Chapter 24 - julian got more custody only after he stopped asking for itA year passed.
Then another.
Avice turned eight.
Julian stopped asking Cesare when he thought custody would become “normal.”
He stopped asking the therapist too.
Instead he showed up.
Every pickup.
Every appointment he was allowed to attend.
Every school conference.
If Avice wanted to return to Cesare early, Julian drove her.
If she wanted to stay, Cesare did not interfere.
The arrangement expanded almost without anyone announcing it.
One overnight.
Then two.
Alternate weekends.
One weekday dinner.
Later, more.
The family court eventually removed the remaining supervision requirements.
By then, the legal change felt less important than the routine already in place.
One evening Avice called Cesare from Julian’s house.
“Grandpa?”
“Yes?”
“Can I stay tomorrow too?”
Cesare looked at the calendar.
Tomorrow was his Saturday.
The old version of him might have felt wounded.
After the scandal, he had become Avice’s safest adult.
Part of him liked being necessary.
He hated admitting that.
“Of course.”
“You’re not sad?”
“I’m devastated.”
Avice became quiet.
Cesare immediately corrected himself.
“Bad joke.”
“Oh.”
“I will miss you.”
“Okay.”
“But missing you is my problem, not your job.”
Avice thought.
“That sounds like therapy.”
“It is ruining all my best manipulation.”
She laughed.
Cesare smiled.
The next afternoon Julian called.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t.”
“For what?”
“She asked to stay.”
“I know.”
“You could’ve said no.”
“Yes.”
Julian was quiet.
Cesare understood the old competition still existed beneath everything.
Who did Avice choose?
Grandfather or father?
Safety or restoration?
Cesare refused to feed it.
“She is not moving from one team to another.”
Julian exhaled.
“I know.”
“She needs both of us.”
“Yes.”
“And one day she may need us less.”
Julian sounded horrified.
“Let’s not discuss that.”
Cesare laughed.
Avice returned Sunday evening carrying three books from the reading room.
She hugged Cesare.
Then immediately ran to find snacks.
No speech about choosing.
No emotional performance.
That was the first weekend Cesare understood that Julian had finally started becoming Avice’s father again.
May you like
Not because Cesare returned the title.
Because Avice slowly did.
Related Stories
