Chapter 9 - The Wedding InvitationA year passed.
Moretti Group recovered.
The scandal faded.
Victor's trial became old news.
But Dominic's life changed completely.
He learned how to pack school lunches.
He learned that yellow rain boots could absolutely be worn on sunny days.
He learned that stuffed rabbits required emergency surgery when their ears became detached.
He learned that six-year-old girls asked questions adults spent their whole lives avoiding.
Most importantly, he learned how to be present.
Evelyn returned to work as an independent consultant, but she never returned to the company.
Dominic made sure she never had to.
One spring evening, Lily came running into the dining room holding an envelope.
“Mom!”
Evelyn looked up.
“What's that?”
“A wedding invitation!”
Dominic nearly choked on his coffee.
Evelyn stared at him.
“You didn't.”
“I didn't!”
Lily opened the envelope.
Then frowned.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“It's for Aunt Sofia.”
Dominic laughed.
Evelyn shook her head.
“You looked terrified.”
“I wasn't.”
“You absolutely were.”
Lily giggled.
Then she became quiet.
“Can I ask something?”
Dominic nodded.
“Why didn't you marry Mom?”
Silence.
Evelyn looked at Dominic.
Dominic smiled.
“Because we were both too busy being scared.”
Lily frowned.
“That's silly.”
“Yes.”
“So fix it.”
Evelyn laughed.
Dominic looked at her.
“What do you think?”
She smiled.
“I think six-year-olds are dangerous.”
“Extremely.”
Lily crossed her arms.
“I can hear you.”
Dominic laughed.
Then he stood.
He walked around the table.
He took Evelyn's hand.
“I don't know what the future looks like.”
“Neither do I.”
“But I know what I want.”
Evelyn looked into his eyes.
“What?”
“You.”
She smiled.
“And Lily.”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“You already have her.”
Dominic nodded.
“I know.”
He squeezed her hand.
“But I want both of you for the rest of my life.”
Lily jumped up.
“Does that mean we're getting married?”
Evelyn laughed through her tears.
“Apparently.”
Lily hugged both of them.
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And somewhere inside the Moretti house, an old portrait watched silently.
The family that had once been built on secrets was finally being rebuilt on truth.
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