Chapter 3 CHAPTER 2

Alaric Valerius.

Breakfast passes in silence, broken only by the soft clink of the cup against the saucer. I'm already properly dressed, my dark suit fitted to my body, my tie in place.

I drink my coffee without rushing, enjoying this rare pause before the day swallows everything up.

The dining room door opens.

I look up in time to see Sebastian walk in, equally impeccable in his suit, carrying my daughter in his arms. An involuntary smile forms on my face.

"Daddy!" Elisa exclaims as soon as she sees me.

Sebastian sets her down, and she runs toward me with hurried steps. I open my arms and lift her onto my lap, settling her on my leg. I kiss her cheek affectionately, feeling that familiar tightness in my chest.

"Good morning, princess," I say, resting my forehead against hers. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did!" she replies excitedly. "But Uncle messed up my hair."

Sebastian lets out an offended sound.

"I didn't mess it up. It was a modern hairstyle."

"I didn't like it," she shoots back seriously. "That's why I'm wearing my hair down."

I exchange a glance with my brother, trying to hold back my laughter.

"That's not it. Your uncle just isn't good at that kind of thing. The only thing he's good at is falling down."

Elisa's eyes widen, and she bursts out laughing.

"It's true!" she confirms between giggles. "He falls all by himself for no reason!"

Sebastian places a hand over his chest, pretending to be offended.

"You two are cruel."

I can't hold back my laughter, and neither can Elisa.

After we recover from our laughing fit, I pull my plate closer and start feeding her from my own food, as we always do.

It's become a quiet habit, a small ritual of ours. I know I don't spend as much time with her as I should, and maybe that's why I make a point of holding on to these stolen minutes.

"And school? Is everything okay? Any problems?"

"No," she replies between bites. "My teacher is nice. And today we get to draw."

"Then it's a good day," I conclude.

We continue talking about small, trivial things. Nothing about work. It's a rule we created without ever needing to say it out loud: when we're with Elisa, the corporate world stays outside.

When we finish breakfast, I stand with her in my arms, and we make our way out of the dining room. At that exact moment, my mother walks through the front door.

"Grandma!" Elisa shouts, squirming to get down.

I set her on the floor, and she runs straight into her grandmother's arms, where she's greeted with exaggerated kisses and laughter.

"My sweetheart," my mother says, showering her with affection.

"Uncle didn't know how to do my hair," Elisa tells her indignantly. "That's why I'm wearing it like this."

Sebastian crosses his arms.

"She's mean," he says, pouting. "Mean and ungrateful."

My mother laughs, and I walk over to kiss her forehead.

"Good morning, Mom."

"Good morning, sweetheart," she replies, giving me that same attentive look she always does. "A new candidate for the nanny position is coming today."

I nod, already tired just thinking about it.

"I'll leave that to you." I run a hand over my face. "This is already the tenth attempt. There's always some rule they fail to follow."

She sighs understandingly and nods.

I exchange a glance with Sebastian. He understands the gesture and steps closer. We each kiss one side of our mother's face, just as we've done our entire lives.

I pick Elisa up again.

"All right." I smile at her. "Let's take Daddy's princess to school."

My mother watches us with a gentle smile as Sebastian grabs his niece's backpack. We leave together, making our way through the house toward the car.

I open the rear door, carefully place Elisa in her car seat, and check the seat belt twice before closing the door. Sebastian sits beside her so she won't be alone. I walk around the vehicle and get into the driver's seat.

I start the engine. The gates slowly open.

We head toward the school.

"Daddy..." Elisa calls excitedly. "Can you put on some music?"

"Of course, princess. What are we listening to today?"

"The shark song!" she answers immediately, clapping her hands.

I connect my phone to the car's sound system and open the playlist that exists exclusively for her. There's nothing but children's songs on it. I select Baby Shark.

As soon as the melody starts, Elisa perks up.

"Come on, Uncle! Sing with me!"

Sebastian takes a deep breath and joins in, singing loudly and completely off-key. I hold back a laugh as I listen to his terrible performance.

"Don't laugh at me," he says, lightly flicking my ear. "See, princess... your father is cruel to me. He makes fun of my angelic voice."

I can't hold it in. I burst out laughing.

"Daddy!" Elisa scolds, far too seriously for someone so little. "Don't be mean to Uncle. I know he sings badly... but he's trying."

"Hey!" Sebastian protests, offended. "You mean little girl."

I laugh even harder while Elisa goes back to singing happily, swinging her little legs to the rhythm of the music.

The rest of the drive to school is lighthearted.

I park, get out, and open the rear door. I unbuckle her seat belt and pick her up. Sebastian grabs her backpack, and we make our way to the entrance, where the teacher is welcoming the students.