Chapter 2 - Sawdust and Secrets
|
The back hallways of the mansion were quiet, far removed from the frantic preparations of the engagement dinner. I walked past the massive laundry room, the rhythmic hum of the industrial washing machines masking my footsteps. That was when I saw him.
Matteo was sitting cross-legged on the polished hardwood floor, tucked into a small alcove near the rear exit. His navy blue dress pants, carefully pressed for the evening, were covered in a fine layer of pale sawdust.
“Shouldn’t you be getting dressed, buddy?” I asked softly, crouching down beside him so I wouldn't startle him.
Matteo looked up, his dark eyes instantly brightening. He didn't have the cold, hard edges his father possessed—not yet, anyway. He offered me a proud, slightly nervous smile.
“I made Dad something,” he whispered, as if we were sharing a state secret.
Resting in his lap was a small wooden box. It wasn't perfectly square, and the hinges looked slightly misaligned, but the care put into it was obvious. He gently opened the lid to show me the inside.
“See?” he pointed with a dust-covered finger. “Inside are three compartments. One for Dad’s watch. One for his cuff links. And this narrow slot right here is for the fountain pen that belonged to Grandpa.”
I felt a lump form in my throat. “It’s beautiful, Matteo. It’s not perfect, but I think it looks pretty perfect to me.”
His smile widened, showing a missing back tooth. “Grandpa’s workbench in the garage had a loose board underneath. Dad always said we’d fix it someday. I didn't want to wait.” He ran his small hand affectionately across the rough grain of the wood. “I used that board.”
May you like
That detail made the box entirely different. Luca’s father, Antonio, had died nine years earlier. Matteo had never even met the man. But every Saturday morning, without fail, Luca locked away his phones, dismissed his massive security detail, and spent two hours in the detached, unheated garage with his son. They stood at the old wooden bench Antonio had built in 1987, and Luca told stories. He taught his son how to use a hammer, how to change a tire, and how to be a man of his word.
Matteo closed the lid carefully, tracing the uneven edges. “I wanted Grandpa to be part of tonight too.”
