Chapter 22: Six Months

Marcello's POV

On Thursday morning I walked my son to school, and he told me the rules.

"You can come to the door," Miles said. "You can't come inside."

"Understood."

"You can't hold my hand."

"Understood."

"You can say bye."

"I'll say bye."

He thought about it, holding the strap of his backpack in both fists.

"You can say it twice if you want."

I had to look at the sky.

We stopped at the school gate.

A woman in a long coat was filming the front steps with her phone.

Two other parents pretended not to stare.

"Is that because of the news?" Miles asked.

"Yes."

"Are you going to say sorry to them too?"

"I already said it to the one who matters."

He considered this.

"Me?"

"You," I said.

He nodded once, then dug in his backpack.

"Mom says you have a drawer."

"I do."

"This one's for it."

He pushed a folded paper into my hand. It was a drawing of a tall man and a small boy at a gate.

Then he went inside.

I stood at the gate until the door shut.

Then I said bye, twice, to nobody.

At ten o'clock I was in the boardroom on Park Avenue.

Ten partners sat around the table. The chair at the head was empty.

Chiara's father had not come.

A letter on his seat said he had resigned from the partnership, effective at once.

It said he was sorry.

The managing partner stood.

"Marcello, the partners met last night. The vote was ten to nothing."

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