Chapter 6 - The Number Ben Never Called
Emily Carter did not believe him.
Not immediately.
“That’s convenient,” she said.
Luca leaned back in his office chair.
“It isn’t meant to be.”
“My father has stories.”
“I’m sure.”
“Some are true.”
“This one is.”
“And I’m supposed to come running because he did something heroic thirty years ago?”
“No.”
The answer stopped her.
Luca continued.
“I’m not asking you to forgive him.”
“Good.”
“I’m not asking you to see him.”
Another pause.
“Then what are you asking?”
“Nothing.”
Emily laughed once.
“You Ferraros have a strange way of asking nothing.”
Luca smiled despite himself.
“You’ve heard the name.”
“I grew up in Maryland.”
“Fair.”
“Is he working for you?”
“No.”
“Are you paying him?”
“No.”
“Is he in trouble?”
Luca hesitated.
“He’s not living well.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“No. He isn’t in legal trouble.”
Emily exhaled.
“Where is he?”
“I won’t tell you unless he agrees.”
That surprised her too.
“You contacted me without telling him?”
“Yes.”
“That seems manipulative.”
“It probably was.”
“Probably?”
“Definitely.”
Emily was silent.
Luca liked her already.
“You sound like him,” he said.
“Don’t.”
“Sorry.”
Another pause.
Then Emily said, “Why did he save you?”
“I was eight.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.”
“I know.”
Luca looked out the window.
“He saw an accident. He helped because I was there.”
“And your father?”
“My father later helped him when he was falsely accused of something.”
Emily’s voice changed slightly.
“He told me about that.”
“He did?”
“When I was little. Not details. He used to say somebody once believed him when nobody else did.”
Luca swallowed.
“That was my father.”
Emily went quiet.
“He never told me your name.”
“He wasn’t supposed to.”
“Why?”
“Because my father wanted him kept outside our family’s world.”
Emily laughed bitterly.
“That worked out well.”
Luca did not defend it.
She continued.
“So what do you want from me?”
“I want you to know he still carries your photograph.”
Silence.
Luca stared at the desk.
“He showed you?”
“Eventually.”
“Which one?”
“You’re holding a crab.”
A breath on the other end.
“Oh.”
“He keeps it inside his jacket.”
Emily said nothing for so long Luca checked the phone.
Then she whispered, “He took that picture.”
“I know.”
“He embarrassed me for twenty minutes because he kept taking pictures.”
“I know that too.”
“How?”
“It’s written on the back.”
Emily laughed.
Then the laugh broke.
She recovered quickly.
“Does he know where I am?”
“No.”
“Does he ask?”
“He told me not to find you.”
That changed something.
“Why?”
“He thinks he lost the right.”
Emily’s voice turned hard again.
“He did.”
“I told him that was your decision.”
“Good.”
Luca waited.
She said, “I’m not ready.”
“All right.”
“You’re not going to convince me?”
“No.”
“That easy?”
“It’s not my choice.”
Emily exhaled.
“I need time.”
“Take it.”
She hung up.
Luca sat for another minute.
Then the office door opened.
Ben walked in.
Stephen stood behind him looking apologetic.
“He insisted.”
Luca rose.
Ben’s face was furious.
“You contacted her.”
Stephen quietly closed the door.
Luca said, “Yes.”
“I told you not to.”
“Yes.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“A long list.”
“This isn’t funny.”
“I know.”
Ben stepped closer.
“You had no right.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because you were using shame to make her decision for her.”
Ben stared.
Luca continued.
“You’re afraid she doesn’t want you. That’s fair. But you were deciding the answer without asking.”
“I was protecting her.”
“No. You were protecting yourself.”
Ben’s face tightened.
“You don’t know anything about it.”
“I know what disappearing looks like.”
“That isn’t your business.”
“No. But you made my father part of yours thirty years ago.”
Ben gave him a disgusted look.
“There. Debt again.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No, Ben.”
Luca stepped closer.
“I’m done paying you.”
Ben stopped.
Luca’s voice lowered.
“This isn’t repayment. This is me telling you to stop pretending punishment is the same thing as responsibility.”
Ben looked like he had been struck.
Luca immediately regretted the harshness.
But not the truth.
Ben turned toward the window.
“She answered?”
“Yes.”
Ben closed his eyes.
That was the question under everything.
“She’s okay?”
“Yes.”
“Working?”
“Yes.”
“Happy?”
“I don’t know.”
Ben nodded.
“Good.”
Luca watched him.
“She remembered the crab picture.”
Ben’s shoulders moved.
Barely.
Luca continued.
“She knew you took it.”
Ben laughed under his breath.
“I took about fifty.”
“She remembers.”
Ben pressed his thumb against his eye.
Then turned away.
“Did she ask to see me?”
“No.”
His hand dropped.
Luca let the silence sit.
Ben nodded.
“Okay.”
“She said she isn’t ready.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
Ben looked at him.
“She didn’t say never.”
Ben stared.
Luca continued.
“She asked where you were.”
“What did you tell her?”
“Nothing.”
Ben blinked.
“I told her I wouldn’t give her your location without your permission.”
“That’s backwards.”
“Why?”
“She should get to know.”
“You both get a choice.”
Ben laughed softly.
“Your mother told you that.”
“Yes.”
“She always was smarter than your father.”
“Don’t let him hear you.”
They both smiled.
Then Ben’s disappeared.
“What now?”
“Nothing.”
“You contacted her and now nothing?”
“Unless she calls.”
“And if she does?”
“I’ll ask you.”
Ben looked terrified.
For the next eight days, she did not call.
Ben pretended not to care.
He failed.
He began showing up around Luca more often.
Not asking.
Just appearing.
They drank coffee.
Once they ate lunch.
Another time Ben helped Luca fix a sticking cabinet door in an old property Luca was restoring for office use.
“You’re terrible with tools,” Ben said.
“I employ people.”
“That’s not a defense.”
“It is where I come from.”
On the ninth day, Luca’s phone rang.
Emily.
“Hello?”
“I want to see him.”
Luca stood.
“Okay.”
“One time.”
“Okay.”
“I’m not promising anything.”
“I know.”
“I don’t want him thinking this means forgiveness.”
“I’ll make sure he understands.”
“No.”
Luca paused.
“What?”
“I’ll tell him.”
That answer pleased him.
“When?”
“This Saturday.”
Luca swallowed.
“I’ll ask him.”
“You said you wouldn’t pressure him.”
“I won’t.”
There was a pause.
Emily said, “Mr. Ferraro?”
“Luca.”
“Luca.”
“Yes?”
“What does he look like?”
The question cut deeper than anything else.
Luca looked through the glass wall of his office.
Ben was sitting outside, drinking coffee and arguing with Stephen about baseball.
“Older.”
Emily laughed shakily.
“I figured.”
“Gray beard.”
“Okay.”
“Still stubborn.”
“That didn’t answer me.”
Luca softened.
“He looks tired.”
Silence.
“But when he talks about you, he looks like your father again.”
Emily did not answer.
Saturday came cold and bright.
Luca chose a small café near the harbor.
Neutral.
Public.
Quiet enough for conversation.
Ben arrived first.
He had shaved.
Not completely.
Enough that Luca noticed.
“You cleaned up.”
Ben glared.
“Say one more word.”
Luca raised both hands.
Ben sat.
Then stood.
Then sat again.
“Stop doing that,” Luca said.
“Doing what?”
“Trying to leave without moving.”
Ben looked at the door.
“What if she doesn’t come?”
“Then we drink bad coffee.”
“What if she does?”
“I don’t know.”
Ben rubbed his palms against his jeans.
“I should go.”
“No.”
“You said I get a choice.”
“You do.”
“I choose to go.”
Luca looked at him.
“Fine.”
Ben stood.
The bell above the café door rang.
Ben froze.
A young woman stepped inside.
Dark hair pulled back.
Navy coat.
She looked around once.
Then her eyes landed on Ben.
Everything left his face.
All the fear.
All the arguments.
All the pride.
Gone.
Emily stood near the door.
Ben whispered her name.
She did not smile.
She did not move.
May you like
Neither did he.
And Luca understood instantly that the next thing said might decide whether six lost years became seven.
