Chapter 10 - A Place in the Sun
Six months later.
The quiet coastal town of Cape May, New Jersey, was bathed in the warm, golden light of a late late-summer afternoon. The sweet smell of salt water, ocean breeze, and blooming hydrangeas filled the air.
A charming, two-story white Victorian house sat at the end of a quiet lane, complete with a wraparound porch and a lush green lawn that sloped gently down toward the beach.
Liana stood on the porch, leaning against the wooden railing, holding a warm cup of tea. She wore a soft cream sweater and denim jeans, her dark hair tied back in a loose, easy knot.
Out on the green lawn, a broad-shouldered man in a simple dark t-shirt was chasing a year-old toddler who was giggling hysterically as his little legs wobbled across the grass.
“I’m gonna get you, little man!” Matteo called out, collapsing onto the grass and scooping the roaring toddler up into his arms, tossing him gently into the air before catching him securely against his chest.
Nico’s bright laughter rang out across the quiet yard, loud and full of pure, uninterrupted joy.
Liana walked down the porch steps, her shoes crunching softly on the gravel path. She walked over and sat down beside Matteo on the lush green grass, leaning her head against his shoulder.
Nico immediately crawled over into Liana’s lap, resting his warm cheek against her collarbone, his left fingers curling gently into his favorite soft pattern against her sweater.
Matteo wrapped his long arm around both of them, pulling them tight against his side as they watched the sun begin its slow, majestic descent over the sparkling blue ocean horizon.
“He’s walking so fast now,” Liana murmured softly, watching their son’s tiny toes wiggle in the grass. “In a few months, we won't be able to keep up with him.”
“Good,” Matteo smiled, kissing the top of her head. “I’ve spent my whole life running toward dark things, Liana. Chasing him in the sunlight is the best work I’ve ever done.”
Liana looked up into Matteo's dark eyes. The man who had once been the city’s most feared mob boss was now the gentlest father and most devoted partner she could have ever dreamed of. Together, they had walked through the deepest valley of death and shadows, survived the darkest secrets of their pasts, and emerged into the clear, bright light of a real family.
Nico let out a soft, contented sigh, his small eyes fluttering shut as the warm evening breeze ruffled his soft hair.
Beneath his collar, the small crescent moon birthmark rested pale and peaceful against his skin.
Liana reached down, gently covering the small mark with her thumb, and looked out at the ocean.
May you like
Some graves, she thought to herself with a deep, quiet sense of eternal peace, had indeed been closed. But from the darkness of those ashes, a new life had been reborn in the light.
And this time, nothing on earth would ever tear them apart.
