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Faith, the co-founder of the school, was also a warm person. She smiled at me and offered me a seat. As I sat down, Amanda wriggled out of my lap and ran towards the door, eager to show me her artwork. Faith must have noticed my concerned expression as Amanda left the room.
"It's fine, Anthony," Faith said. "Amanda knows her way around here."
I managed a nervous smile, grateful for Faith's reassurance. It was my first time visiting the school properly, and I was impressed by the facilities. The school was private and had been built recently to support parents who couldn't afford education and primary care for their children.
"So, it's all free for the kids?" I asked, surprised.
"Yes, Anthony," Faith replied. "That's what Christine and I intended when we founded this school."
I was taken aback. So, this was where the Mafia money was going? It seemed like such a strange use of the profits, but at this point, I didn't want to try to understand any of Christine's behaviors. All I cared about was Amanda's well-being.
"Thank you, Faith, for taking care of Amanda," I said. "She might have to stay with you a bit longer."
"We're happy to have her, Anthony," Faith replied.
I had to ask about Christine's involvement with the school. I didn't want Christine anywhere near Amanda, given the way she had rejected us in the past.
"Has Christine been coming around my daughter since she’s been here?" I asked, my voice laced with concern.
Faith looked nervous, but she answered truthfully. "Christine has been here a couple of times since Amanda has been here, but she hasn't gotten near Amanda."
I nodded, relieved. Faith continued to tell me about Amanda's performance at the school. I listened intently, grateful for the care and attention that Amanda was receiving.
After my meeting with Faith, I spent a few hours with Amanda, chatting and going around the school premises. I would have preferred to take her off the school grounds to spend more time together, but I didn't want to risk it. So we stayed within the school boundaries, allowing Amanda to give me tours of the school and embarrass me in front of dozens of seven-year-olds.
Amanda showed me everything from the classrooms to the playground, introducing me to her friends and teachers. I feel an enormous sense of pride as I watched her interact positively with the other children. She had grown so much since the last time I saw her. She seemed so much more mature and confident and definitely not the same little girl who only resolved her problems with aggression.
As the morning wore on, I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. I asked for permission to order pizzas for the kids, and soon enough, a few large boxes of pizza were delivered to the school. The children's faces lit up when they saw the pizza, and they eagerly dug in, chatting and laughing with each other.
When it was time for me to go, I hugged Amanda tightly and we said our goodbyes. "I'm going to be a good girl and not cry," she said, her voice quivering. "You'll come back again, Daddy?"
Tears threatened to leave my eyes as I looked at her, so small and innocent. I nodded, my voice choked with emotion, and waved her goodbye. Walking away from her that day was one of the hardest things I had ever done, but I knew that she was in good hands with Faith and the other teachers.
As soon as I opened the car door, the familiar scent of leather and stale air hit me. I took a deep breath and slid into the driver's seat. I gripped the steering wheel and let out a heavy sigh, burying my head in my hands. Tears streamed down my cheeks, blurring my vision. I had never been away from my daughter for this long, and the separation was taking a toll on me.
It had always been just the two of us, and I felt like I was leaving a piece of myself behind. My daughter had been my rock through thick and thin, and even though I knew she was safer there, I still felt a terrible sense of guilt for leaving her behind.
My mind raced as I pulled onto the road, trying to come to terms with the drastic changes in my life. Things had been perfectly normal before I started to see an ambition for myself, a dream that I knew would have risks. But I had been content with the not-so-peaceful route, thinking that no good thing comes easy. But as soon as I realized how my actions could affect my daughter's life, I knew I had to find another way.
And then there was Laura. I didn't even know how I felt about her anymore. She made me feel a sense of purpose and confidence that I couldn't ignore. I couldn't just leave just her. I felt incomplete when my life didn't include her. But the reality of the situation was that Laura was the daughter of a notorious mob boss, and I was just an outsider. To make matters worse, there was someone with power who wanted to wipe me off the face of the earth.
I glanced in the side mirror, watching my personal bodyguards driving behind me. Two bald muscular men who were always on high alert, ready to protect Laura and me at a moment's notice. I felt bad for making them do this without a break, but it was comforting to know that I had someone watching my back.
As my phone began to ring, I instinctively reached for it, accepting the call in hands-free mode. I heard Laura's sweet voice on the other end of the line, her words flowing with such ease that it made me smile.
"Baby, how are you? Is Amanda fine? I'm sorry I should have called earlier; work has been hectic," she said, her voice coated with a honey-like quality that made me feel all warm inside.
I chuckled slightly as she spoke, trying to keep the conversation light and breezy. However, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt deep in my chest. I hadn't told Laura where Amanda was, and I wondered if she saw it as a sign that I didn't trust her yet. Despite that, Laura seemed unfazed by my lack of transparency, and I tried my best to push my doubts aside.
"Don’t worry about it. Amanda is good, and I am too," I reassured her, trying to keep the conversation light. I remembered Amanda telling her friends that her daddy had a girlfriend and that she would soon have a mother. I had no idea where she came up with that idea, but it was cute, nonetheless.
With Christine coming back into Amanda's life, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Christine, the woman who had left me for money, was now the founder of a non-profit organization. I still couldn't wrap my head around it. Life was never straightforward, and it seemed that everything was always shrouded in shades of grey.
"So, work's been great today?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from my turbulent thoughts.
"Yeah," she replied, her voice softening as we both fell into a comfortable silence. For a few seconds, neither of us spoke, content to simply listen to the sound of each other's breathing.
"Are you heading back to town now?" she asked, her voice low and velvety.
