Chapter 25 - five years after the gala julian told avice he was seeing someoneFive years after the aquarium gala, Avice was ten.
Cesare was sixty-nine.
He disliked both numbers.
Avice had grown tall.
Her blonde pigtails were gone.
She wore her hair in one braid most days and corrected adults who still spoke to her like she was five.
Julian had remained single since the divorce.
Not because Cesare required it.
Because Julian had finally understood how quickly he once introduced a new relationship into the space Caroline’s death left behind.
Then one Sunday he came to Cesare’s house alone.
“I’m seeing someone.”
Cesare looked over his newspaper.
“Does she have a real abdomen?”
Julian stared.
“That was terrible.”
“I’ve been saving it five years.”
“You should have waited fifty.”
Cesare lowered the paper.
“Who?”
“Eliza Warren.”
Avice’s former school architect.
Not teacher.
Not therapist.
No connection to the family foundation.
Forty.
Divorced.
No children.
Julian had been seeing her quietly for six months.
Cesare immediately disliked one word.
“Quietly?”
“I didn’t want to involve Avice until I knew it was serious.”
“That can become secrecy.”
“I know.”
Cesare studied him.
“Does Eliza know everything?”
“Yes.”
“Everything?”
“Yes.”
“Vanessa?”
“Yes.”
“Your role?”
Julian looked uncomfortable.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“When do I tell Avice?”
“Why are you asking me?”
Julian sighed.
“Because I don’t want to screw this up.”
“You will.”
“Helpful.”
Cesare folded the paper.
“Tell her before she has to notice.”
Julian went quiet.
That sentence carried history.
Avice had already lived inside a family where adults controlled information until a child had to find the contradiction herself.
No more.
Julian told her that evening.
Just the two of them.
“Eliza and I have been dating.”
Avice stared.
“How long?”
“Six months.”
“Six?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Julian answered carefully.
“Because I wanted to make sure it was serious before asking you to deal with it.”
Avice’s eyes narrowed.
“Deal with it?”
Bad wording.
Julian knew immediately.
“I mean before bringing someone new around.”
Avice became quiet.
Then asked:
“Does she want babies?”
Julian froze.
Straight to the wound.
“I don’t know.”
“You never asked?”
“We’ve talked about children generally.”
“And?”
“She might want one someday.”
Avice looked away.
Julian’s chest tightened.
“What are you thinking?”
Nothing.
“Avice.”
She rubbed her hands.
“Will I be from before again?”
There it was.
Five years.
Therapy.
Custody rebuilt.
Photographs restored.
Still there.
Julian’s eyes filled.
“No.”
“You said that before Vanessa.”
“I know.”
“So why should I believe you?”
He could have promised.
Never.
Impossible.
You’ll always be first.
Instead he chose the harder truth.
“Because you shouldn’t believe a promise by itself.”
Avice looked at him.
“Watch what I do.”
Silence.
“I will not move you out of rooms to make Eliza comfortable.”
Avice listened.
“I will not hide Mom.”
Her eyes filled.
“I will not ask you to shrink so someone else feels more secure.”
Julian’s voice broke.
“And if I ever start doing that again, I want you to tell me.”
Avice whispered:
“What if you get mad?”
“I might.”
She looked surprised.
“But being angry does not make you wrong.”
That was something Cesare had taught her years earlier.
Avice nodded slowly.
“Do I have to meet her?”
“No.”
“When?”
“When you want.”
“What if I never want?”
Julian swallowed.
“Then Eliza and I deal with that honestly.”
Avice studied him.
“Do you like her?”
“Yes.”
“A lot?”
“Yes.”
Avice sighed dramatically.
“That’s annoying.”
Julian laughed through tears.
It was not permission.
Not yet.
May you like
But it was conversation.
And this time, no child had to crawl under a garment rack to learn what the adults were hiding.
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