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When Leonardo dismounted and slowly walked toward her, the old woman froze for a moment, a look of shock and confusion crossing her face.
A young man nearby couldn’t contain his excitement and screamed, prompting more people to bow and salute, careful not to show any disrespect.
“Mother,” he said, looking at the elderly woman, “I’m back.”
Caterina couldn’t match this child to her memories.
He had grown so much, and his demeanor was completely transformed, as if he had become a different person.
The last time she saw him, three years ago, he still resembled those city painters. Now, he had become steadfast, composed, and mature—someone who seemed trustworthy.
The meeting was brief but warm enough.
The elderly woman declined all the gifts and insisted on staying in the old house, continuing to farm and raise pigs.
They had nothing much to talk about; Leonardo had no knowledge of farming, and his mother, evidently, had no interest in the coastal defense arrangements.
But as they were leaving and making their way back, Leonardo held Hedy’s hand, gazing at the scenery that was slowly fading away, and said, “I’ve forgiven her.”
And I’ve forgiven myself.
Over the years, he had carried many hidden pains.
These pains stemmed from many things, but mostly from his childhood. His mother, who had no interest in him despite having four children, and his father, who was distant and cold, made him feel that he shouldn’t have been born into this world and wasn’t worthy of anyone’s love. Perhaps his birth had been a mistake from the very start.
Many of the desires, pains, and obsessions from his childhood were suppressed and buried as he grew, yet they continued to erode his inner self.
But now, it seemed like he could finally let go of it all.
Hedy rested her head on his shoulder, listening to the distant sound of the horses’ hooves, and asked, “What did you come to understand?”
“When I was a child, I always thought they were invincible,” Leonardo softly stroked her long hair, his voice deep. “I always thought they were capable of taking care of me and should have given me enough love.”
But now, seeing their old, weary faces, he suddenly understood much more.
Parents, like everyone else in the world, were not without flaws. They could be weak or conflicted, their hands calloused from working for a living, and they could feel lost and helpless at times.
The treatment he had received wasn’t because he had done something wrong when he was a child.
— It was simply because they had never been able to give him more.
This sense of helplessness broke the halo around the labels of "parents," but it also allowed him to truly see many things clearly.
“…You are worthy of love,” she whispered. “You are the best Leonardo.”
He smiled, bending down to kiss her warm lips.
“And you are my salvation, Hedy.”
You allowed me to escape from many things… and in the end, I’ve forgiven myself.
——
The Florence Academy has expanded twice in recent years.
The first expansion occurred when Hedy joined the academic ranks, and Lorenzo made a significant donation, enabling the academy to grow several times in size and accommodate more students in the future.
The second expansion happened when Hedy returned to Florence. Before she left, she gave them the pea field in the west and taught them how to observe and record their findings. That year, Hedy also funded the Florence Academy, which led many European scholars to flock there, including a number of women. Some of them were possibly housemaids seeking refuge, while others were noblewomen passionate about natural research.
