"You are a brave and perfect young woman, Dove."
Hearing those words, Dove went blank for a mont before warmth crept up her cheeks, making her blush. She cleared her throat and chuckled softly.
"Perfect woman? That’s a very big word to use, Dante. I am nowhere close to being perfect."
She shook her head slightly, her expression laced with amusent. She wasn’t what people called perfect.
But Dante did not agree.
"I don’t think so, Dove," he said, his voice unwavering. "Because what I see is that you are perfect. And nothing can change my mind."
His words sent a flutter through her heart, making it pound against her chest. They held each other’s gaze, an unspoken understanding passing between them.
Then, after a mont of silence, Dante spoke again.
"Dove..."
"Hm?"
"Do you think he regrets it?"
He hadn’t planned to ask that. Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to say even —it could plant a seed in her mind that hadn’t been there before. But he felt the need to.
Dove pressed her lips together, considering the question.
"I don’t know," she admitted. "And honestly, I don’t think it matters anymore."
"But it does matter, doesn’t it?" Dante’s voice was gentle, yet insistent. "Because whenever you rember it, you still feel sad because of it."
Dove’s fingers stilled. She lifted her gaze to et his, emotions flickering in her eyes, ones she wasn’t sure how to voice.
"Maybe," she murmured. "Maybe the younger still wonders why. Why my brother changed so suddenly? Why he treated that way? But at the sa ti... I don’t know if I want to hear the answer anymore."
Dante nodded slowly, understanding the weight of her words.
"So wounds," she continued, "don’t need explanations. They just need ti to fade."
She paused before adding softly, "And if I’m being honest... maybe I’d rather never revive that relationship again." There was a slight tremble in her voice, one that hinted at fear—fear that reopening old wounds would only lead to deeper pain.
Dante understood.
Perhaps he even understood more than she did.
Dove might not know why the man she once called her brother had changed so drastically. But Dante did. He knew. Because the man who had once been her brother... had stopped seeing himself as her brother.
And in that mont, Dante seed to understand what the case has been all about.
He looked at Dove, who was smiling again, making lighthearted jokes to ease the atmosphere. Her laughter was soft, but he could tell she was using it as a shield. His hand, resting on the table, moved slightly, and he gently placed it over hers.
Dove blinked, slightly surprised. For a second, Dante thought she might pull her hand away. But she didn’t.
She let his hand stay.
She looked at him, understanding that his touch wasn’t ant to be anything more than a quiet comfort.
"It’s all alright now, isn’t it?" Dante asked, his tone warm and reassuring. "All that in the past... it doesn’t matter now, does it?"
Dove felt sothing shift inside her. A quiet, warming emotion.
She smiled and nodded. "No, it doesn’t. I’m striving to make my present better, without regrets, Dante. Am I not doing the right thing?"
"Absolutely the right thing."
And just then—
The office door burst open.
"Momma, I’m back!"
A small whirlwind of energy rushed into the room. Gavi, his school bag still on his shoulders, bead as he entered, his excitent radiating in waves. One of Dante’s trusted n, the sa one who had been guarding him in the car yesterday, had picked Gavi up from school today. It was sothing they would be doing more often now, given how busy Dove and Dante’s schedules were becoming.
Though, of course, whenever they could, they would always fetch Gavi themselves.
Gavi, still grinning, suddenly skidded to a stop.
His gaze had landed on sothing—his mother’s hand beneath Uncle Dante’s.
The boy blinked.
Then he blinked again.
And again.
Dove did not notice his stare, and she naturally withdrew her hand then standing from the couch, her attention shifting entirely to her son.
A bright smile lit up her face as she spread her arms wide.
"My baby is back? Welco back." Her voice was as warm as a lullaby.
At her words, Gavi’s whatever thoughts earlier vanished. His grin widened, and he rushed forward, throwing himself into her embrace.
"Momma!"
She caught him in a tight hug, giggling softly as she lifted him slightly off the ground. He laughed too, nuzzling into her neck before pulling back to give her a quick, affectionate kiss on the cheek.
"Momma! I missed you at school today!"
Dove’s heart lted. "Oh, did you? And how was your day at school?" she asked, brushing her fingers through his slightly ssy hair.
Gavi giggled, puffing out his chest with pride. "It was great! I got all the answers right!"
"Very good, Gavi," Dove praised, ruffling his hair.
Dante, watching the mother-son duo, chuckled.
"And what about , champ?" he asked playfully. "Did you miss too?"
Gavi turned to him, blinking innocently before nodding. "Yes, Uncle Dante! I thought about you too."
But then—
Sothing flickered across his little face.
A sudden realization, as if on rembering sothing.
His eyes studied Dante for a mont longer before his expression shifted into a dramatic pout.
With a tiny huff, Gavi spun back toward his mother.
Then, cupping her face in his small hands, he declared, "Momma, Gavi is always here for you! I will always love you and protect you! And I will always cherish you, alright? So you don’t ever have to worry! And if anyone dares to break your heart or bully you, Gavi will teach them a good lesson!"
"..."
"..."
Silence.
Total silence.
Dove blinked.
Dante blinked.
Neither knew what to say.
Dove was the first to recover, a mix of amusent and surprise flashing across her face.
My sweet boy, I know you will." she murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I know my little brave boy is always there to love and stay beside even if the world decides to fight ."
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