Metà (COMPLETED)

8. Luca Salvestro

2 Weeks Later

"Sofi, come on. Let's go! We're gonna be late," I said as she scooped the last spoon of cereal into her mouth. I put a sandwich, snacks, and drink into her lunch box and helped her put on her Moana backpack.

"Owee," she whined while I put her hair into a ponytail.

"Sorry yerekha. Okay. Grab your lunch box." She went to do so and I took my gun out of the safe and tucked it into my holster. I clasped onto the car keys and led Sofi out to the car.

When we arrived, I put the car in park and turned to Sofi. She was awfully quiet this morning, not her usual self.

"Are you nervous," I asked her. She shook her head 'no'. I arched a brow. "Then what's the matter?"

I got out of the car and took her out of her car seat.

I looked down at her as we walked through the doors of the school and noticed her staring at the couples walking with their kids.

"Where's Anton, mama," she asked.

"Remember what I told you? Anton found a nice place to live far, far away."

"Why didn't we go with him," she pouted. I sighed and bit my lower lip.

"Umm, because we wouldn't want to leave tatik right." (T: grandma)

She gasped with wide eyes and nodded furiously.

"Yeah because- because tatik would have to be all alone."

"Right, and we're a family and what does family do," I asked her as we turned the corner and headed for her classroom.

"Family sticks together," she said with a smile. "Anton isn't family?"

We stopped in front of her bustling classroom. I crouched to her level and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"No. Anton was a good friend who just needed a place to stay for a while. But now he has a new home and he doesn't need to stay with us anymore." She nodded, understanding what I was saying.

I stepped aside for a few parents to walk past with their crying kids. Sofi scrunched her nose in apparent disgust.

"Why are they crying?" I laughed at her adorable face and planted a kiss onto her forehead.

"They don't want their parents to leave," I told her. She turned to face me.

"You said- you- you said you would come right back."

"Yes I did. And I will, okay. As soon as Aurora tells you it's two, zero, zero, I'll be right here, okay." Sofi lifted her wrist and looked at her sleeping beauty themed digital watch.

"Okay," she said. She threw her arms around my neck and I felt my heart ache. "I love you mama," she said into my hair.

"I love you too. Before you go in,here," I said pulling her out of the embrace and getting her to sit on my lap. We sat there on the floor and I took out my phone.

"Say cheeeeesseeee," she exclaimed, showing off her tiny teeth. Her head rested on mine and we smiled into the camera. I heard the teacher start to tell the kids to settle down and I nudged Sofi into the room.