Chapter 6 – The Reason Was Never The Baby

Luca laid Helen’s schedule on the drawing-room table.

June.

The word seemed to fill the entire room.

Vanessa had been planning Isabelle’s departure for five months.

Long before she’d known about the pregnancy.

Long before the bedroom redesign.

Long before the engagement dinner.

I looked toward the staircase.

Upstairs, Isabelle was eating breakfast with Mrs. Carter.

She had asked for pancakes.

Chocolate chips on the side.

A glass of orange juice.

Ordinary things.

Things a ten-year-old should have been thinking about instead of whether she’d still have a bedroom next week.

Luca looked at Helen.

“Did Vanessa ever tell you why she wanted Isabelle to leave?”

Helen hesitated.

“She said you were struggling to move forward after Caroline’s death.”

He gave a sad little laugh.

“She was right about that.”

Helen waited.

“But I never said my daughter was the problem.”

“I believe you.”

Luca looked toward the window.

“I proposed to Vanessa because I thought I was ready to build a life with someone again.”

He paused.

“I was wrong about how ready I was.”

Helen studied him.

“Do you love her?”

Luca didn’t answer immediately.

Then he said, “I thought I did.”

That was the first time I’d heard uncertainty in his voice.

The most feared man in Chicago looked like someone who had suddenly realized he’d entrusted the wrong person with the most important part of his life.

Helen closed her folder.

“Mr. Moretti, may I see Isabelle before I leave?”

“Of course.”

A few minutes later, Isabelle entered the drawing room.

She wore her school uniform.

Her auburn hair was tied back with a yellow ribbon.

When she saw Helen, she stopped.

“Hi.”

Helen smiled gently.

“Hello, sweetheart.”

Isabelle looked toward her father.

“Am I going with her?”

Luca shook his head.

“No.”

Helen crouched in front of her.

“I came to tell you something, Isabelle.”

The little girl watched her carefully.

“You don’t have to visit me unless you want to.”

Isabelle blinked.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“And my suitcase?”

“You can unpack it.”

“I did.”

Helen smiled.

“Good.”

Isabelle hesitated.

Then asked, “Are you mad?”

Helen looked surprised.

“Why would I be?”

“Because I don’t want to live at your house.”

Helen’s expression changed.

“Oh, sweetheart. No.”

She gently touched Isabelle’s hand.

“You’re allowed to want your own home.”

Isabelle looked relieved.

Then she glanced at Luca.

“Daddy says I’m staying.”

Helen nodded.

“Then that’s what matters.”

After she left, Isabelle sat beside her father.

“Can I go to school today?”

Luca looked surprised.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.

“We’re doing our Thanksgiving pictures.”

He smiled.

“I think that’s a good reason.”

She reached into her schoolbag.

Then stopped.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“Can you come to my class thing next Thursday?”

“What class thing?”

She looked down.

“The music program.”

Luca frowned.

“I didn’t know there was one.”

“I told Vanessa.”

His expression changed.

“When?”

“A while ago.”

“What did she say?”

“She said you were busy.”

He swallowed.

“Did you bring home an invitation?”

Isabelle nodded.

“I left it on your desk.”

Luca stared at her.

“I never saw it.”

She shrugged.

“It’s okay.”

“No, baby.”

He leaned forward.

“It’s not okay.”

She looked embarrassed.

“You don’t have to come.”

“I want to.”

She studied his face.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Then she said something that made him go very still.

“I stopped asking because I thought it made Vanessa sad.”

Luca looked at her.

“Why would it make Vanessa sad?”

Isabelle thought for a moment.

“Because you always talked about Mommy when you came to my music things.”

He closed his eyes.

Isabelle continued.

“Vanessa said maybe it would be easier if I did different activities.”

“Different activities?”

“Like swimming.”

“Do you want to swim?”

“Not really.”

“What do you want?”

She looked at her hands.

“Piano.”

He nodded.

“Then piano it is.”

I watched her expression soften.

But I also remembered something Mrs. Carter had mentioned several months earlier.

Vanessa had asked whether Isabelle’s piano lessons could be moved to a different instructor.

At the time, I’d assumed it was a scheduling issue.

Now I wondered whether it was another attempt to separate Isabelle from anything connected to Caroline.

Luca seemed to be thinking the same thing.

“Isabelle, does Vanessa ever talk to you about your mother?”

The little girl nodded.

“Sometimes.”

“What does she say?”

Isabelle looked uncomfortable.

Luca immediately softened his voice.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

She considered that.

Then said, “She says Mommy was a good person.”

He nodded.

“She was.”

“And that everybody loved her.”

“Yes.”

Isabelle looked at him.

“But sometimes she says it’s hard to live with somebody who’s perfect.”

Luca’s face changed.

“Perfect?”

“Because nobody else can ever be as good.”

The room went quiet.

Isabelle picked at the ribbon on her sleeve.

“I told her Mommy wasn’t perfect.”

Luca looked surprised.

“What did you say?”

“She burned toast.”

He laughed softly.

“She certainly did.”

“And she got mad when I colored on the piano.”

“Oh, I remember that.”

Isabelle smiled.

Then her expression grew serious.

“I told Vanessa she didn’t have to be Mommy.”

Luca looked at her.

“What did she say?”

“She said I didn’t understand.”

The little girl leaned against his arm.

“Daddy, I wasn’t trying to make her feel bad.”

“I know.”

“I just wanted her to like me.”

Luca pulled her close.

For a long time, he said nothing.

Then he kissed her forehead.

“You should never have had to work so hard for that.”

Isabelle nodded.

She stood to collect her schoolbag.

Before leaving, she turned back.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“Did Vanessa want me to go away because I remind you of Mommy?”

Luca opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

He couldn’t answer.

And I realized something painful.

Isabelle had spent months believing she was the reason the adults in her life couldn’t be happy.

But the truth was beginning to look very different.

Vanessa hadn’t wanted to remove Isabelle’s memories.

She’d wanted to remove the person who kept those memories alive.

And upstairs, waiting in Vanessa’s private sitting room, was the original renovation proposal.

The one dated June.

When Luca opened it that afternoon, the first page contained a single instruction.

Remove all visible references to Caroline Moretti before the wedding.

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