Sofia’s heart dropped straight to the floor. That sinking feeling hit her every time someone from her family called at the wrong hour. It had started the day her father was admitted to the hospital for the first time, the day everything shifted just over a year ago. A feeling she’d learned to hate.
Her fingers fumbled as she answered.
“Pronto?”
“Sofi, ciao.” Gabriella’s voice was soft, too soft. It lacked the usual spark, that quick wit, the automatic sarcasm on her tongue.
“What’s going on?” Dread hit her chest like a weight. Because if the call had already scared her, her tone definitely confirmed that something was wrong. She sat on the edge of the bed, her half-packed suitcase forgotten. “Is Papà alright?”
Gabriella sighed, that kind of sigh you hear just before something breaks. “Mamá and Papà didn’t want me to tell you. They know you’re busy with your business and the deal with TerraVive…”
Her sister hesitating was new. Which meant it was bad. Really bad.
“But things aren’t great. The doctor told him… he has weeks. Maybe a month.”
Sofia closed her eyes. Her nose stung; lips pressed together as her world tilted on its axis.
“I know you wanted to know,” Gabriella’s voice cracked, “because I know you. And you wouldn’t live with yourself knowing you had a chance to say goodbye and weren’t warned.”
A tear slid down Sofia’s cheek.
“I was planning on going to Brazil, for the deal... and to see Ilias, but...” She swallowed. “It’s a no-brainer. I’ll find the first flight to Genova.”
“I’ll pick you up at the airport,” Gabriella replied without missing a beat. “I took the whole month off. I’m heading there with the twins.”
Sofia couldn’t answer. Her throat closed up with guilt, and the unbearable ache of impending loss. She felt a terrible daughter.
“Sofi, are you okay?” Gabriella asked, quieter now, worried.
“I will be,” Sofia rasped, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you for telling me. I would’ve been so angry if you hadn’t.”
“I know,” Gabriella replied gently. “Since it’s still early June, and not many people are on vacation yet, we’ll have the beaches mostly to ourselves. We can take the boat out, dive together. Mamá says Papà spends his afternoons looking at the sea and listening to whale songs.”
Sofia sniffled, a wet laugh escaping. “Blue Mind effect. I was just listening to his playlist.”
“Creuza de mäwill always be my favorite,” Gabriella said. “It’s Papà, in one song.” There was homesickness in her voice.
“He’s not dead,” Sofia whispered, the words both a plea and a denial.
“We’re just... preparing for it,” Gabriella replied, her voice raw.
Sofia wiped her face. “Have you seen him recently?”
“A couple of weeks ago. But Mamá says he’s gotten worse.”
“Why hasn’t she told me?” Sofia asked, voice tinged with hurt. “I’m the eldest.”
“She didn’t want to pressure you into coming home. She knows you’ve been struggling.”
“I’m coming,” Sofia said. “I’ll check flights tonight. I’ll need to talk to Ilias, and send an email to Jamie.”
“Will he understand?”
“I think so.” She paused. “He lost his dad. I think if there’s someone that can understand me…us…it’s him.”
“I like him for you,” Gabriella added, out of nowhere.
Sofia blinked at the phone. “You never said that about Thomas.”
