Page 131 of Where We Went Wrong

“Yeah,buddy?”

“Nonnosays you did good.”

Ilowered my brows and took a quick glance around the room, then asked, “He saidthat, huh?”

“Yes,”my son said with an affirmative nod. “He was here today. He saw you and UncleZach and Aunt Jenna, and he said you did good.”

Overthe years since Vincent had learned to talk, he had said things relating to myfather often. I knew the old man was watching, and that he was proud, so thisstatement didn't come as a surprise. But with it brought a sting of emotion asmy throat tightened and my eyes watered, and I wished I could see him myself. Iwish he could say these things directly to me and not my son.

Iwished it didn't hurt so much to miss him, even after all this time.

“Don'tbe sad,” Vincent said, crawling out from under the covers to sit on my lap.

“It'sokay, buddy,” I assured him, as I wrapped my arms around his little body. “Ijust miss Nonno sometimes.”

“Hemisses you, too.”

Isnorted beside myself. “Yeah, I bet he does. He misses what a pain in his buttI was.”

“Hesays you still remind him of Jesse.”

Thisstatement was new coming from him, and I narrowed my eyes with curiosity. “Whatdo you mean?”

“Hesays Jesse got away from the bad stuff. He says he finally got away, and so didyou. That's why you did good. 'Cause you got better.”

Vincenthad never been made aware of the trouble I'd gotten into in the past, or thebad things his mother and I had done in the beginning of our relationship. Ifigured one day, he would know, but right now, he was too young and innocent tounderstand. Hearing him say this though, I worried that my father was showinghim things, telling him the things I didn't want him to know, and I shot anangry look into the room.

“Hedid, huh?” I grumbled.

“Wereyou sick? Nonno says you were sick.”

Reliefwashed over me and loosened my shoulders, as I sighed and said, “Yeah, buddy. Iwas really sick.”

“Butyou're better now.”

Inodded and kissed his head. “All better.”

“'Causeof me and Mommy?”

Ismiled, pressing my cheek to his hair. “Yeah, buddy. 'Cause of you and Mommy.”

Kissinghis forehead again, I instructed him to get back in bed and get to sleep, andhe complied without complaint. I tucked him in for a second time and told himI'd make pancakes in the morning, then headed for the door and turned off thelight.

“Daddy?”

Witha sigh, I looked through the darkened room and toward his bed, and asked,“Yeah, buddy?”

“Nonnois very happy now.”

Lookinginto the room and imagining I could see my father there, I replied, “Me, too.”

“Goodnight, Daddy.”

“'Night,Vincent.”

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