and softly out of angst to break it. It's beautiful. A little silver star with a hole in the middle. Probably the photo inside. After a deep breath, I manage to look through it- I don't know what I expected. A picture of a them or a landscape or a city probably but the reality is different.

Tears are forming in my eyes too and I have to lay the chain down on the table again. My hands are trembling and my view dizzy. However, nothing compared to my head with all the possible thoughts.

The picture shows the sea with a kid surfing on it. Nelione. That's he and he seemed so happy, so carefree and just free. Full concentrate about the board and his tricks.

"He was the best. Made the hardest tricks and let it seem like nothing. We two couldn't beat him and we tried multiple times. Trust me." - Neliono says with a few sobs in between but smiling generously. "I cannot do this. Not alone. Sorry."

He stands up all of sudden and walks to the door in which Neliana only a few minutes before disappeared. And again both of our siblings are away. Out of our view, but I understand. I really understand. Nelione is likely a very sensitive topic, the only topic which breaks their mask in front of us slightly. I didn't wish we would see this way emotions on their faces.

Causing by this, nobody from us goes after them.

The chain is still going through the table, now reaching the eldest one.

"Is this-" - Grandma Micaela says while laying a hand over her mouth.

"Nelione? Yeah." - I say in a low voice.

"Oh Gosh." - Grandma whines and Grandfather tries his best to comfort her in hugging his wife as tightly as possible.

Silence. Painful silence in which everybody is busy in sorting out thoughts, fills out the whole room up. I use the time to take a glance to the door again and see suddenly the most adorable sight in front of me.