And by the time he figures out I’m lying, hopefully he’ll care enough about Luca that he won’t throw us out.
Or worse.
“Mama, you’re doing it again.”
I blink and focus on Luca. “Doing what?”
“Looking sad. You keep looking sad and then pretending you’re not when I ask about it.”
Smart kid. Too smart sometimes.
“I’m just thinking about grown-up stuff. Nothing for you to worry about.”
“Is it about your friend, Dante? Are you nervous about seeing him again?”
“A little bit, yes.”
“Why? If he’s your friend, shouldn’t you be happy?”
How do I explain this? How do I make him understand without scaring him?
“Sometimes friends don’t see each other for a long time,” I say slowly. “And when they finally meet again, it can feel strange. Like you’re not sure how things will be between you anymore.”
Luca considers this seriously. “Like when I didn’t see Aiden all summer and then when school started he had different glasses and liked different games?”
“Exactly like that.”
“But you were still friends after you got used to the changes, right?”
“Right.”
“So it’ll be okay with Dante too.”
If only it were that simple.
The flight attendant appears with a tray of cookies and milk. “I thought the little man might like a snack before we land.”
Luca’s eyes light up. “Chocolate chip!”
“Your favorite, I hear.”
He takes the cookie and milk with both hands, already biting into it. “Thank you!”
The attendant smiles at me. “We’ll be landing in about forty-five minutes. Is there anything else you need, Miss Miller?”
“No, thank you. We’re fine.”
She disappears back toward the front of the plane.
Forty-five minutes. In forty-five minutes, we land. In an hour, I see Dante again for the first time in six years.
In an hour, he sees Luca.
My stomach churns and I close my eyes.
There’s no hiding it. No pretending. The Moretti genes are too strong. One look at Luca’s face and Dante will know exactly what I’ve kept from him.
And then what?
