Giancarlo felt his insides tearing apart. There was so much he wanted to say, so much to tell him before it was too late, but before he could say a word, he felt his brother slowly letting go of his hand.

“Stay,” Giancarlo begged him.

“Take care of her,” Giorgio whispered.

And then he closed his eyes.

CHAPTER 51

CHAPTER 51

The tears came.

After thirty years of keeping it all locked deep inside, all the useless bitterness and resentment that had colored his life black at long last spilled out of Giancarlo, like rain in a downpour. His brother was gone. He had squandered away all the chances he might have had to come home and reconcile with him. Now it was too late, and all he could do was weep.

Paralyzed with grief, Giancarlo gazed down at Giorgio and let it all go.

“What have I done?” he sobbed, squeezing his head between his hands. “My brother! What a fool I have been! God, forgive me, what have I done with my life?”

Giancarlo trembled, and wept openly like a child. He wept for his father, releasing the tears he ought to have shed for him years ago. He wept for his mother and his brother, and he wept for himself, for now only he remained, and he felt more lonely and lost than ever without them.

“What do I do now?” he lamented. “I have nothing left.Where do I go from here?”

The tears streaming down his own face, Carter came to Giancarlo’s side and put a hand on his shoulder to console him.

“Learn from me, Carter,” cried Giancarlo, shaking his head in misery. “Don’t waste your life, as I’ve done. Don’t—”

Giancarlo abruptly ceased his lamentations and looked down at his brother, his jaw dropping open. He stared in disbelief, for unless he was greatly mistaken, his supposedly deceased brother was wearing an unmistakable smirk. Worse, as he leaned over to take a closer look, he realized that Giorgio was struggling not to giggle!

“You’re alive!” cried Giancarlo, not sure if he was elated or outraged.

Giorgio could contain himself no more and burst into laughter despite the obvious pain it was causing him.

“Of course I’m alive!” he exclaimed. “Did you really think a few rocks and wooden beams could kill me?”

Giancarlo looked at him aghast.

“But how could you do such a thing?” he screamed.

Giorgio only laughed all the more, even though it really was killing him.Then he looked over to Carter and held up his hand to him.

“Scusami, Carter,” he pleaded. “You must forgive me. I know that was cruel, but if you only knew how many years I have waited to do that, to pay my brother back for the scare he gave me one day a long time ago.”

His eyes wide in amazement, Carter looked back and forth between the two brothers and just shook his head.