Chapter 15
One year after the benefit, the Moretti fencing club held another charity event.
Smaller.
No extravagant exhibition.
No private family control over the accounts.
The youth fund now had an independent board, published financial statements and clear restrictions preventing its money from being moved into family projects.
Grant did not attend.
His relationship with Luciano remained broken.
The legal and financial disputes surrounding the Westchester project were still being resolved.
They might take years.
Odessa attended only the public fencing demonstration.
She arrived alone.
She sat in the back.
Mabel saw her.
Then continued eating a cookie.
That was progress.
Luciano stood beside the exhibition strip watching children from the youth program compete with borrowed equipment Catherine’s fund had purchased.
Mabel tugged his sleeve.
“Daddy.”
“What?”
“My purse.”
She handed it to him.
“Hold it?”
Luciano looked at her.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
He took it.
A year earlier she would not let anyone touch it.
Now she ran toward the beginner’s strip without looking back.
Odessa approached from several yards away.
She stopped beside Luciano.
“She's getting big.”
“Yes.”
They watched Mabel attempt a fencing stance and immediately lose her balance.
She laughed.
Odessa smiled.
Then her expression became serious.
“I used to think Catherine made you soft.”
Luciano looked at her.
“She did.”
Odessa seemed surprised by the answer.
Luciano continued.
“I should've let her do more of it.”
They stood quietly.
After a moment Odessa asked:
“Do you think Grant will ever come back?”
Luciano understood what she meant.
Not to the business.
To the family.
“I don't know.”
Odessa nodded.
Luciano no longer promised permanent exile when he was angry.
He also no longer promised reconciliation because someone shared his blood.
Some relationships could be repaired.
Some could not.
Time did not automatically decide which.
Across the room, Mabel finished her lesson and ran toward him.
“Daddy!”
Luciano crouched.
She threw both arms around his neck.
Then she noticed Odessa.
For a moment nobody moved.
Mabel reached into the purse Luciano was holding and removed a wrapped candy.
She offered it to Odessa.
“One.”
Odessa accepted it.
“Thank you.”
Mabel immediately closed the purse again.
“That's all.”
Luciano laughed.
Odessa did too.
No one called it forgiveness.
May you like
No one needed to.
The following year would decide what came next.
