Page 141 of Ricardo

“She was thinking of him this morning. Before herself. Before me. Before whatever this is becoming.” I look up at him. “And I do not know if that makes me feel better or worse.”

Mario’s expression turns into one of consideration.

“She loves him,” he says.

“Yes. She does.”

“And you are concerned that love will make her retreat.”

The fact that he understands so quickly irritates me again, but less than before.

“I am concerned,” I say slowly, “that she will decide the easiest way to protect everyone is to deny herself.” My jaw tightens. “She has had a lot of practice doing that.”

Mario leans back, his gaze steady on mine.

“And you want to make the decision for her before she can.”

My eyes narrow. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

I do not answer quickly enough.

He nods, but there's no judgment in his expression, only recognition.

“I understand the impulse,” he says. “More than most. But if she is as practiced as you say at denying herself, then taking the choice from her will only teach her that you are another man who believes he knows better.”

The words hit me exactly where he intended them to.

I look away.

Mario’s voice lowers. “Julia may be gentler than the women we are used to,” he says, “but she is not weak. Do not make decisions for her as if she is fragile.”

My fingers still on the desk.

“I do not think she is weak.”

“No,” Mario says. “But you may want to protect her so badly that you forget to let her stand beside you.”

I do not answer at once.

Because that, unfortunately, isn’t entirely wrong.

Mario lets the silence sit for another moment, then pushes the file toward me.

“Valecourt,” he says, returning to business as if he has not just sliced open my chest with a knife and sifted through the contents of my heart. “I'm sick of dealing with their office. Call and smooth things over, then take care of this paperwork.”

I take the file.

“Fine.”

“And Ricardo?”

I look up to see him standing at the door.

“What happened before, with Dante’s mother, it wasn’t your one and only chance. I wish you would see that.”

He leaves, closing the door behind him.