Page 47 of Secret Baby for the Mafia Don

Even if his eyes weren’t the same distinctive deep brown as his father’s, the tilt of his head is the same. And their dark mop of thick hair is nearly identical. I can also see the first signs of Elio’s facial structure peeking through the softness of Mateo’s chubby cheeks.

My heart flips over wildly in my chest and I feel dizzy for a moment. I never thought that this moment would come to pass and now that it’s here. I have no idea how to navigate it.

I swallow audibly, then reach out for Mateo’s hand. He reluctantly tears his eyes away from Elio and looks at me.

“Sweety,” I start, my voice soothing. “Remember how we talked about the fact that Marco wasn’t your daddy, but that people were told that he was so you could be safe?”

Mateo nods, his little brow furrowed as he tries to understand what is going on.

I draw in a deep breath and plunge ahead. “Remember I told you that someday you might meet your daddy, but I didn’t know when it would happen?”

Mateo nods again, still looking at me earnestly.

I glance back at Elio, who just inclines his head slightly. He’s going to let me handle this, and I’m grateful for that much, at least.

“Well, honey, something wonderful has happened now that we have come to the US for a visit. Your daddy is finally here to meet you. Mateo, this is Elio. He’s your daddy.”

I lean back a little so that Mateo can look at Elio. I watch father and son size each other up and nearly laugh aloud at the similarity of the expression on their faces.

Perhaps hawklike intensity is genetic.

“Where were you?” is the first thing that Mateo says.

My heart cracks open at the hurt that seeps through the words. He’s a reserved child by nature, so being able to tell how he is feeling so readily is an indication of just how much his father’s absence has wounded him.

Elio rises to his feet and walks over to hunker down in front of Mateo. I release his little hand so that he can face his father. Elio doesn’t try to touch Mateo. He just stares at him earnestly and Mateo looks back quizzically.

“Mateo,” Elio says, his voice soft and welcoming.

A frisson of awareness dances across my skin. The velvety note in his tone is something I have never heard from him before.

He’s an incredibly magnetic man, but this new protective, fatherly note in his voice makes me trust him instantly, without reserve, and without question.

I see Mateo melting toward his father in instantaneous reaction to the invitation of his voice.

“Your mom and I had a big misunderstanding before you were born.” He reaches out and takes Mateo’s little hand in his slender, elegant one. “My job is dangerous and I was scared for both of you. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to you. So it took some time for your mom and I to find one another again. I’m sorry it’s been so many years. I didn’t know that you existed, you see.”

“I didn’t know about you either,” Mateo says in reply. He throws a momentary, accusatory glance back at me before turning his gaze to bask in his father’s magnetism.

A small smile plays over my lips. They are already thick as thieves. It took Mateo seconds to win over his dad. Like calls to like.

“Don’t glare at your mother,” Elio chides Mateo gently. “She didn’t have any way to tell me about you back then. Say you’re sorry.”

“Sorry, Mama,” Mateo says, properly chastened, looking back at me again.

My vision is suddenly blurred by tears, but I manage a watery smile for my child before he turns away from me again.

“Mateo,” Elio says. “I can’t make up for all the time that I was away from you. What I can do is promise not to disappear again. Are you willing to get to know me?”

Mateo nods eagerly. “Yes…I’m sorry, but I don’t know what to call you.”

Elio smiles at him. “You can call me Papa, if you want. That’s what I called my father.”

“Okay…Papa,” Mateo says before sliding off his chair and throwing his little arms around his father’s neck.

Elio lifts his black-as-night eyes to me and I feel a sudden shock when I see that there are tears standing in them.

I have never seen Elio openly cry and the sight of his emotion sets my own tears free to cascade down my cheeks.

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