Carmine glanced at his mother, who had tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Yep.”
“Are you trying to give me another heart attack?” Stefano exclaimed. “Do you mean to say that you’ve been seeing a Brockton player and you didn’t tell me?”
Carmine chuckled. “I’m telling you now.”
Stefano gestured to Noah.
“Come here,” he ordered.
Noah obeyed. Maria moved round to Carmine’s side of the bed and rested her hand on his shoulder. Her touch grounding him.
“Welcome to the family, son,” Stefano said.
To Carmine’s amazement, Noah sat and took Stefano’s hand.
“Thank you,” he said. “I promise you that I will care for Carmine.”
“Do you love him?”
Carmine wished the ground would swallow him up. They hadn’t actually ironed this particular fact out yet. Typical of his father to do the work for them.
Noah stared across the bed at Carmine. Their eyes locked.
“More than anything I’ve ever known,” Noah replied.
“Then you’ll do for me,” Stefano declared. “Maria. When I get out of here, we’ll have a meal. I can make my famous tiramisu.”
“Pah,” Maria replied. “You’ll do nothing of the sort. Those days are long gone, Stefano Amato. Fruit salad is the only dessert that will pass your lips. I can’t go through this again.”
Stefano pulled his best sulky face.
“Actually, Mr Amato, I’m a bit obsessed with diet. Perhaps I could introduce you to the Brockton nutritionist? They’d get you a plan together in no time.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Maria said. “Thank you, Noah.”
“Oh I see,” Stefano said. “You’ve not been in the tribe five minutes and you’re colluding with her.”
“Sorry,” Noah replied. “I know where the real power lies.”
He winked at Maria, who clutched Carmine’s shoulder more tightly.
This was a scene that Carmine would never have imagined in his wildest dreams. If happiness was a drug, he was hooked.
He took his father’s other hand and listened as the conversation turned to Brockton’s latest performance. Of course, Stefano had suggestions for how Noah could improve his gameplay and absolutely no hesitation in launching straight into it.
Yet, Noah could more than hold his own against Stefano and Carmine was content to watch as they found common ground to bond over.
Noah listened earnestly to the older man, still holding his hand.
Carmine loved Noah with every fibre of his being. And that was the only thing that mattered.
TWENTY-THREE
NOAH
They were facing Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter final. A match nobody expected them to win. But they were one goal up. The minutes had dragged to full-time when the referee had announced they had to play five minutes’ extra time.
