Chapter 24
Ruby left the estate at eighteen.
For college.
Not because of Valentina.
Not because of Ethan.
Because the university was four hours away.
Domenico hated that.
He prepared security.
Too much.
Ruby rejected most of it.
They negotiated.
One discreet professional.
Emergency contact protocol.
No location tracking unless a specific threat level justified it.
Domenico disliked the last condition.
“That dot is useful.”
Ruby stared.
“What dot?”
“Phone.”
“No.”
“For emergencies.”
“No.”
“If you disappear—”
He stopped.
Wrong word.
The estate had once displayed suitcases to make Domenico believe his daughter was being removed.
For years afterward, departures carried too much weight.
Ruby understood.
“Dad.”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to school.”
“I know.”
“You know address.”
“Yes.”
“You know dorm.”
“Yes.”
“You know security.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t need know every coffee.”
That sounded reckless.
Apparently adulthood often did.
He agreed.
Move-in day was terrible.
Domenico carried boxes.
Ruby told him to stop.
He did not.
Daniel and Ethan arrived unexpectedly near lunch.
Ethan was twenty-one now.
Finishing his own degree in engineering.
He carried one box.
Ruby stared.
“You came.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To judge your dorm.”
“Bad?”
“Terrible.”
That helped.
Domenico looked at Ethan.
For years he had wondered what the two children would become.
Now Ethan was helping carry Ruby’s lamp into a college dorm.
No certificate defined it.
No marriage.
No blood.
No household.
Still something.
Then Ruby’s roommate asked:
“Is that your brother?”
Both froze.
Domenico felt the old question enter the room.
Ethan looked at Ruby.
Ruby looked at him.
Then:
“Basically.”
Ethan smiled.
“Unfortunately.”
That was the answer.
For today.
Not legal.
Not permanent.
Chosen.
Domenico looked away before either child caught his expression.
Ruby did anyway.
“You doing emotional thing?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I am evaluating the room.”
“Sure.”
He left after four.
Did not install additional cameras.
That was mentioned because it took effort.
Sunday Ruby called.
Not because of a schedule.
Because she wanted money transferred for a broken laptop.
Domenico became offended.
“That’s why you called?”
“Also hi.”
Progress.
Months later Ethan visited campus without telling either father first.
Ruby mentioned it afterward.
Daniel called Domenico.
“Did you know?”
“No.”
Silence.
Then both men laughed.
There it was.
The grown-up part.
Finally becoming smaller.
Their children no longer required two fathers to negotiate every shared afternoon.
May you like
That was exactly what both men once said they wanted.
Neither had realized wanting it would feel so much like losing jurisdiction.
