Chapter 7 - A New Morning in South Boston
The morning sun broke over South Boston like a cold blade of glass, cutting through the grey winter clouds and casting long, sharp shadows across the brick townhouses and quiet harbor streets.
Inside the apartment on 4th Street, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon toast filled the warm, cozy kitchen.
Lily sat at the wooden breakfast table with her pink coat neatly draped over the back of her chair, swinging her legs as she watched Maria pour a second glass of milk for Rose.
“He really did it?” Maria asked for the third time, her eyes wide as she looked across the counter at Lily. “Dominic Ashford actually went to the hospital last night and checked on her?”
“He didn't just check on her,” Lily said proudly, taking a bite of her toast. “He waited until her shift ended at three in the morning, walked her all the way to her car, and told Mr. Alvarez to follow her home to make sure she got into her apartment safely.”
Rose hugged her one-eared stuffed rabbit, her face beaming. “And he gave me his silver watch to hold for five whole minutes!”
Maria shook her head in disbelief, a wide grin spreading across her face. “Well, I’ll be damned. The most feared man in South Boston has officially been domesticated by two little girls and a nurse.”
Before Lily could retort, a sharp, double-rap echoed against the heavy oak front door of the apartment.
Maria froze, her hand hovering over the coffee pot. The warmth in the kitchen instantly turned to ice.
Lily slid off her chair, her eyes widening. “Did he say he was coming this morning?”
“No,” Maria whispered, her hand moving instinctively toward the heavy iron bolt on the door. “Stay behind the counter, girls.”
Maria crept toward the entryway, peering cautiously through the brass peephole.
Instead of a syndicate thug or an assassin with a rifle, the broad, familiar shoulders of Victor filled the fish-eye lens, flanked by two men carrying massive cardboard boxes wrapped in bright pink ribbons and gold bows.
Maria let out a long, shuddering breath of relief and threw the deadbolt open.
Victor stood on the threshold, wearing his usual charcoal overcoat, looking like an executive who had just closed a billion-dollar merger. Behind him, the two men stacked the boxes neatly in the hallway.
“Morning, Maria,” Victor said smoothly, tipping his chin.
“Victor?” Maria demanded, crossing her arms as she stared at the mountain of boxes. “What is all this? Did Dominic buy out a department store?”
“Boss’s orders,” Victor replied with a faint, rare smirk. “He said the girls needed winter coats that weren't pink—or rather, that were better suited for actual winters—and that Charge Nurse Reyes mentioned yesterday that the apartment needed a new espresso machine.”
Lily and Rose rushed out from the kitchen, their eyes practically glowing as they stared at the towering stack of packages.
“Are those for us?” Rose gasped, pointing a small finger at the largest box.
May you like
“Open them and find out,” Victor said, stepping aside to let the girls swarm the boxes.
As Lily ripped open the first package—revealing a brand-new, state-of-the-art winter parka alongside a massive set of professional art supplies—a sleek black town car pulled up to the curb outside on 4th Street.
