Page 31 of Her Dark Melody
He splayed his fingers out over her non-existent bump. “If it’s a father for your child you want, you have it, my love.Always.”
They kissed, then heard a small gasp. Breaking apart, they saw Bella, her face pale, but smiling at them. “Are youpregnant?”
Too late, Atlas removed his hand from Ebony’s stomach, but Ebony sighed. “I am. Very early days.” She glanced at Atlas who shook hishead.
“We’re delighted,” Atlas said before Ebony could say anything else. “Obviously, the timing is unfortunate, but we hope thatourchild will help us all heal. Will help Finoheal.”
Bella gave a cry of happiness and hugged them both. “I’m so happy for youboth.”
Ebony smiled; Bella really was a sweetheart. When she went off to find Fino, Ebony looked up at Atlas. “You didn’t need to protect my baby and me from thetruth.”
“As far as I’m concerned, thatisour child in there,” he said softly. He cupped her face in hishands.
Ebony felt wiped out by love for this man, and she was so relieved that he seemed to be calming down, his crazy grief beginning to give way to acceptance. She stroked his handsome face, the lines of sorrow etched deep around his eyes. “Come on, baby. Let’s go findFino.”
As they climbed the vast staircase, they heard someone call at the front door, and Atlas’s assistant called out to them. “Mr.Tigri?”
Atlas went back down and spoke to the man at the door. Ebony watched as the man handed Atlas an envelope then turned away. Atlas tore the envelope open and cursed loudly, rage consuming him all over him again. Ebony went to him. “What is it, Atlas? What’swrong?”
Atlas waved the letter, his eyes wild. “It’s Cormac. He’s suing me for custody ofFino.”
* * *
PartThree
Chapter Fourteen
Ebony rubbed Fino’s back as he struggled with his math homework, then glanced at Molly. The other woman was staring out of the window, her face etched with such a bottomless grief that Ebony couldn’t help but feel terrible forher.
“Molly, honey, why don’t you go grab some private time? I’ll look afterFino.”
Molly turned to her as if she hadn’t heard what Ebony had said, but then nodded, wordlessly, and stumbled from the room. Fino, dark circles under his eyes, looked at Ebony. “She missesDada.”
“She does, baby, we all do.” She stroked Fino’s dark curls away from his face. “You know, if you want to talk about Dada, anytime, you can always talk to me, or to Uncle Atlas, or Bella. I know Molly isstruggling.”
“So is Uncle Atlas,” Fino said, with wisdom far beyond his years. He sighed and pushed his homework away from him. “I don’t want to dothis.”
“Then you don’t have to,honey.”
Fino smiled at her, a soft, uncertain smile. “You’re not going away, areyou?”
Ebony shook her head. “No, darling, Ipromise.”
Fino got up and came to her, crawling onto her lap and wrapping his small arms around her. Ebony hugged him tightly. Fino’s little body was trembling. “I want to seeDada.”
“I know, baby, we all do but…darling, you know we can watch old home movies, or look atphotos.”
“It’s not the same. He would sing to me, or throw me in the air. Uncle Atlas…I wish he would dothat.”
“You can ask him, my love, I’m sure he’d love to, it’s just he doesn’t want to upset you. I think he thinks because he looks just like Dada, that it will upsetyou.”
She felt Fino shake his head. “He doesn’t look at me anymore. I think he doesn’t likeme.”
Ebony’s heart shattered. “Fino…Uncle Atlas is hurting, your Dada was his twin, and he feels…guilty that he is still here when your Dada isn’t. But he likes you, honey. Helovesyou somuch.”
“It’s not his fault a bad man hurt Dada,” Finowhispered.
“I know that, but he feelsresponsible.”
