Chapter 5
The image showed two young men standing on a dock in summer.
Alessandro recognized himself immediately.
Twenty-seven.
Longer hair.
A smile that belonged to someone who had not yet learned to distrust good days.
Beside him stood Nico.
Leaner.
Laughing.
One arm thrown around Alessandro’s shoulder.
On the back, written in black ink:
When you finally understand what home costs, you’ll know why I left.
— N.
Alessandro’s thumb moved over the copy.
Genevieve watched him.
“I thought it might have something to do with you.”
“It did.”
“What did he mean?”
Alessandro took a long breath.
“Our last argument.”
Mateo went still.
Genevieve noticed.
“What happened?”
Alessandro looked at the photograph.
“Nico accused me of becoming our father.”
No one spoke.
“He said I confused responsibility with ownership. That I thought loving people meant deciding what was best for them.”
Genevieve’s gaze did not leave his face.
Alessandro gave a humorless smile.
“I told him he was selfish.”
“What did he say?”
“That one day someone I loved would leave for the same reason he was leaving.”
Genevieve closed her eyes briefly.
Alessandro looked toward the bassinet.
“I had forgotten that part.”
Mateo’s voice was quiet.
“You didn’t forget.”
May you like
Alessandro looked at him.
“You just stopped talking about it.”
