Chapter 10 - THE PLACE BESIDE THE FAMILY
"Emily isn't a maid anymore, is she?"
Sophie asked the question over breakfast the following morning.
Luca lowered his newspaper.
Emily stood near the kitchen counter, pouring coffee.
"Sophie," she said gently, "I still have a job to do."
"But Daddy said you can eat with us."
"That doesn't mean I should stop working without an arrangement."
Sophie frowned.
"Then make a new arrangement."
Luca almost smiled.
His daughter had inherited Isabella's stubbornness.
But Emily's expression was serious.
After everything that had happened, she did not want the household to treat her differently out of pity.
She had worked hard to build an independent life.
And she did not intend to surrender it, even for a family she cared about.
Later that morning, Luca asked Emily to join him in the library.
"I'd like to offer you a different position."
Emily sat opposite him.
"What kind?"
"Household coordinator. You'll supervise staff scheduling, manage guest arrangements, and help establish a safer environment for Sophie."
Emily hesitated.
"Mr. Moretti, I don't have formal management experience."
"You've managed difficult situations here for eleven months. You've also handled responsibilities I didn't realize were yours."
"That doesn't automatically make me qualified."
"No," Luca agreed. "But it means you deserve the opportunity to train for the role."
He offered professional training, a higher salary, and a clear employment contract.
Emily studied the proposal.
For once, she was being offered advancement because someone recognized her ability.
Not because someone felt sorry for her scars.
"I'd like to think about it."
"Of course."
That afternoon, Sophie asked Emily to help organize a small memory box for Isabella's belongings.
They spread photographs across the bedroom rug.
There were pictures of Isabella laughing beside the lake.
Sophie as a toddler holding a birthday cake.
Luca standing awkwardly beside a stroller.
Emily smiled.
"Your father looks terrified."
Sophie giggled.
"Grandma says he was scared of changing diapers."
"He probably was."
Then Sophie found an old photograph of Isabella wearing a blue cardigan.
Her expression softened.
"I don't remember Mommy's voice very well anymore."
Emily sat beside her.
"That must feel sad."
Sophie nodded.
"Sometimes I think if I remember the wrong thing, I'll lose her."
Emily considered her words.
"You don't have to remember everything perfectly to love someone."
Sophie leaned against her.
"Can you help me make a book about her?"
"I'd love to."
Downstairs, Luca received a call from the family's insurance administrator regarding the lake property.
The original damage claim was being reviewed because of the new evidence.
The redevelopment agreement tied to Anthony's fraudulent transaction had also been suspended.
That created another problem.
Several legitimate employees and contractors had been expecting work on the site.
Luca would have to decide what happened to the property.
He could sell it, repair it, or leave it untouched.
But one afternoon, while reviewing the plans, he discovered something unexpected.
Isabella had written a letter before her death describing what she hoped the lake house would become.
Not a luxury redevelopment.
Not a private retreat.
A place for families recovering from difficult circumstances to spend peaceful time together.
Luca read the letter twice.
Then he showed it to Eleanor.
"She never told me."
Eleanor smiled sadly.
"She was waiting until the trust was fully established."
Luca looked toward the window.
For years, Anthony had tried to turn Isabella's gift into money.
Perhaps the best answer was to fulfill her original wish.
At dinner, Luca told Sophie about the letter.
Her eyes brightened.
"Could kids go there with their families?"
"That's what your mother wanted."
"Even if they don't have much money?"
"Especially then."
Emily smiled.
"She sounds like a wonderful woman."
Luca looked at her.
"She was."
Sophie reached across the table.
"Could we name it after Mommy?"
Luca nodded.
"The Isabella Moretti Family Retreat."
For the first time, the lake house seemed connected to something hopeful.
But later that evening, Emily found Sophie sitting beside her bedroom window.
The girl was holding her white rabbit.
"What's wrong?" Emily asked.
Sophie looked up.
"If we fix the lake house, do I have to go back there?"
Emily sat beside her.
"No one should make you go before you're ready."
Sophie stared at the rabbit.
"I want Mommy's dream to happen."
"Then we'll find a way that feels safe."
Sophie nodded.
But when Emily stood to leave, the girl stopped her.
"There's something else."
Emily turned.
"Sometimes I still dream about the door."
Emily sat down again.
Sophie whispered, "In the dream, I can hear you coming. But the window won't open."
Emily gently took her hand.
"Then we should tell your dad. And we can ask someone who helps children with frightening memories."
Sophie nodded.
Then she asked a question Emily hadn't expected.
"Will you come with me the first time?"
Emily squeezed her hand.
"If that's what you want, yes."
At that moment, Luca appeared in the doorway.
He had heard enough to understand.
He knelt beside his daughter.
"Sweetheart, we'll do this together."
Sophie looked between them.
Then she held out both hands.
One for her father.
May you like
One for Emily.
And for the first time, she began to describe the nightmare without crying.
