Sofia watches them leave and turns to Dante. "They have to work like you do sometimes?" she asks quietly.
"Yes, but I don’t have to work tonight. I get to be with you." Dante reaches out and touches his fingertip to her nose, and she giggles.
"Can you read to me tonight again? I like the funny voices." Sofia's legs are swinging so hard under the table that the whole thing shakes, and I find myself relaxing again.
I realize he's making an attempt to balance his world with ours.
He's trying to be present for Sofia while still managing the war closing in around us.
I stare up at him in wonder because what other man on this Earth would shift his entire world to make things better for a woman he barely knows and a child who's been kept from him for years?
Dinner continues with banter and fun stories for Sofia until her plate is clean and she's rubbing her eyes.
I'm glad for it because it gives me a moment to withdraw without feeling guilty that I'm doing the same thing as him by leaving dinners where I should remain.
"Time for bed,Tesoro," I say.
"Can Dante take me?" she asks.
Her eyes are wide, eyebrows lifted so high they vanish under her curls, and I sigh.
Dante doesn't even ask me if he can this time.
He just picks her up and sets her on his hip before walking back to my side of the table so she can kiss me.
"Goodnight, Mama," she murmurs while Dante bends for Sofia's lips to press on my head.
"Goodnight,Amore," I tell her, feeling slightly uncomfortable with all of this.
Maybe I'm being irrational and letting my fears take over.
Perhaps there really is a way for Dante to make good on his promises to protect us and give Sofia a good life.
And the more I'm seeing him, learning about him, interacting with him, the more I hope and pray that's true. But deep down, I know a tiger never changes its stripes.
Dante is a man of war, and darkness dwells in him.
The light that Sofia brings to his life can vanish just as quickly as the sun sets, leaving us trapped in his violent shadow, and I know that's a horrible place for a little girl to be.
Not to mention my heart…
How would I ever be able to reconcile falling in love with a killer?
What would that say about me?
What does it say about me?
Because as much as I want to hate him and keep him at arm's length, I'm finding that Dante Santonelli might just be one of the most incredible men I've ever met and I'm falling for him hard.
I need to get away before it's too late and my heart is forever changed.
16
DANTE
Sofia's excited about a holiday choral performance.
She’s been talking about it all afternoon, ever since I cleared my schedule and sent Enzo to do my dirty work for me to invite Angelica and our daughter to join me.
