Chapter 6 – The Mother Who Feared Losing Everything

“She told you I wanted to replace you?”

Luca stared at his brother.

Gabriel nodded.

“Those were her words.”

For a moment, Luca looked furious enough to break something.

Then he looked at the wooden bird in his hand.

His anger seemed to turn into grief.

“Gabe, I would never take your daughter away from you.”

Gabriel’s eyes filled.

“I wanted to believe that.”

“Then why didn’t you come to me?”

His brother looked down.

“Because I remembered what happened the last time I asked you for help.”

The words landed hard.

Luca didn’t defend himself.

Instead, he sat on the edge of a workbench.

“You’re right.”

Gabriel looked surprised.

“I should have listened to you four years ago,” Luca continued. “And you should have told me why you needed the money.”

“I know.”

“We both made mistakes.”

Gabriel nodded.

“But Rosie paid for them.”

Neither brother spoke.

Then Luca held out the little wooden bird.

“This belongs to your daughter.”

Gabriel looked at it.

“Keep it for now.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to show up and confuse her. I need to know whether she’d even want to meet me.”

Luca looked toward me.

“Hannah?”

I hesitated.

“Rosie already wants to know about her father.”

Gabriel’s expression changed.

“She asked about me?”

“She said you used to sing while you cooked.”

He covered his mouth.

For several seconds, he couldn’t answer.

Then he whispered, “I used to sing to her every night.”

I saw Luca’s eyes fill.

“We’ll find a way to let her know you’re here,” he said. “But we’ll do it carefully.”

Gabriel nodded.

“That’s all I want.”

The following morning, Vanessa came to the restaurant after Luca asked her to meet him.

Rosie was at school.

The long dining table had been cleared.

The chandeliers were dim.

I was helping Marco prepare the room for lunch when she arrived.

She wore a plain black dress.

Without the red satin gown, she looked younger.

And much more frightened.

Luca stood beside the table.

“Sit down, Vanessa.”

She hesitated.

“Are we alone?”

“Hannah and Marco are here because they know what happened. Gabriel isn’t coming until we’ve talked.”

Her face changed.

“You found him?”

“Yes.”

She lowered herself into a chair.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Luca placed the wooden bird on the table.

“Gabriel made that for Rosie.”

Vanessa stared at it.

“I know.”

“Where are the others?”

Her eyes filled.

“What others?”

“The birthday presents. He says he sent them.”

Vanessa looked away.

Luca waited.

Finally, she whispered, “I kept them.”

My stomach dropped.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away.”

“But you wouldn’t give them to Rosie?”

Vanessa shook her head.

“I was afraid she’d start asking when he was coming home.”

“She already asks that.”

Vanessa began crying.

“I know.”

Luca sat across from her.

“Tell me why you told Gabriel I’d agreed to replace him.”

Her hands shook.

“Because I thought if he stayed away long enough, Rosie would stop missing him.”

“She’s six years old.”

“I know.”

“That’s not how loving somebody works.”

Vanessa wiped her eyes.

“I was scared he’d take her.”

Luca frowned.

“Did Gabriel ever threaten to take Rosie from you?”

“Did he hurt you?”

“Did he hurt Rosie?”

“Never.”

“Then what were you afraid of?”

Vanessa stared at the table.

“Your family.”

Luca sat back.

She continued.

“When Rosie was sick, I spent nights in that hospital listening to doctors explain things I barely understood. Gabriel was working constantly. Every time somebody mentioned the Moretti name, I wondered what kind of trouble would follow us home.”

Her voice trembled.

“I wanted a normal life for her.”

“Then why did you get engaged to me?”

Vanessa looked at him.

“That wasn’t how it started.”

Luca waited.

She swallowed.

“After Gabriel left, I could barely afford the apartment. I was raising Rosie alone. I watched other children get picked up from school by their fathers.”

Her eyes filled.

“And every time she asked about hers, I told myself I was protecting her.”

“You were protecting yourself too.”

Vanessa nodded.

“Yes.”

That answer surprised me.

She looked toward the window.

“I was afraid Gabriel would come back and want to share custody. I was afraid Rosie would love him more than me because he’d never been the one making her go to bed or telling her no.”

Luca’s expression softened slightly.

“But you still had no right to keep them apart.”

“I know.”

She looked at the wooden bird.

“Last Sunday, Gabriel asked for one afternoon with her. Just a walk to the park.”

“And you refused.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because she’d been talking about your wedding.”

Luca frowned.

“What does that have to do with him?”

Vanessa’s voice dropped.

“I’d promised her we’d get the blue house back.”

“Why would you promise that without asking me?”

“Because I knew you hadn’t sold it.”

Luca looked stunned.

“You knew?”

She nodded.

“I went by Willow Street sometimes. I saw the yard being maintained.”

He looked toward me.

Then back at her.

“You could have asked for the house.”

“I was afraid you’d want Gabriel back in exchange.”

Luca shook his head.

“You turned our relationship into a way to avoid talking to the father of your child.”

Vanessa covered her face.

“I didn’t mean to fall in love with you.”

The room went silent.

She lowered her hands.

“I did love you, Luca. But by then I’d lied about so much that I couldn’t tell you the truth without losing everything.”

Luca looked at her for a long moment.

Then asked quietly, “When we met at that charity fundraiser eighteen months ago, did you know I was Gabriel’s brother?”

Vanessa didn’t answer immediately.

Her silence told us more than her tears.

Luca leaned forward.

“Vanessa.”

She closed her eyes.

“Yes.”

“Did you go there because you knew I’d be attending?”

She began crying again.

Then she gave the answer that made him remove his engagement ring.

“Yes, Luca.”

Her voice shook.

“I went there because you were the man who had my daughter’s father’s house.”