Chapter 9 – THE BOY ON THE PORCH

“I am,” I said, staring at the little boy. He had dark hair and familiar eyes.

“My name is Rosa,” the old woman said, trembling. “Cassandra was my niece. She… she sent me away with him years ago. But I have cancer. I can’t care for him anymore.”

My heart stopped.

It was Raymond and Cassandra’s son. Leo.

Gabriel stepped into the foyer behind me. He saw the boy, and he froze.

“Gabriel,” I whispered.

“I know who he is,” Gabriel said heavily.

The boy looked terrified. He was innocent. He didn’t choose his parents.

Gabriel looked at me, then at Lily, who had peeked around the corner.

Lily walked up to the little boy. “Hi. I’m Lily.”

The boy sniffled. “I’m Leo.”

“Do you want to see my toys?” she asked.

Leo nodded slowly.

Gabriel watched them walk into the living room. He turned to the old woman.

“He stays with us,” Gabriel said. “We will raise him as a Romano. But he will never know the sins of his father.”

Rosa wept with relief and left.

I held Gabriel’s hand. “Are you sure about this?”

“I’m sure,” he said, kissing my forehead. “We break the cycle here.”

That night, Gabriel gave me a small velvet box. Inside was a diamond ring.

“Marry me, Natalie,” he said. “For real this time. No lies. No secrets.”

I said yes.

But as I put the ring on, I noticed a strange black car idling across the street.

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