Chapter 7 - FOUR STEPS
Emma moved first.
Not toward the gun.
Toward the twins.
She dropped over Lily and Sophia as Gabriel struck Marco's wrist.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Nicholas tackled him.
Security rushed in.
This time, loyal security.
Marco was restrained.
Gabriel wanted answers.
Marco gave them.
He had worked for the Conti family before Gabriel hired him.
Celeste paid him initially to gather information.
Then Marco realized the value of the trust himself.
He manipulated both sides.
He altered reports.
Moved information.
Fed Celeste enough to keep her involved.
Framed Jonathan.
And sabotaged Alessandra's car when she got too close.
Celeste had been greedy.
Marco had been murderous.
Gabriel stood over him.
Marco smiled.
“You going to kill me?”
The old Gabriel would have.
Everyone knew it.
Emma knew it.
More importantly—
Lily was watching from the doorway.
Gabriel looked at his daughter.
Then stepped away.
“No.”
Marco's smile faded.
“You're going to wish you had.”
“Maybe.”
Gabriel looked toward the arriving police.
“But my daughters won't.”
Marco was taken away.
The mansion became quiet.
Then Lily did something nobody expected.
Gabriel was standing across the playroom.
Emma sat behind Lily.
No walker.
No therapy bands.
No specialist.
Lily pulled herself upright against the sofa.
Gabriel froze.
“Lily.”
Emma didn't touch her.
Sophia sat on the carpet.
“Go Daddy!”
Lily released the sofa.
One step.
Her right foot dragged.
She stopped.
Gabriel crouched.
“That's enough, sweetheart.”
Emma looked at him.
He understood.
He corrected himself.
“You decide.”
Lily looked at him.
Second step.
She wobbled.
Third.
Gabriel's eyes filled.
Fourth.
Then she fell forward.
Gabriel caught her.
For several seconds, the feared Gabriel Moretti knelt on the carpet holding his daughter and crying openly.
Lily touched his face.
“Daddy wet.”
Emma laughed through her own tears.
Gabriel kissed Lily's forehead.
“You walked.”
Lily pointed toward Emma.
“Emmy.”
“Yes.”
“Emmy teach.”
Emma shook her head.
“No, sweetheart.”
She touched Lily's chest.
“You did.”
Gabriel looked at Emma.
And understood why the specialists had failed where she succeeded.
Emma had never secretly “made” Lily walk.
She had done something harder.
May you like
She had given Lily a place where falling wasn't failure.
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