Chapter 12
David lost every DeLuca-associated privilege.
South Market discussion ended.
Council access ended.
Joint security assignments ended.
He remained Mercer capo inside his own family only because I had no interest in running their house for them.
But the shine disappeared.
Men knew.
Not details.
Enough.
He could no longer imply my support.
That mattered more than public humiliation.
He came to me after six weeks.
“I’m working.”
I stared.
“Congratulations.”
He almost smiled.
“I mean on myself.”
“I know what you meant.”
He sat.
“I keep wanting you to tell me what I need to do to fix this.”
“No.”
His face tightened.
“Why?”
“Because then repair becomes another assignment from a more powerful man.”
Silence.
“You need to decide what kind of father and husband you become even if Sarah never comes back.”
That landed.
“What if she doesn’t?”
“That is possible.”
He looked destroyed.
Good.
Not because I wanted pain.
Because reality had finally entered.
He had been treating improvement like payment toward reconciliation.
No.
Change must remain valuable even if nobody rewards it.
He nodded slowly.
“For Emma?”
“For yourself first.”
He looked surprised.
“Otherwise you’ll resent her if she doesn’t forgive fast enough.”
May you like
That possibility frightened him.
It should.
