Chapter 12
Leo blamed himself.
Dante discovered it accidentally.
The boy had become quieter since the barbecue.
He stopped playing near the pool house.
He avoided larger family gatherings.
One evening Dante found him sitting on the back steps while Mia chased fireflies in the yard.
“You okay?”
Leo shrugged.
Dante sat beside him.
After several minutes, Leo said, “If I gave Javier the letter, none of this would’ve happened.”
Dante looked at him.
“No.”
“He wouldn’t have pushed Mia.”
“No.”
“You wouldn’t have fought him.”
“Leo.”
The boy finally looked over.
“The loan already existed.”
“I know.”
“The lying already existed.”
“I know.”
“Javier already knew.”
Leo stared at his shoes.
Dante continued.
“You didn’t create what happened. You found the point where adults couldn’t keep hiding it.”
Leo’s eyes filled.
“I should’ve run.”
“You were ten.”
“I’m not a baby.”
“No.”
Dante’s voice softened.
“You’re also not responsible for managing violent adults.”
That mattered because Dante knew the opposite lesson too well.
At ten, he had already been taught that protecting family secrets was maturity.
He would not teach Leo the same thing.
“What if Javier comes back?”
“He doesn’t come near you unless you want contact and I believe it’s safe.”
“What if family says I’m scared?”
“Then family can learn the difference between fear and judgment.”
Leo almost smiled.
Mia ran toward them holding a glowing firefly between her cupped hands.
“It’s broken!”
Dante looked.
“It’s not broken.”
“No light.”
“Open your hands.”
She did.
The firefly flew away.
Mia gasped.
Leo laughed.
May you like
The sound was the first normal thing Dante had heard from him all day.
For a few minutes, nothing needed fixing.
