"Thanks for accompanying me, old man…" Gianna said as the car doors shut behind them, the soft thud echoing in the quiet evening air. Her shoulders loosened just a fraction. "Thanks for interfering…"
Old Mr. Thorne smiled warmly, tapping her hand gently. "You are welcome, my dear. And I am bent on interfering more, where necessary…"
Both laughed, the sound easing some of the tightness coiled in Gianna's chest.
"Just don't hesitate to talk to me whenever you are in a hitch…"
A pause followed. A softer one. "And I am sorry about the valuables you have lost."
Gianna nodded stiffly, her jaw tightening as sadness threatened to overwhelm her, pressing at the back of her throat. "At least I will get half the money, eh…"
Old Mr. Thorne laughed alongside her, indulging the halfhearted joke she made, clearly meant to diffuse the sad atmosphere, even though they both knew the loss cut deeper than money ever could.
