Chapter 9 - A New Chapter
Spring arrived in Philadelphia three months later with a burst of pale green buds along Walnut Street and a warm breeze that chased away the lingering winter chill.
The laundry corridor at Veils was still there, but my desk was now on the second floor, next to a sunlit window that looked out over the brick courtyards. The heavy scent of lemon cleaner had been replaced by the smell of fresh tulips in a glass vase on my corner table.
Norah’s daycare reopened permanently in February, but she still spent her Wednesday afternoons in my office, sitting cross-legged on a plush velvet rug, playing with the wooden train Dominic had given her.
Sometimes, Dominic would stop by between meetings. He didn't wear the heavy black overcoat anymore; instead, he wore tailored gray suits and carried a cane he rarely needed to lean on. He would sit in the armchair across from my desk, drink a cup of black coffee, and watch Norah draw pictures of rabbits and trains with colored crayons.
"The board meeting went smoothly today," Dominic remarked one afternoon, setting his porcelain cup down on the saucer. "No revolts. No forged signatures."
"People tend to behave when they know the boss is paying attention," I replied, not looking up from the monthly supply ledger.
"And when the boss has good people watching his back," he added quietly.
I looked up, meeting his steady, dark eyes. There was a quiet warmth there that the rest of Philadelphia never got to see—a glimpse of the man behind the myth, forged by survival and softened by an unexpected moment on a wet sidewalk.
"We make a good team, Elena," he said, a faint smile touching the corners of his mouth.
May you like
"We do," I agreed. "As long as you remember to keep your phone charged."
Dominic laughed—a deep, resonant sound that filled the quiet office—and reached across the desk to hand Norah another sheet of drawing paper.
