“My daddy is not in heaven? ”
For a second, I thought I hadn’t heard him right.
“Gianni…” I whispered, my voice barely escaping my lips as I stepped toward him.
He shook his head, his small fists clenched tightly at his sides. His lower lip quivered, but his eyes—those wide, stormy eyes—were steady and blazing. “You lied to me, Mommy. You said he went to heaven.”
My breath caught in my throat. “Gianni, I didn’t lie,” I said, my voice trembling, desperate, pleading.
“You’re lying again!” he shouted, his voice breaking. “I heard you talking to Gwen! You said my father doesn’t even know about me! You said it’s bad to lie!”
The words hit me like a slap. I stood frozen, my throat tightening as though invisible fingers had wrapped around it. I wanted to tell him everything—how complicated
