Chapter 6 - THE LIE MY DAUGHTER PRACTICED
“Lily, look at me.”
I tried to keep my voice gentle.
My daughter slowly raised her eyes.
“You didn't have to say that.”
She swallowed.
“But the lady said it would help.”
“Help who, baby?”
She glanced toward Vanessa.
“Mommy.”
My chest tightened.
“She said if I told people I wanted to wait outside, nobody would be mad at you.”
Luca stood completely still.
Vanessa pressed her hand against her forehead.
“Luca, I was trying to keep her calm.”
He turned toward her.
“By teaching her to lie?”
“I was trying to explain that her mother could get into trouble for leaving work.”
I stared at her.
“You told her I might lose my job.”
Vanessa looked away.
Lily reached for my hand.
“I didn't tell anybody.”
Tears filled my eyes.
“I know, sweetheart.”
She looked frightened.
“Did I do good?”
The question hurt so badly that I had to close my eyes.
Then I pulled her close.
“Baby, you never have to keep a secret that makes you scared.”
She nodded against my shoulder.
“Even about work?”
“Even about work.”
I kissed her forehead.
“Especially about work.”
Teresa leaned closer.
“Lily, would you like to help me choose a dessert?”
My daughter looked up.
“Can Mommy come?”
I smiled through my tears.
“I'm right here.”
Teresa pointed toward the dessert tray at the far end of the table.
“There are little chocolate cakes and strawberry tarts.”
Lily considered this carefully.
“Does the cake have frosting?”
Teresa smiled.
“Lots of it.”
My daughter slipped from my lap into the chair beside her.
For a few minutes, the two of them discussed which dessert looked best.
I stayed close enough to see Lily the entire time.
Luca moved toward the sideboard.
He lowered his voice.
“Emily, would you like to take her home now?”
I looked at him.
“Am I allowed?”
His expression changed.
“Of course.”
I glanced toward Vanessa.
He followed my eyes.
Then he said something I hadn't expected.
“Emily, you don't need to stay and prove what happened. You've already told me enough to protect your job.”
I swallowed.
“But there's more.”
He waited.
“I need to understand why she did this.”
Luca looked toward Lily.
“Then we'll talk for a few more minutes. But if your daughter needs to leave, that comes first.”
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
He looked toward Mrs. Carter.
“Did you know Lily was being told to lie?”
She shook her head.
“No, sir.”
“Did you know she was outside?”
Mrs. Carter hesitated.
“I knew Miss Bellini didn't want her in the staff sitting room during dinner.”
Vanessa turned sharply.
“Because the caterers needed the space.”
Mrs. Carter nodded.
“That was the explanation.”
Luca frowned.
“The sitting room was needed by caterers?”
“They were using the adjoining service area to prepare drinks,” Mrs. Carter explained.
“Was there nowhere else Lily could wait?”
“Of course there was.”
Mrs. Carter looked ashamed.
“We have several unused rooms. I could have made arrangements.”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“Then why didn't you?”
Mrs. Carter looked at her.
“Because you told me someone was coming to collect the child.”
I went cold.
“What?”
Mrs. Carter turned toward me.
“Miss Bellini said Lily's neighbor would return.”
I shook my head.
“Mrs. Flores brought Lily here at five fifteen.”
Vanessa looked uncomfortable.
I continued.
“She had to go home to look after her husband. She couldn't come back.”
Luca looked toward Vanessa.
“Did Emily tell you that?”
Vanessa hesitated.
“She said the neighbor couldn't babysit.”
“That's not what I asked.”
Vanessa looked away.
I remembered the conversation at five forty-five.
I'd explained that my neighbor could only drop Lily off.
That she couldn't stay.
That I'd arranged to leave at six because I had no other childcare.
Vanessa had heard every word.
“Miss Bellini,” I whispered, “I told you Mrs. Flores wasn't coming back.”
She didn't answer.
Luca's expression hardened.
“You knew there was nobody coming for Lily?”
Vanessa looked toward the table.
“I thought Emily would find someone.”
“But Emily was working because you threatened to fire her if she left.”
Vanessa pressed her lips together.
Nobody spoke.
Then she said quietly, “I didn't intend for the child to be outside that long.”
Luca stared at her.
“How long did you intend?”
She hesitated.
“Ten minutes. Maybe fifteen.”
I felt sick.
“Ten minutes?”
Vanessa looked at me.
“I thought she'd calm down and stop asking for you.”
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
My daughter hadn't been misbehaving.
She'd wanted her mother.
And Vanessa had treated that as a problem to be corrected.
Luca's voice became rough.
“She wasn't throwing a tantrum, Vanessa.”
“I know that now.”
“You knew it then.”
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
He continued.
“You knew she'd been dropped off because Emily had nobody to watch her.”
“Yes.”
“You knew it was cold.”
“Yes.”
“And you sent her outside anyway.”
Vanessa wiped her cheek.
“I didn't think she'd be hurt.”
Teresa looked up from the dessert plates.
“But she was hurt, dear.”
Vanessa turned toward her.
“Teresa, I didn't mean—”
“You frightened her.”
The older woman's voice was quiet.
“You made her think she could lose her mother.”
Vanessa's face crumpled.
For several seconds, she couldn't speak.
Then she whispered, “I didn't know she would believe me.”
Teresa stared at her.
“She's eight.”
Those two words silenced the room.
Luca rubbed his forehead.
Then he looked toward the blue coat folded beside my chair.
“Mom, do you remember when Dad first opened the repair shop?”
Teresa nodded.
“Of course.”
“We didn't have enough money for childcare.”
“No.”
“You used to bring me with you when the school was closed.”
Teresa smiled sadly.
“I did.”
Luca looked toward Vanessa.
“Dad put an old chair behind the counter so I could sit beside him.”
He paused.
“He never told me I had to earn that chair.”
Vanessa looked down.
Luca continued.
“He never made me believe I was in the way.”
His voice broke.
“Even when he was exhausted, he made sure I knew I belonged there.”
Teresa's eyes filled.
Luca turned toward me.
“Emily, your daughter belonged somewhere warm tonight. There was no reason to make her ask for that.”
I couldn't answer.
Mrs. Carter quietly approached.
“Mr. Moretti, there's something else.”
Luca looked at her.
“Yes?”
She hesitated.
“When Miss Bellini came into the service area, I asked where Lily was.”
Vanessa stared at her.
Mrs. Carter continued.
“She told me Lily was with her neighbor.”
I looked toward my daughter.
She was sitting beside Teresa, carefully removing the frosting from a chocolate cake.
Luca's face hardened.
“Vanessa, did you know the neighbor had left?”
She looked away.
May you like
Then Mrs. Carter said the words that made my stomach turn.
“She told me the woman had already taken Lily home.”
