Chapter 7 - The Family He Found Twice
Three months later, Dominic returned to the street where Emma had first tugged on his sleeve.
This time, she wore shoes.
Bright pink ones.
She hated them.
“They squeak.”
“They're new.”
“I liked being barefoot.”
“In November?”
“Yes.”
Dominic shook his head.
Matteo ran ahead carrying his gray elephant.
Elena walked beside Dominic.
The rowhouse stood exactly as they had left it.
Emma stared at the green door.
“Why are we here?”
Dominic crouched.
“Because I need to ask you something.”
Emma looked suspicious.
“What?”
“Do you remember when you found me?”
“Yes.”
“You told me Matteo lived in your house.”
“Yes.”
“You gave me my son back.”
Emma shrugged.
“He was already your son.”
Dominic smiled.
“Fair point.”
He took an envelope from his coat.
“What is that?”
“Paperwork.”
“Boring.”
“Extremely.”
Elena smiled.
Dominic continued.
“You don't have to say yes.”
“To what?”
“Elena and I talked.”
Emma looked between them.
“So did Matteo.”
Matteo nodded enthusiastically.
“I voted yes.”
“You weren't supposed to tell her yet,” Elena said.
“Oh.”
Emma frowned.
“Voted yes to what?”
Dominic took a breath.
“You've been living with us for three months.”
“Yes.”
“You fight with Matteo.”
“He starts it.”
“I do not!”
Dominic raised a hand.
“Not helping.”
Matteo went quiet.
Dominic looked at Emma.
“You steal food from my plate.”
“You don't finish it.”
“You tell my guards what to do.”
“They're slow.”
Elena covered her mouth, hiding a smile.
“And somehow,” Dominic continued, “my house doesn't feel right when you're not there.”
Emma's expression changed.
Dominic handed her the envelope.
“We've started the legal process. If you want it.”
Emma didn't take it.
“What process?”
Elena knelt beside Dominic.
“Becoming our daughter.”
Emma stared at them.
Nobody spoke.
Then she looked at Matteo.
“You'd be my brother?”
Matteo nodded.
“Officially.”
“You're annoying.”
“So are you.”
Emma looked back at Dominic.
“Would I have to call you Dad?”
“No.”
“Can I?”
Dominic couldn't answer immediately.
Elena squeezed his hand.
Finally, Dominic whispered:
“Anytime you want.”
Emma threw herself against him.
Dominic caught her.
Matteo immediately joined.
Then Elena.
Four people stood embracing on a cracked sidewalk where, months earlier, Dominic had believed his family was gone forever.
Later that evening, they gathered for dinner at the Vale estate.
No lieutenants.
No business.
No speeches about power.
Just family.
Matteo raised his glass of juice.
“I want to make a toast.”
Dominic became suspicious.
“Who taught you that?”
“Victor.”
“Of course.”
Matteo stood on his chair.
“To Emma.”
Emma smiled.
“Because she found Dad.”
Dominic looked at the little girl.
Matteo continued.
“And Dad found us.”
Elena squeezed Dominic's hand.
Emma raised her glass.
“And we caught the bad guy.”
Elena laughed.
Dominic nodded.
“That too.”
They touched glasses.
Later, after the children had gone upstairs, Elena found Dominic standing beside the window.
“What are you thinking?”
He looked outside.
“For a year, I thought finding you would fix everything.”
“Did it?”
“No.”
Elena raised an eyebrow.
Dominic smiled.
“It gave me the chance to fix everything.”
She leaned against him.
“There's a difference.”
“A big one.”
Upstairs, something crashed.
Matteo shouted:
“EMMA DID IT!”
Emma screamed back:
“LIAR!”
Dominic closed his eyes.
Elena laughed.
“Your empire is calling.”
“Our empire.”
He kissed her forehead and headed toward the stairs.
Halfway up, Emma appeared.
“Dad?”
Dominic stopped.
It was the first time she'd called him that.
Emma didn't seem to realize what she'd said.
“Matteo broke something.”
Dominic stared at her for a moment.
Then smiled.
“I'm coming.”
She disappeared upstairs.
Elena watched from below.
Dominic had spent most of his life believing power meant making people afraid to leave him.
He finally understood the opposite was true.
Real power was building a home people wanted to return to.
A barefoot little girl had led him through the worst neighborhood in New York looking for the family he'd lost.
Instead, she had given him something bigger.
A second chance.
A daughter.
May you like
And a reason to become a man his children would never need to run from.
THE END
