Chapter 2 – The Father Who Looked Away

“That’s my daddy.”

Molly said it again, pointing down toward the dining room.

And this time, Luca Moretti looked as though someone had struck him.

The man she was pointing at was Michael Caruso.

Forty-two years old.

Luca’s business partner for nearly thirteen years.

A man who’d eaten Thanksgiving dinner with the Moretti family, stood beside Luca at his father’s funeral, and once told me that loyalty mattered more than money.

He was wearing a charcoal-gray suit.

And he was laughing at something another guest had said.

Luca turned toward Daniel.

“Bring Michael here.”

His voice was quiet.

Daniel glanced at Molly.

“Sir?”

“Please.”

I felt Molly’s fingers tighten around mine.

“Did I do something wrong?”

I crouched beside her.

“No, sweetheart.”

“Is Daddy mad?”

I looked toward Luca.

He was staring at his oldest friend.

“I don’t think your daddy is mad at you.”

Molly nodded uncertainly.

Then she noticed the guests looking upstairs.

She immediately stepped behind me.

“Are they looking because I’m not supposed to be here?”

That nearly broke me.

Luca heard her.

He knelt in front of her.

“Molly, look at me.”

She peeked around my apron.

“You haven’t done anything wrong. Not one thing.”

“Okay.”

“And nobody is going to make you hide.”

Her shoulders relaxed slightly.

Then Michael appeared at the bottom of the staircase.

Daniel spoke to him.

Michael looked confused.

Until he glanced upward.

And saw Molly.

His smile disappeared.

He gripped the banister.

“Molly?”

The little girl’s face lit up.

“Daddy!”

She pulled away from my hand.

I followed as she hurried down the remaining steps.

Michael dropped to one knee just before she reached him.

She threw her arms around his neck.

And for several seconds, he held her without speaking.

I watched his eyes close.

He looked frightened.

Not surprised by who she was.

Frightened that somebody had seen them together.

That distinction stayed with me.

Molly touched his cheek.

“You missed my tooth.”

Michael swallowed.

“What?”

She smiled, showing the little gap in her front teeth.

“It fell out.”

His eyes filled.

“Look at that.”

“I put it under my pillow.”

“Did the tooth fairy come?”

She nodded.

Then her smile faded.

“You didn’t.”

Michael lowered his head.

Luca stood beside them.

“Michael.”

His friend looked up.

“Luca, I can explain.”

“Then explain why I didn’t know you had a daughter.”

Michael glanced toward Vanessa.

She had followed us downstairs.

Her face was pale.

“Not in front of Molly,” he whispered.

For the first time, I agreed with him.

Luca looked toward Mrs. Carter.

“Would you bring Molly something warm to eat?”

Molly immediately caught my apron.

“Can Grace come?”

“Yes,” Luca said.

He turned toward me.

“Stay with her, please.”

Michael started to stand.

Molly caught his sleeve.

“Are you leaving again?”

His expression crumpled.

“No, honey. Not right now.”

She looked uncertain.

“Promise?”

He hesitated.

Just long enough for her to notice.

Then he said, “I’ll come sit with you after you’ve eaten.”

She nodded.

But she didn’t release his sleeve until I gently offered my hand.

Across the dining room, a woman in a pale-blue evening dress had risen from her chair.

Her name was Evelyn Shaw.

She was Michael’s fiancée.

I knew that because Vanessa had spent weeks complaining that Evelyn’s engagement ring was larger than hers.

Evelyn stared at Molly.

Then at Michael.

And did something none of us expected.

She approached the little girl slowly.

“Hi, Molly.”

Molly blinked.

“Do I know you?”

“No, sweetheart. But I’ve heard about you.”

Michael looked up sharply.

Luca noticed.

Evelyn smiled gently.

“Your dad showed me a picture of you with your missing tooth.”

Molly touched her mouth.

“It’s new.”

“I can see that.”

Then Evelyn looked at Michael.

“You told me she was staying with her grandmother tonight.”

He lowered his eyes.

“She was supposed to.”

Evelyn’s expression changed.

“Then why was she locked upstairs?”

Michael stared.

“Locked?”

I stepped forward.

“Yes.”

His face drained.

“Vanessa?”

She folded her arms.

“It wasn’t supposed to become an issue.”

Evelyn looked toward her.

“A little girl was locked in a room?”

Vanessa shook her head.

“She was safe.”

Molly moved closer to me.

I felt her hand tremble.

Luca saw it.

“Enough,” he said.

He asked Daniel to escort the remaining guests toward the entrance and explain that the celebration was ending early.

He didn’t want Molly questioned by strangers.

Nobody argued.

His mother, Teresa Moretti, remained near the fireplace.

She watched Molly with such sadness that I had to look away.

Mrs. Carter brought a bowl of chicken soup and fresh bread.

Molly ate beside me.

After a few minutes, Evelyn quietly joined us.

She didn’t try to touch Molly.

She simply asked whether the soup was good.

Molly nodded.

“Grace gave me a sandwich upstairs.”

Evelyn looked at my swollen wrist.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m all right.”

Mrs. Carter frowned.

“You’re not. That needs ice and somebody to examine it.”

For the first time all evening, I almost smiled.

Then I heard Luca speaking to Michael across the room.

“How long have you known Vanessa?”

Michael stared at the floor.

“Eight years.”

Luca went still.

“Eight?”

“We were together before she met you.”

“And you never thought to mention that?”

Michael rubbed his forehead.

“It ended years ago.”

Luca looked toward Molly.

“Not everything ended, apparently.”

Michael’s eyes filled.

“Does Evelyn know she’s your daughter?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t I?”

Michael looked ashamed.

“Because Vanessa asked me not to tell you.”

Luca took a step backward.

“And you agreed?”

Michael said nothing.

I saw something break in Luca’s expression.

Not anger.

Trust.

He’d spent thirteen years believing he knew the man standing in front of him.

Now he wasn’t sure he knew him at all.

Molly finished her soup.

She looked toward Michael.

“Daddy?”

He turned immediately.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

She glanced at Vanessa.

Then back at him.

“Am I still going away?”

Michael frowned.

“Going where?”

Molly twisted the sleeve of her yellow cardigan.

“Mommy packed my bag.”

Vanessa closed her eyes.

Molly’s next words made Michael stand so quickly his chair scraped the floor.

“Daddy, am I still going away on Monday?”