I was in mourning for several weeks after his funeral.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFEGL08PIF
Pacing up and down, refusing to eat, to talk, to communicate with anybody.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡWR0cHmTCYs
I removed all traces of his memory, hoping for it to just fade away - but it never did.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSUg3IjYu2
A month passed - one long, painful month. I had locked myself in the house for the entire time. Hardly eaten anything. Hardly spoken to anyone. I decided to go outside.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFk2UP5a53
It was January, and out side was bitterly cold. I stepped outside for a brief moment, before escaping back to the confines of the house once more.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJY8OBlmYG
I dug out the scarf - the one he gave me, the one I had locked away ever since his death - and I wrapped it around my neck, replicating the way he had wrapped it on that fateful day.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeaVY8pVDw
It wasn't the same.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡClfcLIE6CU
The back garden seemed warmer. It was quite small, and at the far end was one lonely bench standing, just there, all alone.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUf8RlkvVf
I sat on it. It was cold.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvgbSJZm0M
I began to cry.And then I stopped.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOgJ7gaX3U
I almost felt something next to me. Sort of like... a spirit.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡHozSkrsmNp
Antonio.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOp56QTxyf
I heard a child's laughter.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡVE7W6Z0IH4
Antonio looked at me with sad eyes, and I realised that he was now with his family.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡHu7Bq7NvfJ
He was happy.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkVF1bGXPb
For the first time in a long time, I felt... content.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Rz1c9TnnC
Antonio was finally truly happy.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAalZjFkCt
All this time, he had covered his pain with that gorgeous smile. That wonderful smile.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡyndWMsXfJz
But this time he wasn't hiding the pain anymore.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡkj0n1Kzgbu
He smiled at me one last time - and through tears, I smiled back.copyright protection409ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XElnPynJj
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