It turned out Ruth was right about one thing. Olivia could cower in her room and hide from love, or she could simply open her arms and receive it.
Surely the risk would be worth it in the end.
Darius practically floated all the way back to the maternity home.
He had kissed Olivia in the middle of a public park. And she had kissed him right back. When their lips met, a thousand sensations had flooded his system. Not since Selene had he felt so alive, so filled with emotion that he could barely think, only feel.
He glanced at Olivia as they walked, and she smiled shyly, the color rising in her cheeks. He grinned back, his chest expanding as though his heart had grown too big to be contained. They had taken an important step forward in their relationship, but what exactly did that mean for them now?
“Daddy, who’s that?” Sofia tugged on his hand.
He looked ahead on the sidewalk. A man moved away from the maternity home gate and started toward them. He had dark hair, cut fairly short, and was dressed in a black shirt and pants. Odd for the warmth of the summer day.
“I don’t know, sweetheart.”
As he got closer, Darius noticed the white clergy collar. A minister of some sort? Perhaps someone who worked with Bennington Place to help troubled women in the parish?
Beside him, Olivia went still and gasped. “Sal? Is that you?”
The man broke into a run, a grin blooming on his face. “Livvy!”
She threw herself at him, and he picked her up, swinging her around. Then she buried her face in his neck.
He set her feet on the ground but kept his arms around her, his eyes closed. Tears seeped out from under thick lashes. “Grazie a dio. I found you at last.”
Olivia’s shoulders shook, and she clung to him awhile longer, until she finally moved away. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you and make sure you were all right. I’ve been so worried.” He pulled her close again.
Darius kept a hand on Sofia’s shoulder and stepped back a few paces as unsettled emotions churned through him. Who was this man?
At last, Olivia turned around, seeming to remember he and Sofia were there. Her eyes were damp, but her happy smile had brought the sparkle back to them. “This is my brother Salvatore. Sal, this is a good friend, Darius Reed, and his daughter, Sofia.”
Her brother. The tension loosened in his neck. Of course, the family resemblance was now blatantly obvious. It struck Darius then how much this must mean to Olivia, to have one of her family members reach out to her this way. “Good to meet you, Reverend.” He stepped forward to shake the man’s hand.
“Please, just call me Sal.” He bent down. “Hello, Sofia. That’s a beautiful name.”
“Hello.” Her brown eyes settled on his collar. “Are you a priest?”
“Yes, I am. You’re very observant.”
“I’m smart. My pappoú tells me that.”
Sal and Olivia laughed out loud, the sound so refreshing to Darius’s ears. Thank you, Lord, for bringing some extra happiness to Olivia today.
“Can you come in for coffee?” Olivia asked her brother.
“Sure. I have some time to spare. And I want to hear all about you. The good and the bad.”
She linked her arm through her brother’s. “There’s been a lot of bad. So let’s start with the good.” They headed up the sidewalk.
When they reached the gate, Darius held Sofia back. “I think we’ll head home and let you two catch up.”
Sal turned to shake his hand again. “It was good to meet you, Darius. If you’re ever at St. Michael’s for Mass, make sure to find me.”
Darius nodded. “I will.” He looked over at Olivia, reluctant to leave her but happy she was reconnecting with her brother. “Thanks for coming to the park with us.”
“Thank you for the visit.” Olivia smiled, hesitating a little as though not sure whether to hug him or shake his hand. Instead, she turned her attention to Sofia. “And thank you again for my beautiful picture.”
“Did it make you happy?” Sofia asked.
“Very much.” She bent and hugged his daughter. “I hope to see you again soon.”
“Me too. Bye-bye.” Sofia waved, then hopped down the sidewalk.
So many words hovered on Darius’s lips, but with Sal looking on, he didn’t have the nerve to say them. Instead, he gave her a long look, then turned and followed his daughter to the car.
One day soon, he hoped he’d have the chance to tell Olivia all the things on his heart.
32
Seated on the sofa in the parlor, Olivia watched Sal quietly sip his coffee, while her own cup remained untouched on the table before her. Her nerves were far too jumpy to tolerate an infusion of caffeine. She could hardly believe her brother was here in Ruth’s house, sitting beside her. Stretching her fingers out, she laid her hand on his sleeve as though to convince herself he was real. With sisterly pride, she took in his neatly trimmed dark hair, crisp black shirt, and starched clergy collar. Her brother was no longer a boy but a grown man. How long had it been since she was in the same room with him? Since they’d shared even a cup of coffee together?
He smiled. “You look good, Liv. Are you keeping well?” His brown eyes searched hers.
“I’m doing fine.” Mostly. “How about you? How is life as a priest?”
“Challenging.” He laughed, revealing his even white teeth.
So handsome, her brother. All the girls in the neighborhood had been devastated when he’d left for the seminary. Yet Sal had known from the time he became an altar boy at the age of ten that he was destined for the priesthood.
“But it’s a rewarding life as well.” He set down his cup, his expression suddenly serious. “I saw you at my ordination, Liv.”
“I thought so, but I wasn’t sure.” Olivia offered him a plate
