“She wanted Mommy’s dress,” Aria whispered against Dominic’s neck.
His heart twisted.
Vivienne rolled her eyes.
“She’s been indulged far too much with this dead-mother obsession.”
The garden became silent.
Dominic slowly raised his eyes.
Vivienne realized too late what she had said.
“I didn’t mean—”
“Dead-mother obsession?”
“She needs to move forward eventually.”
“She is three.”
“I know that, Dominic.”
“Then perhaps,” he said, “you should explain why my three-year-old daughter has a bruised face.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“Come on. Let’s not turn this into theater.”
Dominic didn’t look at him.
Aria suddenly whimpered.
Her fingers clenched Dominic’s collar.
Vivienne gave another impatient sigh.
“She slipped.”
Dominic looked at Aria.
“Did you fall, sweetheart?”
Aria shook her head.
Vivienne’s expression hardened.
“Aria.”
The child flinched.
Dominic felt something cold move through his chest.
He turned completely toward Vivienne.
“Do not say her name like that.”
Vivienne froze.
“I was only—”
Then Aria lifted her head.
She was looking at something hanging around Vivienne’s neck.
A delicate gold chain.
Dominic had noticed the necklace earlier that morning.
He hadn’t noticed what hung from it.
Aria stared.
Her mouth opened.
Then she pointed.
“Mommy.”
Nobody moved.
Vivienne’s hand immediately flew to her necklace.
Aria pointed again.
“Mommy ring.”
Dominic followed his daughter’s finger.
A slim platinum wedding band rested against Vivienne’s chest.
The world seemed to narrow until there was nothing left but that ring.
A ring with a tiny crescent-shaped nick along one edge.
A ring Dominic had held while kneeling inside a hospital chapel three years earlier.
A ring he had slipped onto Elena’s finger six hours after Aria was born.
Not Elena’s original wedding band.
Her second one.
The first had become too tight during pregnancy, so Dominic had quietly commissioned another from the same jeweler.
Inside it were four engraved characters.
D. E. A. ∞
Dominic.
Elena.
Aria.
Forever.
Only four people had ever known the ring existed.
Dominic.
Elena.
Their jeweler.
And the infant asleep in Elena’s arms the night Dominic gave it to her.
Dominic’s voice vanished into a whisper.
“Where did you get that?”
Vivienne stepped backward.
“It’s nothing.”
Aria began trembling.
“Mommy ring.”
Dominic handed his daughter to Rosa, who had appeared beside him with tears already gathering in her eyes.
“Take her inside.”
“No.” Aria clawed for him. “Daddy!”
“I’m here, sweetheart.”
He kissed her forehead.
“Rosa is taking you five steps away. I can see you.”
Only then did she allow Rosa to hold her.
Dominic turned back.
“Give me the ring.”
Vivienne swallowed.
“It’s mine.”
“No.”
“Dominic—”
“That ring belonged to my wife.”
