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“Flattery won’t help you here,” he snaps at Edoardo.
“I don’t intend to flatter you,” Edoardo says. “I’m simply stating the truth, and it is your choice to listen to it or not.”
“You’re going to be in here for a long time,” I say. “I suggest that you do some introspection, and perhaps you’ll see things clearly again.”
“Will you come visit me?” he asks me. “You know, since you put me in here?”
I look at my father’s face and he doesn’t seem happy with either of us. He has not yet changed, and although I hope that he will, I have my doubts.
“That will depend on you,” I say. “We have visited you now, and you don’t want to listen. That makes this visit a waste of our time.”
“Oh please,” my father mumbles.
“So, perhaps I’ll write to you, if I find the time and I’m in the mood,” I say. “And you can respond. And only when I truly believe that you have changed, will we speak face-to-face like this again. Until then, you won’t know me and you won’t know your grandchild.”
There is an underlying essence of disappointment in my father as the reality of his situation begins to set in. In the outside world the protests against corruption have already begun and all the posters have his name on it.
When he is released, the world will be a different place and I wonder if that scares him.
“Alright,” he eventually says. “I suppose it’s up to you.”
At that moment a guard comes in to let us know that our time is up and that we are to be escorted out of the building. Again, we go through countless doors and down long, narrow passages. As we are led back out of the jail we pass my father’s lawyer.
He is carrying stacks of papers and he looks even worse for wear than my father. I have never seen that man so panicked, and already I know that my father will likely lose his case. I look at the walls and gates around me and consider that this is my father’s new life.
Then I think of all the years that Edoardo lived like this for a crime that he never committed. And any guilt I might have felt in the depths of my mind fade away. I know with confidence that this is where my father deserves to be.
The light outside is fading quickly as we get back into our car. I am exhausted and the drive home is mostly quiet. But Edoardo keeps his hand on my leg. I am his to protect now, and I feel protected.
When we get back to the penthouse I discover that Edoardo has had all the rest of my belongings brought from my father’s mansion to my new home with him. Part of me wants to burn it, but it is a reminder of who I am and how far I have come.
We sit on the balcony and watch the sunset over the city skyline before crawling into bed. I fall asleep in Edoardo’s arms for the first time in a long time. And I sleep deeply knowing that I am safe, and protected, and healthy.
Chapter 28
Edoardo
Ifeelmorerelaxedthan I’ve felt in a really long time. Outside, the sun is rising. Inside my bed, Aria sleeps soundly as I prepare to cook breakfast for her. I haven’t had such a good night’s sleep in a long time and I can’t help but feel that everything is finally falling into place.
The city is still quiet, it hasn’t woken up yet and I stare out the window at the skyline against the dawn sky as I sip my hot cup of coffee. Today, I have nothing that I need to do, and nowhere that I need to be.
I can just be here with her.
I’ve always thought that I knew what I wanted from life. I convinced myself that I preferred being a bachelor. But in my darkest moments, when I wasn’t sure if anyone would come for me, that changed. And when Aria stood on the other side of those jail bars, I knew that I no longer wanted to be alone in this world.
And for that, I owe her everything.
The bacon sizzles in the pan and fills the penthouse with its delightful smell. And I hear her stir in the bedroom. A cup of warm tea is in my hands, waiting for her to take it from me. And she looks as beautiful as ever as she walks into the kitchen to join me.
“Morning,” she says with a smile as she leans in for a kiss.
I slide the cup of tea into her hands and greet her. But I don’t let her go so easily; my arms wrap around her tiny waist and I kiss her along her cheek and neck.
“Good morning,” I say softly.
She moves away from me slightly and looks at the television. “Look,” she whispers as she takes a seat on the sofa.
The news is on, and her father is the headlining story. His face is plastered all over the screen, a vision of him in his jail uniform. And following him are the photographs of all the judges accused of accepting his bribes.
