The ringing stopped. Started again. Stopped again. Started again.
The third time, I put it on silent.
Leo found a little yellow wildflower on the lawn, picked it, and came running over with it held high.
"Mommy, this is for you!"
He held the flower out to me, petals still wet with dew, the thin stem bending slightly between his fingers.
"Thank you, sweetheart." I took the flower and tucked it behind my ear.
He smiled, satisfied, and ran back to the lawn.
I sat on the step, watching him. Sunlight fell on his blond hair, on his blue jacket, on his cheeks flushed from running. When he ran, helooked like the wind—free, unbound, belonging to this lawn, this morning, this secret no one had discovered.
I don't know why I thought of that question at this moment.
If Ezio saw him...
He won't see him. I told myself. He won't show up here. He doesn't know this address. He doesn't know Leo exists.
The bushes across the lawn rustled.
I looked up.
A black SUV stopped across the street.
My heart stopped.
The door opened.
Ezio stepped out of the driver's seat. Dark shirt, sleeves rolled to his forearms, face expressionless.
My brain went blank.
Then the other door opened. Juliet jumped out from the back seat, wearing a pink dress, hair in two braids, clutching her stuffed rabbit. She stood by the car, looking around, like she was searching for something.
Then she saw Leo.
Leo stood in the middle of the lawn, still holding that dandelion, his blond hair almost glowing in the sunlight. He tilted his head, looking at the girl across the street who was about his age, green eyes full of curiosity.
Juliet tilted her head too, looking at him.
The two children stared at each other across the street.
My phone vibrated wildly on the step. Ezio's name lit up the screen.
I didn't answer.
I couldn't stand up. My legs went weak, my whole body pinned to the step.
Everything was fucked.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ezio
I shouldn't have come.
