Chapter 10 - The Father She Had Never Known|
June met her mother again on a bright Saturday morning.
The doctors had approved a short visit, provided Fiona rested afterward and June was prepared for the unfamiliar hospital environment.
Elena explained that Fiona might look different and become tired quickly.
June listened seriously, clutching her stuffed rabbit against her chest.
When Peter opened the hospital room door, June rushed forward.
"Mommy!"
Fiona's face crumpled.
"Hi, baby."
June stopped beside the bed.
She studied the bruising near Fiona's temple and the medical equipment arranged around her.
"Does it hurt?"
"A little," Fiona answered.
June carefully placed her rabbit on the blanket.
"He helps me when I'm scared."
Fiona began crying.
June looked alarmed.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No, sweetheart."
Fiona held out her hand.
"I'm crying because I'm so happy to see you."
June climbed onto the chair beside the bed with Elena's help.
She leaned forward and kissed Fiona's cheek.
"I ate the cookies," she confessed.
Fiona laughed through her tears.
"I had a feeling."
For twenty wonderful minutes, they talked about ordinary things.
June described the pancakes Peter had burned, the neighborhood dog that barked at delivery trucks, and the drawing she was making for Fiona's hospital room.
Fiona listened as though no conversation in the world could be more important.
Then June asked something that made the adults fall silent.
"Mommy, who is Dominic?"
Fiona looked toward Elena.
Her sister nodded gently.
"He's been helping Aunt Elena," Fiona answered.
June frowned.
"He has eyes like mine."
Fiona felt her heart pounding.
"Yes, baby."
"How come?"
She took a slow breath.
"Because Dominic is your father."
June stared at her.
For several seconds, she appeared to be considering whether she had misunderstood.
"My daddy?"
Fiona nodded.
"The man from the drawing?"
"Yes."
June looked down at her rabbit.
"Then why didn't he come to my birthday?"
Fiona closed her eyes briefly.
There was no easy answer that would fit inside a four-year-old child's understanding of love and abandonment.
"Your daddy made some very serious mistakes," she said.
"And there were things he didn't know."
June looked up.
"Does he know me now?"
"He's learning about you."
"Does he like me?"
Fiona's throat tightened.
"Very much."
June considered that answer.
"Then maybe he can come to my next birthday."
Fiona touched her daughter's cheek.
"Maybe, sweetheart."
Later that afternoon, Dominic stood outside the hospital's family room while Elena spoke to him.
"Fiona told June who you are."
Dominic's heart began pounding.
"How did she take it?"
"She asked why you missed her birthday."
He lowered his eyes.
"What did Fiona say?"
"That you made serious mistakes and didn't know everything."
Dominic nodded.
"That's kinder than I deserve."
Elena studied him.
"June wants to talk to you."
He looked up sharply.
"Now?"
"If you're willing to follow Fiona's boundaries."
"Of course."
A few minutes later, Dominic entered the family room.
June sat beside Elena at a low table covered in crayons and coloring books.
She looked up immediately.
"Hi, Dominic."
"Hi, June."
She held up a blue crayon.
"This is my favorite."
"That's a good color."
June nodded.
Then she placed the crayon on the table.
"Mommy says you're my daddy."
Dominic felt his eyes sting.
"She's right."
June studied him.
"Did you lose us?"
He swallowed.
"In a way."
"Like when I lost my rabbit at the store?"
Dominic almost smiled.
"Not exactly."
June frowned.
"Because I found him again."
Dominic looked at Elena.
She said nothing.
He turned back to his daughter.
"I made choices that hurt your mommy," he said.
"And because of those choices, I wasn't there when I should have been."
June thought about that.
"Are you sorry?"
"Very."
"Did you tell Mommy?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
She picked up the blue crayon again.
Then she looked toward the empty chair beside her.
"You can color with me."
Dominic sat down.
For the next half hour, they worked on a picture of a house surrounded by flowers.
June insisted that every window be purple.
Dominic was instructed to draw a dog, though his attempt looked more like a small horse.
June giggled so hard that Elena had to remind her to lower her voice.
At one point, the little girl reached across the table and took Dominic's hand to guide his crayon.
He went completely still.
Her fingers were small and warm.
She held his hand without hesitation, trusting him to help finish a simple drawing.
Dominic knew he had not earned that trust.
He also knew how easily it could be damaged.
When the visit ended, June hugged her rabbit and waved.
"Bye, Daddy."
The word escaped naturally.
She seemed surprised by it herself.
Dominic stared at her.
June tilted her head.
"Can I call you that?"
He crouched beside her.
"If that's what you want."
She smiled.
"Okay."
Then she ran to Elena.
Dominic remained crouched long after she had left.
His phone rang as he stood.
It was Detective Cole.
"We've identified Graham Pike's involvement in the warehouse transactions," she said.
"And we believe he's still in the Chicago area."
Dominic stepped into the hallway.
"Have you found him?"
"Not yet."
"He just sent me another threat."
"What did it say?"
Dominic opened the message.
This time, it contained an address near the abandoned industrial warehouses on the South Side.
Beneath the address were seven words.
Come alone if you want the truth.
Cole was silent for a moment.
"Mr. Russo, don't go there."
Dominic looked through the glass window of the family room.
The drawing June had made still rested on the table.
Five years earlier, he would have taken three armed men to the address and demanded answers by force.
Now he thought about June's little hand holding his.
"I'm not going alone," he said.
Cole's voice sharpened.
"What are you planning?"
"Whatever we do, Detective, we're doing it legally."
May you like
He looked at the address again.
"And this time, Graham is going to answer to someone who can put him behind bars."
