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“You don’t understand, Doc. My parents had enough love for thousands of kids. It was a crime they only got to claim five.”

“That’s why you claimed Dani so easily.”

“Yea, I guess it was. They showed me that family isn’t just the people you’re given, it’s the people you choose.”

When our session ended, I felt disappointed I hadn’t spoken more with Dante. But the insight into Danny told me a lot. It appeared as though Danny wanted Dante to keep his secrets buried, maybe out of fear or judgment. But Danny clearly knew those secrets and knew how much they hurt Dante.

The love this young man displayed was astounding. I wasn’t sure if he realized it, but like Danny shared about his mom, he too loved hard. Dante and Danika were very fortunate to have Danny beside them. He was the type of man that would burn the world down for his family.

We should all be so lucky as to find someone to love us the way Danny loved his family.

Chapter Three

Melissa

December 11, 2024, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

“Hello, Dante. Hello, Dani. I’m so happy to see you both.”

I smiled at Dani. I encouraged both men to talk about basic emotions in front of Dani. Happy, sad, angry, etc. Naming them and even expressing them. Dani hadn’t learned how to express these emotions yet, and while experiencing them was natural, it would be more confusing for her to still not understand them at her age.

“Danny isn’t joining us today?”

“No, there was an emergency, and he had to go to New York.”

“How long will he be gone?” I asked. While I was disappointed Danny wasn’t here, especially after assuring me nothing was more important than his daughter, this might give me the opportunity to talk with Dante about his own past.

“I’m not sure.”

“Alright, let’s get started.”

“How is Dani adjusting to Danny being gone?”

“She cried all morning,” Dante said with a frown. He still hadn’t set her down in the office, and I wondered if maybe Dante might be having as hard a time, if not harder with Danny gone.

“Would you like to walk her to the play area and let her choose? Then we can talk about what you are going through.”

“I’d like to stay with her.”

“Dante, I’d like to talk to you. It would be best if Dani was given the option to play alone.”

He looked down at his daughter, who looked longingly at the toys about the room. With a sigh, he set her down, and she looked up at him. When he nodded, she slowly made her way to the kitchen.

“I know this is hard, but that right there was a huge milestone.”

“How?” he asked, confused.

“Let’s sit.”

We walked together over to the couch and sat down.

Dante never took his eyes off his daughter.

“Dani has made so much progress it is incredible. Her connection to Danny is remarkable, and the fact that she has accepted you to take up his role in her security, when he was called away, is a great response on her part. Children are resilient, but what she has been through, or better yet not been through, has shaped her in a way most people don’t experience until they are much older. It makes it harder for them to even form attachments much less learn to love and trust. It is clear that Dani trusts you very much. And for a child in her situation, trust is much more powerful than love. Love is easy for children. They tend to love anyone that is nice to them. Not truly understanding the difference between love and like. But trust is hard. For two years, Dani has only been able to trust that she would be fed and changed. Without having any answers to what her life was like for the first two years, it is hard to know if she had a schedule for her feedings or changings. We don’t know if she cried in hunger or fear. All we know is that she was given the bare minimum of care to keep her alive.”

The tears rolled down Dante’s cheeks, and my heart broke. This was so hard. Not just for the three of them. It was hard for me too. I felt everything my patients felt. Sometimes it was difficult keeping my own emotions in check. I stood from my chair, setting down the tablet I kept notes on. Taking the box of tissues with me, I sat on the couch next to Dante.

Handing him the tissues, I gently reminded him, “This wasn’t your fault. Your natural inclination is to blame yourself. But I want to remind you that you are not to blame. You had no way of knowing you were a father. And once you did, you immediately stepped up not only to rescue your daughter but to be her father. There are many people out there that would have walked away without a care.”