He was waiting by the school gates when we came out.

Giovanni Romano — immaculate as always, one hand in his coat pocket, the other holding a stick of cotton candy.

The sunset caught in his hair, softening the sharp lines of his face.

For a heartbeat, he looked almost like the man I used to love.

“You’re late,” he said, voice low, almost gentle. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

Home.

Once, that word meant everything to me.

Now, it just sounded like a memory that didn’t belong to us anymore.

Leo’s eyes lit up when Giovanni handed him the cotton candy.

He hadn’t smiled all night.

For a heartbeat, I let myself believe things might go back to the way they were.

Giovanni ruined it with his next sentence.

“Elena’s boy just transferred here,” he said casually, watching Leo twirl the candy. “He didn’t get a chance to be part of the class election. Maybe… let him take your spot as class leader. It would help him fit in.”

Leo froze, his small fingers tightening around the paper stick.

The world seemed to hold its breath.

“Okay, Uncle Gio,” he said softly. His voice cracked halfway through.

Then he took a bite of the candy — too fast, too forced — and smiled through the sting.

Giovanni’s eyes softened, as if the exchange meant something good.

He reached out to pat Leo’s head, but before his hand touched, his phone rang.

“Yeah?” he answered, already turning away.

Elena’s voice carried faintly through the receiver. “He’s not feeling well. Can you come?”

Giovanni’s face changed. Without hesitation, he opened the car door.

“Stay safe,” he said quietly before closing it.

Leo’s little voice rose behind him.

“Dad!”

He stopped.

For once, he didn’t correct him.

He just looked back — eyes unreadable — and repeated, “Stay safe.”

Then he drove off into the night.

That was the last time my son ever called him Dad.

That night, we packed our lives into two suitcases.

Leo folded his drawings, I gathered the documents I’d been hiding — transfer papers, plane tickets, the address of a small apartment overseas.

When he finally fell asleep, I sat in the dark, looking at the single message thread on my phone.

I typed slowly: “Wish you happiness.”

Then I hit send, turned off the phone, and slipped it into my bag.

The message was sent.

The screen went dark.

And somewhere inside me, something finally stopped waiting.