"Why not?" Adalina asks.
"It's complicated, sweetheart," I say, not ready to burden them with the full truth. "But what matters is that he knows now, and he's here."
Luca reaches out, his hands gentle as he takes one of theirs in each of his. "I've missed so much of your lives already. But if you'll let me, I want to be your dad now. I want to know everything about you, to watch you grow up, to love you the way I've always wanted to."
For a moment, the room is silent.
I’m holding my breath and as I look over at Luca, I see he is too.
He’s worried they’ll reject him, I realize, and the guilt I didn’t think could get any worse does.
Then Adalina launches herself into Luca's arms, followed quickly by her brothers. Luca's arms wrap around them, holding them close as tears fill his eyes.
I watch them, my heart breaking and healing all at once.
I’m not sure the young, scared woman I was seven years ago would have changed anything I did back then.
But I know now that I should have done something, said something sooner.
I’ve lost Luca’s love and trust forever, but the wrong I did is now right.
Luca has children, and my children have their father.
That will have to be enough.
LUCA
I’m a father. This is surreal.
I lower myself to the carpet where Rocco has already dumped out a bin of Legos.
My children.
Three perfect little humans with my blood running through their veins.
"Daddy, look!" Rocco holds up a half-built spaceship. The word 'Daddy' nearly knocks me over, bringing home that yes, I am a father.
"That's impressive," I manage through emotion. "You build that yourself?"
"Yep! I'm the best builder," he declares with confidence.
Elio, quieter than his brother, slides a pile of blue bricks toward me. "Can you make a castle? A big one?"
I nod, though it’s been awhile since I’ve played with Legos. "I used to build castles when I was little."
“Did you live in a castle in Italy?” Adalina asks.
“Not a castle, but it was nice. Maybe I can take you to see it sometime.”
“And then we’ll say ‘Ciao’,” Rocco announces.
I laugh. “Yes.”
As perfect as this moment is, I can’t stop the anger about all I’ve lost. All that Elena stole from me.
But I push it down, focusing on the children in front of me. Elena hovers in the doorway, watching us with wary eyes. I ignore her.
"You're doing it wrong," Rocco critiques my castle technique.
