"See? It wasn't that hard." That's what Sofia told him on Monday, the morning after the party. Fortunately, that nightmare was in the past and soon she would leave, sneaky and silent as always.

"You're absolutely right, it was so much fun. In less than two hours the kids were already tired and I had to greet twenty different people who treated me like I was a childhood friend. It was really fun.”

"Don't be dramatic. They know you, you just don't remember them.”

It's true. Derek never had patience for self-interested people with superiority complexes. He had enough of that himself.

"Daddy, can we change clothes? Matteo should be here soon." Alice said, her face expressionless and her eyes drooping, dark circles surrounding them in a soft pink tone. Her dark brown hair further highlighting her paleness.

"Of course, dear. Do you have money for lunch?”

She just waved and held out her hand to Logan who slowly stood up and walked over to his sister.

Logan wasn't doing any better either, it seemed like all his joy and will to live had been taken from him, his green eyes were puffy and his back was hunched over. The saddest sight he ever saw. Sofia had promised them a family night and what they had gotten was a lonely dinner, secluded at a table while their mother paraded Derek around the room, as to demonstrate how her trophy shone brighter and brighter than anyone else's.

In that moment, Sofia chose to stand up as well, acting like the children and the heavy air didn't exist. She stroked Alice and Logan's hair and walked up the stairs, strutting down a runway that only she could see, never looking back.

"I'm sorry, kids. This will be over soon.”

"She… she doesn't even…!" Logan sobbed and Alice hugged him tightly. "Why doesn't she love me?”

"Don't be like that." It was Derek's turn to stand up and join them, completing the hug. "Of course she loves you, she's your mother. She loves you in her own way.”

"I wish! I wish she wasn't my mother! Anyone is better than her!" Logan shouted with all the strength he had and ran up the stairs.

"It's okay, Dad. I'll take care of it." Alice tried to smile and hugged him as tightly as she had hugged Logan. 

She pulled away and followed her brother, straightening her spine and walking up the stairs, doing her best to show that everything was okay. But it wasn't, they had known for a long time that it never would be. The children were growing up and finally understanding what was happening, what had always happened. The truth was that Sofia wanted more than to stay home and take care of children, no matter who she left behind or hurt in the process.

After that, Derek didn't even have time to finish his black coffee, the doorbell rang and he had to answer it, knowing full well who it was. He opened the door, coming face to face with Matteo's dark and slightly rounded face, his black eyes as puffy as Logan's, looking down, huddled against himself at the foot of the door.

"Matteo, you don't need to ring the bell, I gave you the key for a reason." Derek tried to break the bad mood.

"I wasn't sure if I should." Matteo looked at him hesitantly, and remained rooted to the spot, looking like he was going to burst into tears right there.

"Matteo, what happened?”

"Nothing. Nothing happened.”

"Did you get my message?”

He nodded and wiped his face.

"I wish you hadn't sent it." He then looked at him and practically begged. "You make things even more complicated.”

"More complicated, how?”

"I thought… I thought I could handle it. What should I do? Never talk to them again? Pretend it never happened? What should I do?”

"Matteo, dear. It's okay.”

"Nothing is okay. Nothing will ever be! I wish I had never met you, never met Diego and still been in Italy! None of this would have happened and I would never have known--”

"Never know what?" Derek had to ask.

Matteo looked at him, fidgeting in place, his lips trembling.

"I would never know what it's like to be treated well. Like I mattered. Like I was worth the effort.”

Derek waited a moment and continued to look at Matteo, this boy couldn't be real. His sincerity, his affection. Derek could kiss him right there, right now. He could hold him in his arms and give him all the attention Matteo could possibly want, but it wasn't right, it wasn't what Matteo needed; this was just a vulnerable moment. The strange thing was that Derek didn't understand why he cared so much, even though he knew it was enough to try to help Matteo. What Matteo needed right now was a friend and not what Derek really wanted to give.

"Okay." He murmured back, trying to stay on the right path. In the end, he couldn’t resist. Derek touched Matteo’s shoulder and slid his hand down the curve of his neck, watching Matteo gasp and move closer to him, their heads a hand’s breadth apart. "Do you need help? Medical help? Money?”

"I don't want to take advantage of you." It was Matteo's turn to murmur back, looking less fragile, as thought the danger had lessened.

"Our family has a partnership with an NGO. It's great for taxes. I could arrange something for you.”

"I can't." Matteo shook his head, moving just a little closer.

"Please? I would feel more at ease. It’s a community-based program. You can continue to receive help even after you stop working here. It’s at the college, downtown. It’s safe, I promise.”

"I don't know, Der.”

"Or you can stay with me for a while. I have other houses.”

Matteo grimaced and shook his head.

"Come on, everyone needs help.”

"Are you sure? Is it really communal?”

"I wouldn't lie to you.”

"I… thank you.”

Matteo jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly around the neck, and whispered:

"No one has done anything like this for me before. I will never forget it. Never.”

Matteo then kissed him on the cheek, a soft, fleeting touch, and pulled away, his face reddening more by the second.

"Uh… the pleasure is mine." Derek said. He tried hard not to step forward and end this torture. But there was no way, playing the good guy was too exhausting.

Derek sighed deeply, waved and turned his back to Matteo, being greeted by an audience, because there in the entrance chamber he found the children smiling, all happy with Sofia who was watching them like she had swallowed a whole lemon. The worst part was seeing her anger displayed for anyone to see when Sofia had done much more than a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Well, two kisses on the cheek. Who knows, maybe the next one would be in the right place.

But no, that wasn't all. Sofia uncrossed her arms, pushed herself off the wall and came towards him, strutting and tossing her golden hair back.

"So, you are the famous Matteo.”

"Am I?" Matteo asked, confused.

"Sofia Gray, wife of the man you were hugging so tightly.”

"Hmmm… it’s a pleasure to meet you? I can finally… put a face to the name.”

"Did they talk about me? I expect only good things.”

“Of course, ma’am.” Matteo looked at Derek uncertainly, and Derek nodded at Matteo, patting Matteo’s shoulder once more. “Kids? We’re already late.”

This is the moment when Logan and Alice ran to Matteo, each of them hugging him tightly only to run out of the house, leaving Derek to grab the keys to the car that had just arrived and hand them to Matteo.

"Those keys, they're not--”

"Today you will use another car. It is next to the Jeep.”

Matteo shrugs and picks up the children's backpacks, going after them and leaving only the silence and Sofia's malicious judgment on his back.