I sniffle. “We had a fight.”
“A fight?” I can hear her surprise, but her tone is soothing. A patience in it that my mother never has. “Over what?”
Silently I pull out the broken chain, setting it and the crescent moon pendant down on the table.
“It broke off its chain,” I explain.
“A shame,” she agrees, picking up the items and running them through her fingers. “Heavy too. Real platinum?”
Her gaze turns intrusive, arching a brow.
“Did you steal it?”
“No, it was a present. I got it at dinner.”
“And it’s already broken?” There’s that shock in her voice again.
I nod my head. The astonishment on her face molds into something like she can’t be sure if she believes me. She’s trying to figure out if I’m lying.
I’m not.
“I got it for my birthday. I turned this many.” Raising seven fingers, showing her.
She ponders that a moment and then says, “Know how to braid?”
My nose pinches, shaking my head side to side. My hair bounces in front of my face and she laughs. It sounds like sunshine and chocolate chip cookies.
Pulling the towel off her shoulder, she yanks at the threads. The seams tear easily with a little force.
I watch in amazement as she ties off one end and begins wrapping one thread over the other. Interweaving the multicolored pieces of material together.
“See, a braid,” she says, holding up the finished product when she’s done. “And now,” pausing as she pinches the ball of the medallion through the material. “A bracelet.”
I rotate my wrist in awe. The moon gleams as it dangles. She fixed it.
“Just as good as before.”
“Can you show me? I want to do it too,” I ask, excited.
She clucks her tongue. Plump cheeks rounding further at my glee. I’m practically jumping from my seat.
“Cool it, silver sparklers. We don’t need you tearing anything up.”
My cheeks warm.
Pulling at the rag, she divides the rest of it up into enough pieces for both of us. Setting half with me and the other for her.
Studiously I follow along, mimicking her movements as she shows me how to lay one over the other. Tying both additions to my wrist after we’re done. The same as she had the original.
“You said it was your birthday?”
“Mmhmm,” I answer, still distracted by my new items.
Instead of one necklace, I have three bracelets. What a neat trade.
She gets up and is back before I have time to question where she went. Gnawing on her lip, she pulls out the item hidden behind her back.
My mouth parts in awe.