Chapter 3 – THE SMALL BEAR WITH ONE EAR

“Mama said don’t go there.”

Leo repeated the words against his father’s chest.

Ricardo looked at Dante.

“Was she talking to you?”

Dante stared at the boy.

“I can’t be certain.”

“You were there.”

“Yes.”

“Then what did she say?”

Dante rubbed his injured hand.

“She told Leo to stay in his seat. She didn’t want him getting out of the car.”

Ricardo looked down at his son.

“Is that what you remember, buddy?”

Leo touched the teddy bear’s missing ear.

“Stay.”

I watched Ricardo struggle between wanting answers and wanting to hold his child.

The terrible thing was that those two needs had become almost impossible to separate.

“Who else was there?” he asked Dante.

“Two members of the security team.”

“Names?”

Dante supplied them.

Ricardo repeated both under his breath.

Then he looked at Leo again.

“Did Mama get out of the car?”

The boy’s fingers tightened around the bear.

I leaned forward.

“Mr. Moretti.”

He didn’t hear me.

“Leo, did you see Mommy get out?”

The child began rocking.

“Mr. Moretti, please.”

Ricardo looked at me sharply.

“What?”

“He’s three.”

“I know how old my son is.”

“Then please don’t make him explain a shooting.”

Dante straightened.

“Watch your mouth.”

I felt the familiar fear rise in my throat.

But Leo had begun covering his ears again.

I looked directly at Ricardo.

“He deserves help with what happened. But he shouldn’t have to give adults the answers they need tonight.”

Ricardo stared at me.

The silence seemed endless.

Then he looked at his son.

Leo was trembling.

Ricardo slowly lowered his hands.

“You’re right.”

Dante looked surprised.

So did I.

Ricardo touched his son’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, buddy. No more questions.”

Leo leaned against him.

For several minutes, we simply sat together.

I found a clean napkin and folded it into a little square.

Leo watched.

I unfolded it.

Then folded it again.

After a while, he reached for it.

I gave it to him.

He spent several minutes making crooked folds, occasionally asking me to straighten the corners.

Ricardo watched as though he’d forgotten what an ordinary evening with a child could look like.

Finally, Leo whispered, “Bear.”

I looked at the toy.

“What’s his name?”

“Benny.”

“That’s a good name.”

Leo examined the missing ear.

“Benny broken.”

“Looks like he’s had a rough day.”

Leo shook his head.

“Long time.”

I nodded.

“Long time.”

Ricardo touched the torn seam.

“Dante, what happened to his ear?”

The security chief hesitated.

“I was getting Leo out of the car. He wouldn’t let go of the bear. The fabric caught on the buckle.”

Ricardo looked at him.

“You pulled him out?”

“We had to move quickly.”

“Was he crying?”

Dante’s expression changed.

“Yes.”

“Was he calling for Elena?”

A pause.

“Yes.”

Ricardo closed his eyes.

I looked at Dante.

For all his size and intimidating manner, he suddenly seemed smaller.

He’d been carrying a memory of a terrified child for six months.

And he’d hidden it from the child’s father.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ricardo asked.

Dante swallowed.

“You were at the hospital. Elena was gone. You hadn’t slept. You were threatening everybody who came near you.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I thought telling you Leo had been there would destroy whatever was left of you.”

Ricardo looked at him.

“And did you think keeping it from me would help him?”

Dante said nothing.

Ricardo’s voice dropped.

“Look at my son.”

Dante glanced at Leo.

“He’s been trying to tell me what happened for six months. And every time he cried, I thought he was being difficult.”

The security chief lowered his head.

Ricardo held the little boy closer.

“I’ve been shouting at him for being frightened.”

I wanted to say something comforting.

But comfort offered too quickly can become another way of refusing to face the truth.

So I let him sit with it.

After a while, Marco appeared at the door.

“Mr. Moretti?”

Ricardo looked up.

“The restaurant is almost empty. Would you prefer we arrange a private exit?”

Ricardo glanced toward me.

“Clara, when does your shift end?”

“Eleven.”

He checked his watch.

It was nearly midnight.

“You’ve stayed late.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Marco, she’ll be paid for every minute.”

Marco nodded reluctantly.

“And I apologize for threatening your business,” Ricardo added.

The manager blinked.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I said I’d shut this place down because my son was crying.”

“Yes, sir.”

“That was unacceptable.”

I looked at Ricardo.

He didn’t appear to enjoy making the admission.

Which made it mean more.

He continued, “Nobody here should be frightened of losing their job because a child is having a hard evening.”

Marco looked toward me.

“Of course.”

Ricardo stood, lifting Leo.

The boy immediately reached toward me.

“Clara.”

It was the first time he’d used my name.

My chest tightened.

“I’m right here.”

Leo held out Benny.

“Fix?”

I looked at the missing ear.

“I can try.”

“Now?”

“Not tonight, sweetheart. He needs a little surgery.”

Leo’s eyes widened.

Ricardo smiled faintly.

“Think Benny has insurance?”

I laughed before I could stop myself.

Leo looked from one of us to the other.

Then he gave the tiniest smile.

I promised to mend the bear if they brought him back.

Ricardo thanked me.

It should have been the end of the evening.

But as Dante went to arrange the cars, Ricardo lingered beside the private dining-room door.

“Clara.”

“Yes?”

“You said my son shouldn’t have to explain what happened.”

I nodded.

“Then who should?”

“The adults who were there.”

He looked toward Dante’s retreating figure.

I hesitated.

“Mr. Moretti, can I ask something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Did Elena ever tell you she was worried about Leo’s safety?”

Ricardo’s expression closed.

For a moment, I thought he’d refuse to answer.

Then he looked at his sleeping son.

“She was worried about the kind of life I lived.”

He swallowed.

“We argued about it constantly.”

I waited.

Ricardo looked toward the restaurant windows.

“On the morning she died, we had another argument.”

“About what?”

He took a long breath.

“About leaving Brooklyn.”

I looked at him.

“Together?”

Ricardo shook his head.

His eyes filled with something that looked very much like regret.

“No, Clara. Elena told me she was taking Leo somewhere I couldn’t find them.”

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