He nodded. “It is. But it’s a burden I carry willingly. I won’t rest until I’ve avenged his death. I owe him that much.”
“Just…don’t let it consume you. A blackened heart doesn’t cure easily.”Ask me, I know.
“Too late for that, brother.” He slapped me on my shoulder before standing. “My heart isn’t just black. It’s buried…along with our father.”
I didn’t respond. What could I say? Truth was, if it wasn’t for Rafe, a dead and buried heart would probably have been my fate as well. But it was no longer hate or rage that fed my soul. It was love, and hope, and faith. Everything a little boy had given me. Amazing how something so small could change a grown man’s entire outlook on life.
“You going to be okay?” I looked up at Antonio.
He shrugged. “Who knows what the future holds.”
Rafe fell on the grass, birds scattering everywhere. I let out a laugh.
“Dante?”
“Yeah?”
Antonio smiled. “I’m happy you have him. Rafe. The two of you will be okay.”
I breathed out. “Yeah. Me too. I just wish it could have been the three of us, instead of just the two of us. But who knows what the future holds, right?” I grinned, and Antonio smiled back.
“I have the feeling your future is going to turn out exactly the way you want it.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “I love you, brother.”
I placed my hand on his. “I love you too.”
Antonio walked back to the house while I continued to watch my son play as if he hadn’t a care in the world. I remembered how Antonio and I used to play outside, a time when we didn’t know what it meant to worry or have responsibilities. All we worried about was having fun, playing, and simply being carefree. And now look at us. Killer turned father. Apprentice turned boss.
I worried about Antonio. Even though he had been preparing for this his entire life, groomed and taught to lead, it wasn’t going to be easy. There was a long, troublesome road ahead of him—the new boss. I didn’t envy him at all. As the saying went, “heavy is the head that wears the crown.” I just hoped the crown wouldn’t wear him down someday.
“Daddy, will you push me on the swing?”
I smiled. “A push for a hug?”
His little lips curved into a tiny smile—a smile which had the power to make everything wrong in the world become right.
He ran toward me, arms held wide, then jumped onto my lap. These were the moments that now defined my life. The moments I had these small arms wrapped around my neck, the purest form of unconditional love.
I thought I was a man who had known love. But I was wrong. There was nothing like a parent’s love for a child. Nothing. Your life, your heart, your soul were no longer your own.
I pulled him up in my arms and walked toward the swing.
“Mommy!”
I stilled.
“Look, Daddy, it’s Mommy!”
I closed my eyes and let out a breath. Was this it? Was this the moment I had been waiting for?
“Mommy!” Rafe wiggled himself down, and I had no choice but to let go. “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!”
My heart wanted to leap out of my chest, my skin cold and warm at the same time. I was too afraid to turn around in case this wasn’t real.
“Mommy, you’re here!”
Slowly, I turned, my heart pounding with anticipation. When I saw her, I sucked in a breath.
“Layla,” I whispered as I stared at the beautiful woman who had her arms around my son. It was true what they said. Life wasn’t measured by how many breaths we took, but by how many moments took our breath away. This was one of those moments. Moments which left me breathless.