Page 54 of Powerful Deception

In a short time, she has gotten close to them. Has started to care about them and from the looks of it, deeply.

“Have fun at the park, okay?” Arianna says before throwing them a smile and starting to make her way out of the kitchen.

I turn back to finish up the dishes when a faint sound has me dropping the dish in hand causing it to shatter.

“Bye.”

It’s faint. So faint that I think that I imagined it. I turn around, forgetting about the broken dish, trying to figure out that I really heard what I did.

Did…?

From the looks of things, I wasn’t the only one that heard the faint sound, because Arianna is standing in the kitchen entryway with a shocked expression.

“Did…?” she starts, looking at me then to the little girl sitting at the kitchen table. “Did she just say ‘bye’?”

I nod, not knowing if I'm able to say anything.

We both heard it so it must have happened, right?

I walk over to the table and crouch down next to Alessandra, taking her small hands in mine.

“Gioia Mia, did you just say bye to Arianna?” I ask her, hoping, fucking praying that my ears aren’t playing tricks on me.

Alessandra looks at me and then she looks over at Arianna before turning back to me and giving me a nod.

A nod yes.

She said bye.

For the first time in almost eight months, my daughter has said a word.

“Can you repeat it?” Arianna asks, now crouched down next to me, an encouraging smile on her face.

Alessandra looks at her and for a long minute, I think that she isn’t. That she isn’t going to repeat it. That she is just going to shake her head and I will never hear her beautiful voice again, but just like her mother, she surprises me with every turn.

“Bye.”

One simple word.

Just a simple whisper and everything in me wants to crumble to the ground just hearing it.

Forget being a mob boss, forget being the most feared man in Chicago and every bad thing that I have done.

All of that is forgotten because right now, I’m just a father. A father that just heard his daughter speak a word for the first time in so long, and he wants to hear the simple word again and again.

“Bye.” Arianna echoes, a grin on her face.

“She said bye.” I say, not taking my eyes off Alessandra.

“She said bye.” Arianna repeats.

I turn to face her and that smile she has on her face is so fucking intoxicating. She’s excited just as much as I am about this, and I can feel my smile grow to mirror hers.

We stare at each other for a few second, smiling like two fucking loons because a four-year-old said a word. Until Arianna breaks the stare and starts to jump up and down, giving Alessandra a hug and a kiss on the head in the process.

I stand and watch her, marveling at her excitement before she turns back to face me. Without warning, she jumps into my arms and places her lips against mine.

Something that I don’t digest is happening until my arms wrap around her body, and my tongue is fighting its way into her mouth.