Matteo really was nervous, Abby realised as he addressed his grandfather. ‘We’ve got some good news for you.’
They didn’t drag it out. Abby handed over the magnificent box and Giovanni let out a small cry of recognition.
‘This is the box...’ Even that thrilled Giovanni.
It was walnut and gleaming and his fingers struggled with the small clasp and Matteo watched as Abby helped him to open it and the necklace was finally revealed to him.
‘Oh...’
Had Abby doubted—and she had doubted whether or not she should give up her mother’s necklace—those last niggles left her then.
Giovanni’s blue eyes filled with tears and his old hands took out the necklace and he gazed upon stones that would never diminish with age.
‘You cannot know what this means to me to hold it again.’
‘We don’t need to know,’ Abby said. ‘An old man must have his secrets after all.’
‘Matteo told you the tale?’
‘He did.’
‘Matteo told me that he couldn’t remember.’
‘I know I did,’ Matteo said. ‘Of course I remember.’
Giovanni looked from the necklace to his grandson, who he had struggled so hard to love.
‘I was wrong,’ Giovanni said. ‘To compare you to your father...’
‘Can we leave it?’ Matteo said, as was his preferred method.
‘We’ve left too many things unsaid,’ Giovanni responded and then he looked down to the necklace as if it gave him strength to speak from the heart.
‘To see the damage my son did was more than I could take. When I took in his children I wanted to put things right but I was lost in my own regret and grief.’
‘I know.’
‘You look like him,’ Giovanni said. ‘You laugh and you act like him and I was scared for you.’
‘I know that you were,’ Matteo said. ‘But you don’t need to be now. I’ve got a new addiction.’
‘Motor racing.’
‘Two actually,’ Matteo said but Giovanni was looking at the necklace and back in his own world again.
‘If I could have a day with it,’ Giovanni said and he looked to Abby. ‘Just some time to remember...’
‘It’s yours,’ Abby interrupted.
‘No.’ Giovanni shook his head. ‘It was your mother’s. Matteo told me he would never take it from you, that you had based your racing team around these stones.’
‘My mother had green eyes,’ Abby said. ‘I remember them. I don’t need this necklace to do that. It’s yours. It’s back where it belongs.’
She looked to Matteo because Giovanni was crying and really was distressed and maybe now wasn’t the time to tell him the rest of the news that they had to share.
‘Abby should have it to give it to her children...’ Giovanni insisted.
‘Maybe she shall,’ Matteo responded. ‘Given that it’s staying in the family.’