My fingers wondered restlessly until they found my ring on the left hand. I often stopped to look at it. It was a way to remember what it meant.

The snow outside was proof of the cold, but the sun was starting to rise earlier. The winter was coming to an end.

I lacked the will to go, to continue and do what needed to be done. It was beyond my power to quit. I looked at the mirror one last time to fix my posture and took a deep breath.

"Are you ready?"

I wasn't ready, but I think he knew that. There was a short moment of silence before I answered.

"I need to be"

After my words, I felt his hands touch my shoulders from behind and I turned around. The marks of his age were easier to see while he was smiling to me.

"Very good"

He started to walk to the door as I looked at the portrait on the wall. My face couldn't show how conflicted I was. The idea of staying there on that comfortable armchair near the chimney seemed more tempting every second.

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I had lost the whole night looking at the object hung on my wall just across the room.

Bertrand looked at me as I just stood there.

"What is it?"

"There is something that must be done before I go"

He did not understand clearly, but nodded and got out of the room, acknowledging my words. It took a lot of me to give the firt step. I walked, stepping on the red carpet, and silently raised the portrait.

The fear of uncertainty made me look once again at the image of the man I was supposed to be. It was a way of showing myself that there was still time to put it back. I took a deep breath once again.

It barely fit when I throwed it on the fire of the chimney.

That act gave me a bitter freedom.

It was time to rebuild everything.