Chapter 6 - The Garden Bench Saturday brought crisp autumn wind. Luca arrived forty minutes early, sitting stiffly on a green wooden bench, holding a cardboard cup of coffee he forgot to drink. When Nia appeared pushing a double stroller, the boys chattering about sparrows, Luca’s heart hammered against his ribs.
When Julian ran toward the gravel path, he tripped on an exposed root, scraping his palm. Instinct took over; Luca moved before Nia could, dropping to his knees on the damp dirt, catching the boy gently by the shoulders.
"Hey, buddy," Luca said, his voice dropping an octave, gentler than he had ever sounded in a boardroom. "You're okay. Let me see."
Julian sniffled, looking into Luca's face. "You're the man from the skyscraper."
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"My name is Luca," he said softly, using his pocket handkerchief to carefully dust the pebble grit from the boy's small hand. "I'm... an old friend of your mom's who wants to be your friend, too."
Leo waddled over, holding a bright yellow maple leaf. Without speaking, he pressed the leaf into Luca's open palm. Luca closed his fingers around it as if it were spun gold.
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