As they both stepped out of the columbarium, Ezra was a bit hesitant to speak first, but just as they fell into a mutual silence, Uncle Matteo broke the uncomfortableness between them and said, "Long time no see. How have you been, Ezra?" Ezra nodded and replied that he was doing okay. Their conversation ended there and the atmosphere fell quiet again.
Uncle Matteo invited him to sit down and chat for a while. Even though Ezra was still a bit nervous, he followed him and they both sat on a bench behind the building. Unconsciously, Ezra's fingers tugged at the edge of his shirt, maybe because he didn't know what to talk about. This shouldn't have been awkward because this man wasn't a stranger - someone he should have been able to interact with just fine.
Glancing to the side, Uncle Matteo still had a warm smile on his face. The middle-aged man was robust and wise, someone whose face reminded Ezra of his mother. Even that warm smile made Ezra's heart suddenly pounding.
