Chapter 6 - The Woman His Son Chose
Seven days became three weeks.
Not because Adrian forced me.
Because Leo asked me to stay.
The first week, he woke screaming every night.
The second, only twice.
By the third, he slept through until morning.
I still worked at Sal’s.
Adrian hated that.
“You don’t need to.”
We were sitting in his kitchen at midnight.
“I like my job.”
“You complain about it constantly.”
“That’s part of liking a job.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Neither does owning six restaurants and eating cereal at midnight.”
He looked down at his bowl.
“This is efficient.”
“It has marshmallows.”
“They’re part of a balanced diet.”
I laughed.
Adrian watched me.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No, what?”
“You laugh differently here.”
My smile faded.
“That sounded suspiciously personal.”
“Maybe it was.”
The room became quiet.
Then Leo appeared wearing dinosaur pajamas.
“Daddy.”
Adrian immediately stood.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
Leo climbed onto the chair between us.
“Can Willa come Saturday?”
“Where?”
“My school.”
I frowned.
“What’s Saturday?”
“Family day.”
I looked at Adrian.
He looked uncomfortable.
“You don’t have to.”
Leo grabbed my hand.
“Please?”
I smiled.
“Okay.”
Saturday afternoon, Leo introduced me to everyone as “my Willa.”
Adrian heard.
He said nothing until we were driving home.
Then he asked, “Your Willa?”
Leo nodded proudly.
“She found me.”
Adrian looked at me through the rearview mirror.
“Yes.”
His voice softened.
“She did.”
That evening, after Leo fell asleep, Adrian found me on the terrace.
Chicago glittered below us.
“I owe you something.”
“You’ve already paid my rent for six months.”
“You made me angry about that.”
“You did it without asking.”
“I’m learning.”
“Slowly.”
He stepped beside me.
“I owe you an apology.”
“For threatening me in an alley?”
“That too.”
“What else?”
“For assuming everyone near my family wanted something.”
I looked at him.
“Most people probably do.”
“You didn’t.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn't know who you were.”
“You know now.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re still here.”
I looked through the glass doors toward the staircase.
“Leo needed someone.”
Adrian nodded.
“And me?”
I turned.
His expression was different.
Not cold.
Not intimidating.
Just a man standing too close.
“What about you?”
“Did I need someone?”
I swallowed.
“Maybe.”
He stepped closer.
“Willa.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve spent three weeks trying not to do something stupid.”
“What?”
“Kiss you.”
My heart jumped.
“That does sound stupid.”
“I thought you’d say that.”
He started to step away.
I caught his jacket.
“But I’ve done plenty of stupid things.”
He looked at my hand.
Then at me.
“Like following crying children into alleys?”
“Exactly.”
I kissed him first.
It wasn’t dramatic.
No fireworks.
No sweeping music.
Just warm hands, cold Chicago air, and a man who kissed me carefully despite being feared by half the city.
When we separated, Adrian rested his forehead against mine.
“This complicates things.”
“You think?”
A small voice came from behind us.
“Finally.”
We turned.
Leo stood at the door.
I stared.
“Were you spying?”
“No.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
Leo immediately changed his answer.
“Maybe.”
I covered my face.
Adrian laughed.
It was the first time I had ever heard him truly laugh.
Then Leo ran toward us.
May you like
And for the first time in years, I understood what it felt like to stand somewhere and not immediately think about leaving.
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