Her name was Evelyn Marino.

Leo’s grandmother.

She arrived that afternoon.

Dominic initially refused to let her inside.

Evelyn refused to leave.

So they stood on opposite sides of the front entrance while I tried very hard to become invisible.

“You photographed my house,” Dominic said.

“You wouldn’t answer my calls.”

“You lost the right to come here.”

“You decided that.”

“Sofia decided that.”

Evelyn’s face tightened.

“My daughter was angry with me.”

“She wanted you away from Leo.”

“Before she died.”

Dominic went silent.

Evelyn stepped closer.

“She never got the chance to change her mind.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Neither do you.”

Then Leo appeared at the top of the staircase.

“Dad?”

Dominic turned.

Evelyn looked up.

Her face crumbled.

“Leo.”

The boy stared at her.

“Who are you?”

Nobody answered.

Evelyn’s eyes filled.

“I’m your grandmother.”

Leo looked at Dominic.

“I have another grandma?”

Dominic closed his eyes briefly.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Leo, go upstairs.”

“No.”

Dominic stiffened.

It was possibly the first time his son had openly refused him.

Then a small voice joined the conversation.

“He said no.”

Lily walked out behind Leo carrying her stuffed rabbit.

“Lily,” I whispered.

She descended the stairs and stood beside him.

Evelyn looked between the children.

“So this is Lily.”

Dominic’s gaze sharpened.

“How do you know her name?”

“I’ve watched from outside.”

“That ends today.”

“I came because I heard Leo laughing.”

Dominic stared at her.

Evelyn’s voice cracked.

“I hadn’t heard my grandson laugh since Sofia died.”

Leo came downstairs.

“Did you know my mom?”

Evelyn smiled through tears.

“She was my little girl.”

“What was she like?”

Dominic’s face changed.

Leo had apparently never asked him that directly.

Or maybe he had never felt safe enough to ask.

Evelyn knelt.

“She hated carrots.”

Leo blinked.

“What?”

“She would hide them under her napkin.”

Leo smiled.

“She did?”

“She cheated at Monopoly.”

“Really?”

“Terribly.”

A tiny laugh escaped him.

Dominic turned away.

I watched his hand close into a fist.

Not from anger.

From grief.

Lily walked over and tugged his jacket.

“You’re sad again.”

Every adult in the room froze.

Dominic looked down.

Lily pointed toward Leo.

“He’s happy.”

Then toward Dominic.

“You’re supposed to be happy too.”

Dominic crouched.

“It doesn’t always work that way.”

“Why?”

“Because sometimes you miss someone.”

Lily thought about that.

“Then miss her together.”

Dominic stared at her.

Evelyn began crying.

Leo slowly walked toward his father.

“Can we?”

Dominic’s voice was rough.

“Can we what?”

“Miss Mom together?”

That was the moment Dominic Moretti finally stopped pretending.

He pulled his son against his chest.

Leo clung to him.

And for the first time, neither seemed afraid of what the other might see.

But peace lasted less than a minute.

Anthony entered carrying an envelope.

His expression was grim.

“Dominic.”

“What?”

“This was delivered to the gate.”

Dominic opened it.

Inside were copies of legal documents.

Evelyn immediately recognized them.

“Oh, God.”

Dominic looked at her.

“What?”

She whispered:

“Sofia was planning to change Leo’s guardianship papers before she died.”

---