Chapter 14 - The Stargazing NightBy Friday evening, the tension brought by the lawyer's brief visit had completely dissolved, swallowed up by the quiet, golden warmth of the estate.
To celebrate the end of the workweek, Alejandro had a small, professional-grade brass telescope set up on the second-floor balcony of the east wing—directly outside our apartment doors.
It was a magnificent piece of equipment, shining like polished gold under the twilight sky.
When the sun finally dipped below the horizon, painting the clouds in bruised shades of purple and amber, Alejandro, Mama, and I stepped out onto the cool stone balcony.
“All right, astronomer,” Alejandro said, stepping aside with a slight bow and gesturing toward the telescope eyepiece. “The western horizon is clear. Show me what you’ve found.”
I eagerly stepped up, pressing my eye against the cold rubber lens. I adjusted the focus knob just like Alejandro had taught me the week before, twisting it back and forth until the blurry smear of light suddenly snapped into sharp, brilliant focus.
“I see it!” I squealed, clapping my hands in delight. “I see Saturn! It has rings! Real rings!”
Mama stepped closer, resting a hand on my shoulder, smiling warmly as she peeked through the lens herself. “Goodness... it looks like a tiny glowing coin floating in black velvet.”
Alejandro stood beside us, leaning his forearms against the stone balcony railing, looking down at us with a quiet, profound expression of contentment. The fierce, untouchable mob boss was entirely gone, replaced by a man who had finally learned what it meant to belong to a real family.
“You know, Emma,” Alejandro murmured, looking up at the vast, star-studded Texas sky. “For a long time, I thought protecting something meant building walls high enough to keep everyone out. I thought if you didn't let anyone in, nobody could ever hurt you.”
I pulled away from the telescope, looking up at him with wide, curious eyes. “And what do you think now, Mr. Moretti?”
Alejandro looked down, meeting my gaze, and a soft, genuine smile touched his lips.
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“I think,” he said gently, resting a large, warm hand briefly on my head, “that the strongest buildings aren't the ones with the thickest walls. They’re the ones built on truth, courage, and people who are brave enough to use their last EpiPen when the world goes dark.”
Mama smiled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears of happiness, and stepped closer to Alejandro’s side.
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