Chapter 6 - The Question Sofia Finally Asked
Three weeks later, Alessandro stood in his kitchen at seven in the morning.
He had negotiated dock strikes.
He had survived assassination attempts.
He had faced men twice his size without blinking.
He could not make pancakes.
Sofia stared at the black circle on her plate.
“Is that breakfast?”
“Yes.”
“It looks dead.”
Alessandro frowned.
“It is a pancake.”
Bruno sniffed it.
Then walked away.
Sofia laughed.
“Even Bruno doesn't want it.”
“Bruno eats things from garbage cans.”
“Exactly.”
Isabella entered.
She stopped.
“What happened?”
“Your daughter insulted my cooking.”
“Our daughter.”
Alessandro looked at her.
Isabella hadn't said those words before.
Our daughter.
Sofia didn't notice.
She was feeding Bruno pieces of toast under the table.
Alessandro did.
Later that afternoon, Isabella found him outside beside the gardens.
“You've been quiet.”
“I've been thinking.”
“Dangerous.”
He smiled faintly.
“The federal deal is finalized.”
“What does that mean?”
“I keep the legitimate businesses. The docks, trucking companies and warehouses remain operational under independent oversight.”
“And everything else?”
“Gone.”
“Do you regret it?”
“No.”
She studied him.
“You spent your entire adult life building that power.”
“I inherited most of the worst parts.”
“And now?”
“Now I'd like to build something Sofia can actually inherit.”
Isabella looked toward the lawn.
Sofia was throwing a ball for Bruno.
“You missed five years.”
“I know.”
“I can't give those back.”
“I know.”
“You're not angry?”
Alessandro looked at her.
“I was.”
“Was?”
“Then I realized something.”
“What?”
“You were twenty-six, pregnant, threatened by two families, and convinced I couldn't protect you.”
She looked down.
“My anger doesn't change what happened.”
“No.”
“But I can change what happens next.”
That evening, Sofia found Alessandro alone in the library.
She climbed onto the chair opposite him.
“Can I ask something?”
“Anything.”
“Mommy says you're my dad.”
Alessandro stopped breathing for half a second.
“She told you?”
Sofia nodded.
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
She thought about that.
“Why weren't you there before?”
He could have lied.
He didn't.
“I didn't know about you.”
“Why?”
“Because some adults made bad decisions when they were scared.”
“Mommy?”
“Your mommy made decisions because she wanted to protect you.”
“And you?”
“I wasn't given the chance.”
Sofia frowned.
“That's not fair.”
“No.”
“Are you leaving?”
The question surprised him.
“No.”
“Promise?”
Alessandro remembered the hospital.
Promises matter.
He held out his hand.
“I promise.”
Sofia put her tiny hand into his.
Then she smiled.
“Okay, Dad.”
Alessandro looked away.
Sofia tilted her head.
“Are you crying?”
“No.”
“You are.”
“Something's in my eye.”
She looked around the library.
“What?”
Alessandro glanced toward Bruno.
“The dog.”
Sofia burst out laughing.
“You can't get a dog in your eye.”
“Your dog creates problems everywhere.”
Bruno walked over and rested his enormous head on Alessandro's leg.
Sofia hugged him.
Alessandro placed one hand on her back.
Isabella watched from the doorway.
May you like
And for the first time in six years, nobody needed to run.
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