CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Aurelio froze for a full minute, unable to speak or think.

"Elio?" his mom pushed. "What's going on?"

He looked at her, past her, through her, still finding it hard to focus. He closed his eyes for a second. It took so much power to remain calm. It took so much energy to speak with a steady voice, to speak over his thumping heart.

"Dad told me," he said. "The other night. When we were outside, remember? He told me that he started smoking when he was fourteen, right after his dad abandoned him. I...I swear I'm not making this up. That's literally what he told me."

"Honey, but I just told you, your dad doesn't smoke. I've known him for a very long time. I'm sure his dad died when he was twelve." The skin between her brows was pinched, and her eyes glistened with worry. "Elio...you need to rest. I think you're--"

"The day I saw the accident on the news," Aurelio desperately continued, "that day I noticed a cigarette pack on the table. I asked you why it was there if no one here smokes, and you told me that Dad does. You told me he must've forgotten it there."

"I'm sure this didn't happen. I don't remember ever telling you that. I really have no idea what you're talking about."

Aurelio stared at the wall, dumbfounded. The situation was messing with his sanity at this point. He just...He couldn't have hallucinated all of that. He couldn't have. The day he saw the car crash on the news--he remembered it so well. He had forgotten his dad smoked, and his mom had reminded him that he did.

Only for her to tell him the opposite now.

What in the world was happening?

Aurelio's mom was saying something, but it was distant, like her voice couldn't penetrate the haze in Aurelio's head. It felt like the temperature dropped inside his body. Cold, so cold. Tucking his chin, he glanced at his hands, at his shaky fingers. Then he realized his chest was heaving, and still not enough air could fill his lungs.

No. Not here. Not right now.

He looked at his lap and balled his hands and forced his stupid anxiety aside.

Not here. Not right now.

"Elio, listen to me," his mom said, this time with a firm voice that demanded his attention. Aurelio looked at her. There was a constant tremble inside his ribcage, fear and disorientation rumbling like earthquakes. "You can't think straight because you're exhausted. Maybe it's better if you rest a little first, and then we'll talk. Okay? You can't focus like this."

Aurelio stared a little longer, and he was about to yield because he knew she was right. But a realization hit him then and he frowned instead.

"Wait," he said. "You're right. I know I'm tired and I know it might be affecting my thought process, but that doesn't apply to what I said about you telling me that Dad smokes the day I saw the car crash on the news. I wasn't exhausted back then. It was just a normal day. I remember it clearly. So that's one thing I'm sure of, but now you're telling me it didn't happen."

With concern dampening her eyes, his mom looked at him. No response, no words. Nothing. She didn't know what to say. She was probably thinking, what happened to the child that never gave us trouble? Where is he now? He hoped she knew he hated this more than anyone.

"I'm gonna ask Dad. Uncle Ian would know if Dad smokes too. They were best friends growing up, right?" Aurelio asked. "We can ask them both."

"Your uncle almost never picks up phone calls. He's busy most of the time."

"It's fine. I'll go see him."

"You plan on traveling just to ask him if your dad smokes?"

Well, asking Aurelio's dad would be enough. He was the man of the issue himself, after all. But Aurelio wanted to ask Uncle Ian on top just to be sure. And--

Wait.

Travel?

"What does traveling have to do with this?" Aurelio asked. "Uncle Ian lives like five minutes away."

Aurelio's mom clamped a hand to her mouth, as if she was watching her son lose his mind right in front of her.

"Elio," she said, her voice low and shaky. "Your uncle doesn't live here. He moved away a long time ago."

Oh, God.

Aurelio had been standing this whole time, but now his knees felt like they could buckle under him any moment, and he dropped onto the chair behind him.

"There's no way...no way," he said, letting out a shaky breath, and then he found himself laughing quietly. He shouldn't be laughing. God, he shouldn't be. He hunched over and leant his elbows on his knees, hands pressed to his face. No way. It took a minute for his head to stop spinning, for reality to set in. Straightening, he focused on his mom again. "He lives here. I'm sure. I've seen him. I swear. I talked to him a few times. I...I can prove it."

"Elio..."

"I can prove it. I'll show you." Aurelio stood up and rounded the corner of the table, reaching for his mom's wrist. He grabbed it and tugged. "Come with me. Please."

She regarded him for a little while with a wistful expression, and then she slowly moved along, as if she didn't have the heart to let him down despite knowing he was wrong.

Aurelio smiled at her. "I'll show you," he said. "Trust me."

Towing her behind, he hurried out of the house, along the pavement, under the scorching summer heat, all the way to Uncle Ian's house. His mom was entirely silent.

I will show you. I can prove it.

They stood near Uncle Ian's house now, by his fenceless driveway. All of Aurelio's determination melted right then and there. His breath caught in his throat. If he knocked and didn't find his uncle, if he called him and he never answered, it meant that it was over. He wouldn't be able to prove anything except that he'd lost his mind.

Please be here.

Aurelio knocked on the door and waited. He felt a little lightheaded. A couple seconds morphed into an eternity of standing and anticipating, all while his heart pounded violently in his chest.

Uncle Ian opened the door.

Aurelio let out a long, long, long breath. He could've dropped to his knees. His lips curved with relief, and he spun to face his mom.

"I knew it!" he said. "See? I knew I had some brain cells left!"

The relief turned into fear in an instant. The smile faltered. Aurelio glanced at his uncle.

"You...You can see him too, right?" Aurelio asked his mom. "Please...please tell me you see him too."

Aurelio's mom nodded. "I can see him." Aurelio would be happy, but the yearning expression on her face startled him. "It's been a long time," she said, looking at Uncle Ian. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"I thought so too," Uncle Ian said. Aurelio's eyes skipped between the two, and he frowned, trying to discern the tension in the air. His uncle moved first, and he stepped closer to Aurelio's mom. They hugged. It was brief, but when they pulled apart, they were both glossy-eyed. "I'm sorry. I should've talked to you."

Huh?

"You didn't know he's here?" Aurelio asked his mom. "How? There's no way that's possible."

"The bastard's always busy working. When does he ever bother talking to anyone?"

Both Aurelio's mom and uncle chuckled. Aurelio didn't even understand this. He knew Uncle Ian was the type to completely forget to contact anyone whenever he was busy, but how could he not at the very least tell his sister that he moved in a few blocks away from her? How hadn't he ever run into her around here?

"You have to break this habit, Ian, okay? How are you supposed to raise a kid like this?"

"I promise I'm working on it."

Aurelio snapped out of his thoughts. He barely caught what they said. "What's that about?" he asked as his mom turned and started walking away. After casting a skeptic glance at his uncle, he followed her. "Mom, I don't get it."

"Hm?" She stopped and smiled at him. "Aren't you relieved? You just proved it. Maybe I'm the one who should rest and focus more. I didn't even know my own brother lives next to me."

"I'm relieved," Aurelio said. Only slightly. "But what were you talking about with him?"

"Nothing. I just want him to pay attention to the people around him more."

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Hi! Thank you for reading/voting/commenting!!

Also i hope the format of the chapter is okay? It kept glitching and randomly turning all the paragraphs into bold or italics and changing the alignment on its own like wtf :D