I only delayed the inevitable.
Sofia coughs in her sleep, a wet sound that pulls me back to the present.
I lean over and check her forehead with the back of my hand.
She feels warm but not feverish.
The stress of today is catching up with her small body.
I pull the blanket higher over her shoulders and tuck it around her gently.
She stirs and opens her eyes halfway.
They're unfocused and drowsy.
"Mama?" she whispers.
"I'm here,Amore."
"Who was that man?"
I smooth her hair back from her face. "Just someone Mama used to know. Don't worry about him."
"Are we going home soon?"
"Yes," I lie. "We'll go home soon."
She closes her eyes again and drifts back to sleep.
I sit beside her and try to steady my breathing.
I shake with a mixture of fear and rage.
Dante thinks he can keep us here.
He thinks he has the right to make decisions about Sofia's life just because he's her biological father.
He doesn't know her.
He doesn't know what she likes or what makes her laugh or what she's afraid of.
He's a stranger to her, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep it that way.
I look around the room for anything I can use as a weapon.
The lamp on the nightstand's too heavy to swing effectively.
The decorative vase on the dresser might work if I smash it and use a shard of glass.
There is a metal coat hanger in the closet that I could bend into something sharp.
I make a mental inventory of every object that could hurt someone if I swing it hard enough.
When Dante comes back, I'll be ready.
I won’t let him take Sofia from me without a fight.
A knock on the door interrupts my planning, and I stand and move toward it cautiously.
