Chapter 9 - Falling in Love With the Same Man Twice
Living with Gabriel was nothing like being married to him.
That was precisely why Norah began falling in love again.
The old Gabriel had employed people for everything.
The new Gabriel burned pancakes.
He confused diaper cream with moisturizer.
He once spent forty minutes assembling a toddler bookshelf backward before Rose toddled over, stared at it, and announced:
“Bad.”
Norah laughed until she cried.
Gabriel pointed at his daughter.
“You inherited your mother's cruelty.”
Norah tossed a pillow at him.
He caught it.
For a moment, they stared at each other.
The attraction had never disappeared.
That was dangerous.
Norah looked away first.
Gabriel respected the boundary.
That mattered more than flowers ever had.
He started legitimate work.
Using his knowledge of logistics, Gabriel joined a freight-security consulting firm under strict federal supervision.
He earned less in a year than he once spent on watches.
He seemed strangely proud of his first paycheck.
He bought groceries with it.
Then complained about the price of strawberries.
Norah stared at him.
“You once owned a Lamborghini.”
“Strawberries are still outrageous.”
She laughed.
Slowly, their family became ordinary.
Wonderfully ordinary.
Then Bianca returned.
Norah opened the front door one rainy afternoon and found her standing on the porch.
Bianca looked different without expensive makeup and designer clothes.
Tired.
“Is Gabriel here?”
Norah stiffened.
“No.”
“I need five minutes.”
“You have two.”
Bianca swallowed.
“Marco paid me.”
“I know.”
“I didn't know everything he was doing.”
“You knew Gabriel was married.”
Bianca lowered her eyes.
“Yes.”
Norah waited.
Bianca said, “I'm sorry.”
Norah had imagined this moment hundreds of times.
In those fantasies, she delivered some devastating speech.
Instead, she felt tired.
“You weren't married to me, Bianca.”
Bianca looked up.
“Gabriel was.”
That was all.
Norah closed the door.
But Gabriel returned early enough to see Bianca's car leaving.
His face went pale.
“What was she doing here?”
“Apologizing.”
“I didn't know she was coming.”
“I know.”
The certainty in Norah's answer stopped him.
For the first time, she realized something astonishing.
She trusted him.
That frightened her more than suspicion.
That night, after putting the twins to bed, Norah found Gabriel washing dishes.
“Gabriel.”
“Yeah?”
“I trust you.”
The plate stopped beneath the faucet.
He turned slowly.
Norah's eyes filled.
“And I'm terrified.”
Gabriel dried his hands.
He did not approach.
“Tell me what you need.”
“I don't know.”
“Then we don't have to decide tonight.”
That answer broke through the final wall.
Norah crossed the kitchen.
She kissed him.
Gabriel froze.
He did not immediately grab her.
He gave her time to change her mind.
Norah kissed him again.
Only then did his hand gently touch her cheek.
When they separated, Gabriel rested his forehead against hers.
“Are you sure?”
“No.”
He smiled faintly.
“Good answer.”
Norah laughed through her tears.
They began dating.
It seemed ridiculous after marriage, twins, betrayal, organized crime, federal prison, and attempted murder.
Yet dating became the healthiest thing they had ever done.
Friday dinners.
Movies.
Long drives.
Arguments without threats or silence.
Gabriel learned to apologize without adding “but.”
Norah learned forgiveness did not require forgetting.
On the twins' second birthday, they held a backyard party.
Luca arrived carrying two enormous stuffed bears.
“You were told no ridiculous presents,” Gabriel said.
“I don't work for you anymore.”
“You never listened when you did.”
“Correct.”
Norah watched them bicker.
For once, the people surrounding Gabriel were there because they loved him rather than feared him.
That evening, after everyone left, Gabriel handed Norah a small box.
Her heart stopped.
“Gabriel.”
“Relax.”
She opened it.
Inside was not a ring.
It was a key.
“To what?”
“The old restoration studio downtown.”
Norah stared.
“You bought it?”
“Leased.”
He looked nervous.
“You said you wanted your own conservation business.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I mentioned that once.”
“I listen now.”
Norah laughed.
“That is annoyingly attractive.”
“I was hoping.”
She kissed him.
Then Gabriel became serious.
“I have something else.”
He reached into his pocket.
This time he removed her old wedding ring.
Norah stopped breathing.
“I kept it.”
“I know.”
Gabriel looked at the ring.
“I won't ask you to put this back on.”
Her eyes filled.
“Why?”
“Because that marriage ended.”
He closed his fist around it.
“And it needed to.”
Norah stared at him.
Gabriel kissed her forehead.
“If I ever ask you again, it'll be with a different ring.”
A year earlier, those words would have sounded calculated.
Now they sounded like respect.
Norah smiled.
“Maybe I'll say no.”
Gabriel smiled back.
“Then I'll survive.”
“You sure?”
“I survived prison food.”
She laughed.
Then the porch light flickered.
Luca stepped into the backyard holding an envelope.
His expression erased their smiles.
“Gabriel.”
“What happened?”
“This came from the federal prosecutor.”
Gabriel opened it.
His face changed.
Marco Costa had escaped during a prison medical transfer.
Norah felt the old fear return.
Gabriel reached for her hand.
But this time, neither of them ran.
Because Marco was about to discover something he had never understood.
May you like
The Costa family was no longer built on fear.
And there was nothing more dangerous to a man like Marco than people who had finally stopped being afraid of him.
