Chapter 10 - “I’LL DECIDE”
One year after Claire Bennett arrived thirty-three minutes late to La Tavola with Sophie Harper and a stuffed rabbit, Dominic Vale sat at the same rear table.
This time he was late.
Seven minutes.
Claire checked her watch with feeling.
When he walked in, she did not stand.
“Sorry.”
He stopped.
She stared.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
Sophie gasped.
“You’re late?”
Dominic looked at her.
“Yes.”
Sophie turned to Claire.
“Can we leave?”
Claire nearly choked laughing.
Dominic pulled out his chair.
“I deserve this.”
Luke sat beside Sophie.
That was different too.
The dinner was not a date.
It was a small celebration.
One year since the night none of them had understood what had started.
Luke’s dismissal had been final for months.
His settlement done.
Sophie stable between homes.
Claire no longer legal guardian but still designated emergency contact and favorite Wednesday dinner person, according to Sophie.
Dominic’s sentencing had happened six weeks earlier.
He received a custodial sentence.
Shorter than prosecutors requested because of cooperation and acceptance of responsibility.
Longer than his lawyers hoped.
He would surrender in January.
Tonight was October.
Time existed.
That changed things.
Claire had cried when sentence came down.
Dominic had too.
Not in courtroom.
Later.
He did not call it unfair.
Good.
His businesses had changed.
Vale Logistics operated under independent CEO and board monitor.
Dominic retained reduced ownership interest but no daily control.
He sold two businesses tied to old collection operations.
Closed another.
Some criminal relationships remained unresolved.
He did not pretend to have walked out of organized crime by signing one form.
He was still negotiating exits from lending and betting interests that involved other people’s money and risk.
Claire hated that.
She told him.
He listened.
Not always agreed.
Good.
Love had not made them one brain.
At table, Sophie still had the stuffed rabbit.
Now with two repaired eyes.
Luke had sewn one badly.
Claire redid it.
Rabbit survived.
The server brought bread.
Sophie immediately said:
“This is still best.”
Dominic looked offended.
“One year and nothing changed.”
Claire said:
“A lot changed.”
“Bread won.”
“Some things.”
They ordered.
Dominic did not choose for anyone.
Progress.
At appetizers, Sophie stared at his forearm.
Same crowned wolf tattoo.
He had never removed.
Claire once asked why.
Dominic answered:
“Because erasing symbol doesn’t erase what I did under it.”
Fair.
Sophie pointed.
“I remember.”
Dominic looked.
“What?”
“My question.”
Claire knew.
Luke did too.
“Are you one of the bad guys?”
The table quieted.
Not whole restaurant.
No dramatic hush.
Just them.
Dominic leaned back.
“Well?”
Sophie studied him with same grave suspicion she had at five.
She was six now.
Much more dangerous.
“You said depends who tells story.”
“Yes.”
“That was sneaky.”
Claire laughed.
Dominic nodded.
“Yes.”
Sophie continued.
“Daddy says you helped bad stuff happen because you didn’t look.”
Luke’s eyes widened.
“I said something more complicated.”
“No.”
Children edit.
Dominic said:
“That’s partly true.”
“Aunt Claire says people aren’t one thing.”
“She’s right.”
Claire raised eyebrow.
Good answer.
Sophie looked at him.
“So are you bad?”
Dominic thought.
Then:
“I’ve done bad things. Some serious.”
“Are you doing them now?”
“Some I stopped. Some I’m still trying to get out of. And I’m going to jail for some things I did before.”
Sophie frowned.
“Jail is bad.”
“It’s a consequence.”
Luke looked down.
He knew.
Sophie asked:
“Will Claire wait?”
Claire immediately said:
“That is my question.”
Good.
Sophie looked at her.
“Oh.”
“Yes.”
No child loyalty contract.
Claire continued.
“I’m going to visit because I choose to. We’ll see what life looks like after.”
Dominic looked at her.
They had discussed.
Still.
Choice stated publicly mattered.
Sophie nodded.
Then:
“I decided.”
Everyone waited despite themselves.
Dominic smiled.
“About what?”
“You’re a bad guy sometimes.”
Luke nearly laughed.
Dominic nodded solemnly.
“Fair.”
“But you listen when people say stop.”
Dominic went still.
Same sentence as first night.
Sophie continued.
“Mostly.”
Claire laughed.
Dominic looked offended.
“Mostly?”
“You still argued about pony.”
“There was no pony.”
“You thought.”
“How do you know?”
“Face.”
Claire covered mouth.
Luke laughed openly.
Sophie leaned back.
“I’ll decide again later.”
Dominic stared.
Then laughed.
“That seems reasonable.”
Good.
No final moral verdict from a six-year-old.
Review pending.
Dinner continued.
Then Claire’s phone buzzed.
Work.
She checked.
A wedding cake delivery problem.
She sighed.
“I need ten minutes.”
Dominic did not say:
Let staff handle it.
He knew.
She was executive pastry chef.
Her problems were real even when no guns involved.
Claire stepped outside to call.
Cold wind moved leaves across Euclid Avenue.
Same season.
Same restaurant.
Different woman?
Not exactly.
She still worried too much.
Still worked too hard.
Still hated photographs from low angles.
Still bought bras only after putting off the task for months.
Still had days when dating Dominic’s money and notoriety felt exhausting.
But she had stopped apologizing before entering rooms.
Mostly.
Dominic came outside after eight minutes.
He stayed by door.
“Work?”
“Bride’s cousin moved cake stand after delivery.”
“Why?”
“Because humans should not be trusted with tiers.”
“Can it be fixed?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Claire looked at him.
“You walked into that.”
He sighed.
“Yes.”
She smiled.
Then he said:
“I have something to ask.”
Her body went still.
Not fear.
Awareness.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“No ring.”
His eyebrows rose.
“I said no ring before sentencing.”
“You were sentenced.”
“True.”
“Dominic.”
He put both hands in pockets.
“No ring.”
Good.
“What?”
“While I’m away, I want my aunt to have medical proxy. Laura handles legal. Raymond handles personal security. Board handles business.”
Claire listened.
“And?”
“I’m telling you because I do not want you waking up one day and finding people assume you’re responsible for any of it.”
That mattered.
“No business.”
“No.”
“No money management.”
“No.”
“No mansion.”
“No.”
“No Sophie promises.”
“No.”
Claire breathed.
“Thank you.”
Dominic nodded.
Then:
“The actual question is whether you want to keep dating me through it.”
Claire laughed softly.
“That is the least romantic proposal I’ve ever heard.”
“It is not a proposal.”
“Good.”
He smiled.
“I want marriage eventually.”
“I know.”
“But not as insurance before prison.”
“Good.”
“There you go.”
Claire stepped closer.
“I hate when you say that.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I do.”
He smiled.
Then she answered.
“Yes.”
“To dating?”
“Yes.”
“Through prison?”
“Yes, with no promises about forever.”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
“Ask me about forever after you come home and have lived six months without making a felony sound like a scheduling conflict.”
He laughed.
“Specific.”
“I supervise pastry cooks. Specificity keeps people from putting salt in sugar bins.”
“Fair.”
Then he asked:
“Can I kiss you?”
Claire looked through window.
Sophie had her face pressed to glass.
Claire groaned.
“Your audience.”
Dominic turned.
Luke pulled Sophie away from glass.
Too late.
Claire laughed.
“Yes.”
They kissed.
Brief.
When they returned, Sophie said:
“Gross.”
Luke said:
“You were watching.”
“I was checking.”
“Security?”
She nodded.
Dominic looked at Claire.
“Future employee?”
“No.”
Everyone laughed.
Three months later, Dominic surrendered.
Claire drove him.
Not black SUV.
Her car.
He offered to have driver.
She said no.
At facility entrance, he looked at her.
“Do not put your life on pause.”
“I know.”
“Claire.”
“I know.”
Good.
She kissed him.
Then left.
No dramatic waiting in parking lot.
She went to work.
Because a hotel conference needed three hundred desserts.
Sophie had school.
Luke had work.
Life continued.
Dominic served his sentence.
Claire visited.
Sometimes.
Not every week.
They wrote.
Called when allowed.
He missed her thirtieth-first birthday? Timeline maybe later. No need.
He missed a hotel promotion party.
He missed Sophie losing another tooth.
He missed ordinary things.
Consequences include absence.
When he returned, Claire did not move into mansion.
He did not ask first week.
Good.
Six months later, after therapy, supervised release meetings, board restrictions, and one spectacular argument about him trying to solve Claire’s car repair by calling dealership owner, Dominic took her back to La Tavola.
No Sophie.
No Luke.
No stuffed rabbit.
He arrived early.
Of course.
Claire arrived on time.
Mostly.
Two minutes late.
He checked watch.
“With feeling?”
She smiled.
“With love.”
That surprised both.
Then Dominic reached into jacket.
Claire’s eyes narrowed.
“If that is a ring—”
“It is not.”
He pulled out a folded paper.
She stared.
“What?”
“A list.”
“Of?”
“Things I am not offering if I ask you to marry me.”
Claire laughed.
“What?”
He read.
“No ownership in my companies as pressure.”
“No house unless you choose.”
“No quitting your job.”
“No becoming responsible for my family.”
“No being called Sophie’s anything.”
“No treating my money like answer.”
Claire’s eyes filled.
“This is deeply unromantic.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
He smiled.
Then put paper down.
“I am asking because I love you. Not because you fixed me. Not because Sophie likes me. Not because prison made me sentimental.”
Claire breathed.
There.
“And if answer is no?”
“Then we eat dinner.”
Good.
Dominic took a small ring box from his other pocket.
Claire stared.
“You liar.”
“I said first thing was not ring.”
“That is criminal logic.”
“Formerly.”
“Debatable.”
He laughed.
Then opened.
Simple ring.
Not giant.
Not a financial event.
Claire looked at it.
Then at him.
For years, she had thought proposals were supposed to feel like being chosen.
She understood now that mattered less than being free to choose back.
Dominic waited.
No speech from nearby table.
No restaurant silence.
No little girl deciding.
Claire smiled.
“Yes.”
He exhaled.
Then she raised one finger.
“Long engagement.”
“Yes.”
“Separate finances.”
“Yes.”
“My career.”
“Yes.”
“No pony.”
He looked offended.
“That rule is excessive.”
“Dominic.”
“Yes.”
She laughed.
Then let him place ring.
At their first blind date, Sophie had said:
I’ll decide.
A year and a half later, that was still the best rule anyone at the table had learned.
Sophie decided what she believed about Dominic.
Luke decided how to rebuild fatherhood.
Dominic decided which power he was willing to surrender.
Claire decided what love would and would not cost her.
May you like
Nobody made the decision for anyone else.
And that, more than bread or tattoos or second chances, was why the story lasted.
