Boone is solid, holding Liam until his tears settle.
Liam eventually pulls back, chuckling as he wipes his tears. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t… I wasn’t expecting to be so emotional.”
Boone smiles and grips his shoulder. “This is emotional. And it lets me know how much you two absolutely loved your son.”
Tears flow and Liam wipes them away. “He was so loved.”
“You should know that Boone was raised by a good man,” Hopper says with a proud smile. “His dad’s name isLoyal, can you believe that? Imagine being raised by a man named Loyal.”
Boone nods along. “Dad makes an effort to live up to his name. Every day. Y’all will meet him and my mother at some point, and you will understand.”
Liam sniffs and nods.
The front door slams again.
“Sorry!”
“Luca?” Hopper stares at Liam.
He lifts his shoulder. “I had to tell him.”
Boone stiffens as Luca Stefano, the gentleman mobster in a three-piece suit, walks into the space.
Hopper grabs Boone’s hand. “This is my brother, Luca.”
“I know who he is.”
Luca tilts his head, then focuses on Hopper. Going to his brother, he cups his face, murmuring words that seem to make Hopper happy. Boone shifts, his body uncertain.
Luca approaches him and smiles. It’s sincere.
“No doubt you’ve heard a lot of things about me.”
Boone seems unable to hold his gaze. He shakes his head. “From the news, maybe. My mom never said much about her time in New York.”
“It’s awkward,” Luca admits, his tone gentle despite the New York accent. “It’s not even a business I’m involved in anymore. Please know I always had the utmost respect for the people who worked for me. Even the ones who decided it wasn’t for them. I was happy to pay for your mother’s ticket back home, and was so glad to learn that she built a life that made her happy.”
Boone’s head draws back, his eyes finally meeting Luca’s. “You paid for Mom’s return trip?”
“Of course,” he says as if he couldn’t imagine another scenario. “She was so utterly homesick.”
Boone dips his chin, his expression thoughtful. “I apologize for my reaction. I was told my birth father was part of a dangerous Mafia family.”
“That’s true enough,” Luca says with a devilish grin. “But we worked hard to change the narrative.”
“Maybe my dad told me that so I wouldn’t go looking.”
Luca looks between Hopper and Boone. “Something tells me that wasn’t very effective after a while.”
Boone shakes his head.
“Even if you didn’t have my brother’s eyes, your willingness to explore even after being warned is all the proof I need that we’re related.”
Hopper bounces on his heels.
“May I hug you?” Luca asks. “You can say no.”
“Of course.”
