The Child Who Remembered a Song
Chapter 10 - The Child Who Remembered a Song
Elena's first reunion with Gabriel took place in a child-friendly private room arranged by his pediatric care team. Luca stayed nearby but did not tell Gabriel how to react. Elena came with the same lullaby she used to sing before she disappeared.
At first, the boy clung to Luca. He studied Elena from a safe distance, his expression wary. Elena sat on the carpet and began singing quietly. Gabriel stopped pulling at his father's collar.
She continued, voice trembling.
The child tilted his head. He had grown and changed in eight months; his mother had too. Recognition wasn't instant or magical. But familiarity returned in small pieces. He reached for the cloth rabbit Elena held, then crawled a little closer.
Elena began to cry.
"Don't rush him," Sophie whispered from the doorway.
Elena nodded. "I'm not going anywhere."
By the end of the visit, Gabriel had settled beside her long enough to explore the buttons on her cardigan. Luca watched, overcome by gratitude and shame.
For months he'd searched for a body because people told him to stop hoping for a living wife. Now here she was, holding their son, and the sight was both beautiful and unbearable.
Afterward, Elena asked Luca to walk with her in the hallway.
"I don't know whether I can ever be your wife again," she said.
"I know."
"But I want us to be good parents."
"So do I."
They arranged future visits and a gradual, supported reunification plan. Sophie watched them from the reception area. For the first time since that disastrous dinner, she felt something uncomplicated: hope.
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Then her phone rang. Brenda was calling from the restaurant.
"Sophie, honey," her supervisor said, "a man came in asking for you. He said you stole something from Rocco Romano."
