Chapter 10 - The Garden of Stars
Two years later.
The morning sun flooded the sprawling green lawns of the Moretti estate, turning the dew on the rose bushes into sparkling diamonds. The high wrought-iron gates were open, and the scent of blooming jasmine filled the warm spring air.
On the stone terrace, a long wooden dining table was set for breakfast with fresh fruit, warm pastries, and steaming porcelain cups. There were no armed guards pacing the perimeter walls; only two gardeners tending the hydrangeas and Henry Cole happily pouring freshly squeezed orange juice.
Sophie, now five years old, came sprinting across the emerald grass, wearing a bright yellow sundress with matching ribbons in her dark, bouncy curls. She held a large sheet of colorful stickers high above her head like a captured flag.
"Uncle Dante! Look! The teacher gave me the super-nova pack because I spelled 'family' right!"
Dante sat at the head of the table, wearing a relaxed linen shirt with the collar open—no bulletproof vest, no concealed firearm, no heavy black wool suit. He looked ten years younger, the dark circles under his eyes replaced by the healthy color of a man who finally slept through the night.
He caught Sophie mid-flight, swinging her up into the air as she giggled with wild delight.
"Did you now?" Dante laughed, setting her down gently onto the chair beside him. "Let me see this super-nova."
Anna walked out onto the terrace carrying a platter of warm blueberry pancakes. She wore a simple, elegant cream-colored dress, her dark hair flowing freely over her shoulders. She placed a gentle hand on Dante's shoulder as she passed, and Dante reached up, warmly resting his hand over hers.
"Don't encourage her, Dante," Anna smiled, pouring syrup onto Sophie's plate. "She already put three stars on Henry’s tuxedo this morning. He walked into the kitchen looking like a constellation."
"Henry wore them with pride," Dante remarked with a smirk.
Sophie peeled a massive, multi-colored glittering star from the sheet, leaning across the table and carefully pressing it right over Dante's heart, directly onto his clean linen shirt.
"There," Sophie declared with absolute authority, tapping it twice with her small fist. "That's for being the best uncle in the whole wide world."
Dante looked down at the glittering star, then across the sunny garden toward the peaceful hills of Massachusetts. The criminal empire that had consumed his youth was gone, replaced by legitimate businesses and a foundation named after Matteo that funded children's hospitals across the state. The dark things had finally been driven away.
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He reached up, touching the sticker with his fingertips, feeling the steady, unbroken beat of his heart beneath it.
"You were right, Sophie," Dante said softly, looking into the eyes that carried his brother's soul. "Everybody needs a lucky star."
