They talked for hours—about his childhood, his interests, his plans. He told her how he’d discovered the necklace’s value by accident, and how he’d almost sold it before feeling strangely compelled to keep it. “I guess I know why now,” he said with a small smile.
Mara smiled through her tears. The ache in her chest was still there, but it was softer now, tempered by the warmth of his presence. She realized they couldn’t rewrite the past, nor gain lost time—but they could choose what came next. And maybe, that was enough. To her, it was worth more than all the millions in the world.