Chapter 7 - THE MAN WHO LEARNED TO KNOCK
Dominic discovered fatherhood had no respect for intimidation.
Grace did not care that men once feared him.
At 2:14 a.m., she screamed because her stuffed giraffe had fallen from the crib.
At 4:30, she rejected a bottle because apparently the temperature was offensive.
At six, she vomited directly onto his favorite shirt.
Dominic looked down.
Grace smiled.
“You planned that.”
She kicked happily.
“You’re a criminal.”
By seven, he sent Carrie a photograph.
Grace asleep across his chest.
His shirt destroyed.
Caption:
Your daughter has declared war.
Carrie replied:
Our daughter.
Dominic stared at those two words.
Our daughter.
He smiled for the rest of the morning.
Carrie and Evan dated briefly.
Four dinners.
One kiss.
No spark.
Evan noticed before Carrie admitted it.
“You’re comparing me to him.”
Carrie looked embarrassed.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
He smiled.
“You’re not ready.”
“For Dominic?”
“For anybody.”
Carrie considered that.
Evan was right.
For most of her adult life, she had defined herself through a relationship.
Becoming independent did not mean immediately choosing another man.
So Carrie chose herself.
It felt surprisingly good.
Dominic did not learn she had stopped seeing Evan for another two months.
When Daniel casually mentioned it, Dominic tried to appear indifferent.
He failed spectacularly.
“Really?”
Daniel looked through the windshield.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I’m the driver, not TMZ.”
Dominic frowned.
Daniel smiled.
Retirement from Marino employment had made him dangerously confident.
The real change came when Grace developed a fever.
Carrie panicked.
At 103.2 degrees, every memory of pregnancy loss returned at once.
She called the pediatrician.
Then Dominic.
He arrived fifteen minutes later.
Carrie opened the door.
“Her fever isn’t dropping.”
Dominic entered.
He did not tell her to calm down.
He did not take control.
He simply asked:
“What do you need?”
Carrie stared at him.
That question.
Not what happened?
Not why didn’t you call sooner?
What do you need?
“Can you drive?”
“Yes.”
At the emergency clinic, they sat beside each other while Grace slept against Carrie.
The diagnosis was a routine viral infection.
Nothing dangerous.
Carrie nearly collapsed with relief.
At home, Dominic carried Grace upstairs.
He tucked her into bed.
Then he walked toward the front door.
Carrie watched him.
“You can stay.”
Dominic stopped.
It was the first invitation she had given him in almost a year.
“For coffee,” she clarified.
“Coffee.”
He nodded.
“Absolutely.”
They sat in the kitchen.
No lawyers.
No baby.
No Vanessa.
No company.
Just two people who had once known everything about each other.
Carrie asked quietly, “Why did you do it?”
Dominic did not pretend not to understand.
“I’ve asked myself that every day.”
“And?”
He stared into his coffee.
“I liked who Vanessa made me feel like.”
Carrie’s face tightened.
Dominic continued before fear could make him lie.
“You knew me too well. You knew when I was wrong. You challenged me. Vanessa agreed with me.”
“So you slept with her because I disagreed with you?”
“No.”
He looked up.
“I slept with her because I was weak enough to confuse admiration with love.”
Carrie swallowed.
“Did you love her?”
“No.”
“That doesn’t make it better.”
“I know.”
“Sometimes it makes it worse.”
“I know.”
Her eyes filled.
“You made me feel replaceable.”
Dominic’s face broke.
“You weren’t.”
“But I felt it.”
“I know.”
“No, Dominic. You don’t.”
Carrie wiped her eyes angrily.
“I lost two babies. Every time, part of me thought maybe you would eventually want a woman whose body didn’t fail.”
Dominic went completely still.
Carrie had never said that aloud.
She continued.
“Then I finally carried Grace. I was terrified every day. And while I was trying to keep our daughter alive, you were sleeping with someone else.”
Dominic lowered his head.
Carrie cried.
He did not touch her.
That mattered.
Old Dominic would have reached for her because he needed to comfort her.
Now he waited.
After a long time, Carrie placed her hand on the table.
Dominic looked at it.
Then at her.
Slowly, he placed his hand beside hers.
Not touching.
Carrie moved her little finger.
It touched his.
That was all.
Neither moved.
When Dominic left an hour later, Carrie stood at the door.
“Dominic?”
He turned.
“I don’t know if I can ever trust you again.”
He nodded.
“I understand.”
“And I don’t want you waiting around expecting me to.”
“I’m not.”
She studied him.
“What are you doing, then?”
Dominic thought carefully.
“Trying to become someone Grace won’t be ashamed to call her father.”
Carrie’s eyes softened.
“And if that happens to be someone you can respect again…”
He gave a small shrug.
“That would be more than I deserve.”
He walked toward his car.
Carrie closed the door.
May you like
Then leaned against it.
For the first time since leaving the Marino estate, she wondered whether walking away forever and refusing ever to look back might actually be two different things.
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