Page 65 of Eat Your Heart Out

I reached out for the necklace pendant. “The sea nymph saw him sad at the shore, and since she loved him, she gifted him a black-pearl necklace just like you’re wearing. The lava rock is supposedly part of the ocean where the nymph was from. That way, he’d always have something to remember her by.”

Ali finished her coffee and nodded. “That’s fun. So did he marry the rich girl?”

Her happiness made me happy. I scooted my chair back so we could get up. “He did, and they lived happily ever after. My mother told me to buy it for you, so I figured I’d better listen.”

She stood with me. “Now I want to wear this out.”

I waited for her to take the first step. “Perfect. I need to change into something nicer.”

She walked next to me, and when we reached the small steps, she said, “Let’s both wear white to match in photos, and the black necklace will stand out.”

My heart lifted. Photos were for capturing memories. I kept that thought to myself. “Photos… perfect. Let’s go figure out what to wear together.” For the first time in days, it felt like we had made progress. I didn’t want to push, but my hopes were up.