Page 31 of No Promises

She nodded, but before going into the apartment, she looked back at him. “If you need me, I’m righthere.”

She heard Fogliano speak before she closed the door. “Your lady is lovely,son.”

She closed the door and moved away, wanting to give them privacy. Their idyllic vacation seemed a million miles away now.Reality crashes in, she thought, and went toshower.

Christo waitedfor his father to speak. Fogliano studied his son. “You lookwell.”

“Iam.”

Fogliano sighed. “Look, Christofalo, there is no way other than this, to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for my behavior, for strikingyou.”

“For humiliatingme?”

“Of course. Son… I reacted badly to something that was out of my control – it is a failing, I know, and I have noexplanation.”

“Your anger issues are longstanding, Dad. Mom knewthat.”

Fogliano’s face shut down. “Let’s not bring your mother intothis.”

“Why not? You beat hertoo.”

Christo could see his father’s anger roiling beneath the surface, and he was glad. He was deliberately goading Fogliano now, wanting to prove his father hadn’t changed one littlebit.

To his credit, Fogliano kept his cool. “Christo, whatever my past mistakes, I am trying to settle things betweenus.”

“You’ve apologized. Things are settled. Now we need never see each otheragain.”

“That’s not what I want.” Fogliano looked towards Christo’s apartment. “From what I have seen, what I have heard…I might soon have a daughter-in-law whom I would like toknow.”

“From what you’ve ‘seen and heard?’ So you’re spying on us, on Noosh? Great way to build fences, Dad.” Christo’s laugh was humorless, and he turned away from hisfather.

Fogliano stopped him, a hand on his arm. “I will go now, but remember…if you needme…”

Christo shook his father’s hand off. “We won’t. Goodbye,Dad.”

Christo went inside the apartment and closed the door in his father’s face. For a long moment, he stood in the dark hallway, breathing deeply, letting his temper calm. He closed his eyes and wondered why his father still had this power over him, to make him feel like a kid, a naughty child, instead of a man. He knew his father of old; there was no way he was making these overtures without a motive. And the fact that Noosh was now on his radar made Christo feel sick. His father would have no qualms about using Noosh to get to Christo, and with Noosh’s sweetnature…

“Baby?”

At the sound of her voice, he opened her eyes. She looked at him uncertainly. “Are youokay?”

He opened his mouth to say yes, but he couldn’t lie to her, and just shook his head. Noosh came to him and pulled his head onto her shoulder, cradling it, pressing her lips against his forehead. “It’s okay,” she whispered, “it’s okay, baby. I’mhere.”

Christo knew at that moment that he was deeply in love with her, and that nothing,nothing,would ever come betweenthem.

But, of course, he waswrong.