Dominic read the papers twice.

Then he looked at Evelyn.

“You knew?”

“I knew she met with an attorney.”

“Why?”

“Because she was scared.”

“Of me?”

“No.”

Evelyn looked toward Leo.

“Of what your life was becoming.”

Dominic’s face went still.

“She wanted to leave?”

“For a while.”

The room seemed to shrink.

“She never told me.”

“She tried.”

Dominic laughed bitterly.

“No. Sofia told me everything.”

“Not at the end.”

That hurt him.

I could see it.

Evelyn continued.

“She loved you, Dominic. But she wanted Leo to have something outside this house. Parks. School friends. Birthday parties where security wasn’t standing at every door.”

Dominic looked toward his son.

Leo was listening.

Too much.

I touched his shoulder.

“Come with me.”

“No.”

“Leo—”

“I want to hear.”

Dominic knelt before him.

“Your mother loved you.”

“Was she taking me away?”

Dominic struggled with the answer.

Evelyn spoke softly.

“She wanted your father to come too.”

Leo looked confused.

“What?”

“She wasn’t trying to destroy your family. She was trying to save it.”

Dominic lowered his head.

Evelyn removed a small envelope from her handbag.

“I should have given you this years ago.”

“What is it?”

“Something Sofia left at my house.”

Dominic took it.

His name was written across the front.

He opened the letter.

His eyes moved across the page.

Then stopped.

“What does it say?” Leo asked.

Dominic couldn’t speak.

So he handed it to me.

I read only enough to understand.

Sofia had loved him.

She had also been terrified that Dominic believed protecting his family meant controlling every danger around them.

She wanted him to understand something simpler.

Leo did not need a fortress.

He needed a father.

Dominic took the letter back.

“I wasted four years.”

“No,” I said.

He looked at me.

“You still have him.”

Leo walked forward.

“Dad?”

Dominic crouched again.

“I’m sorry.”

Leo frowned.

“For what?”

“For making you think you had to be perfect around me.”

Leo’s lower lip trembled.

“And for not talking about Mom.”

“Were you mad at her?”

“No.”

“Were you mad at me?”

“Never.”

“Then why didn’t you talk?”

Dominic looked at Sofia’s letter.

“Because it hurt.”

Leo nodded as if that made perfect sense.

Then he said:

“It hurt me too.”

Dominic pulled him close.

Lily watched them.

Then she tugged my sleeve.

“Mommy?”

“Yes?”

“Can we have pancakes now?”

I laughed despite myself.

Dominic looked over Leo’s shoulder.

“Still breakfast food.”

Lily crossed her arms.

“You’re very stubborn.”

Leo giggled.

Even Evelyn laughed.

And Dominic finally smiled.

But when I packed Lily’s things that evening, Dominic found me near the servants’ entrance.

“You’re leaving.”

“I think we should.”

“Because of what happened?”

“Because I’m your employee.”

“And?”

“And somewhere along the way, my daughter became responsible for making your son happy.”

“She isn’t responsible.”

“Leo thinks she is.”

Dominic was quiet.

“So what happens now?”

“I don’t know.”

He studied me.

Then said something I never expected.

“I don’t want you to go.”

I looked at him.

“Is that my employer speaking?”

“No.”

The answer came too quickly.

For the first time, Dominic Moretti looked uncertain.

And somehow that frightened me more than his anger ever had.

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