Read His Love for Free Online

unfathomed despair clouded any joy he should feel as a father celebrating the day his child was born. He thought of taking his pity party to his condo in Manhattan, but he needed Rayne close to him, just in case he got out of hand.
    He went home and did his best to avoid everyone in the house, but his father summoned them to the dining room with his authoritative bark. This was Alessandria’s birthday dinner. In consideration for Antonio, Sofia held the dinner a night before her actual birthday. He sat at the table and saw the two empty seats that he had no doubt Rayne and Alessandria would occupy. He wanted to cry out in pain.
    Antonio could hear the singing and the clatter of skipping feet. Alessandria and Rayne appeared in the dining room in a cloud of laughter, party hats on their heads. The second Alessandria spotted him she froze. Antonio’s heart broke from the fear he saw in the depths of her innocent brown eyes. He remembered the evidence of her fear, Rayne’s soiled shirt, that Rayne had seen fit to leave with him. He swore that he would try to be nice to her, if not for Alessandria, for Rayne and maybe for Maria. He took the velvet box from his pocket and moved toward her. He almost gave up his attempt when Alessandria hid behind Rayne’s leg. His own child was running away from him.
    “I got you something.” Antonio took the chain out of its box, hoping that its sparkle would appeal to her. It did. After Rayne urged her forward, Alessandria moved toward him, her hands neatly folded in front of her, her eyes glued on the chain. “It used to belong to your mommy,” he said as he slipped it over her head.
    “Thank you.” Her voice was a like a sweet whisper, if he hadn’t seen her lips move, he was sure he wouldn’t have heard her.
    “You are welcome.” He returned to his seat and watched Alessandria pull her chair out so that she could sit closer to Rayne. For a split second he thought he saw a smile in Rayne’s eyes, though the moment was lost when Alessandria tugged at her arm. The little girl pointed and scowled at the vegetables on her plate. He chuckled when he thought he saw a hint of her mother. Maria’s face never hid what she felt.
    “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to,” Antonio said.
    Alessandria stared at him with saucer eyes full of disbelief. Was he that much of an ogre that any attempt to reach out to his daughter was met with disbelief and mistrust? He looked up at the rest of his family and his answer lay in their shocked expressions.
    “Melody,” Antonio called out. “Get Alessandria whatever she wants. It is her birthday after all.”
    He noticed that Alessandria wanted to say something, but immediately shrunk back. It wasn’t her birthday and Alessandria knew it. His mother’s attempt to celebrate the occasion a day early hadn’t fooled the little girl. She was smart. She reminded him so much of himself and sometimes Maria. He knew that there was too much of himself in her and he didn’t like it.
    “What do you want?” Rayne urged her on.
    “French fries and fish fingers,” she whispered to Melody.
    “Are you sure you should be eating that?” Sofia asked.
    “Mother, she can have whatever she wants,” Antonio said, not willing to let his daughter second guess herself. And when she smiled at him, a little piece of him broke.
    “Where’s my party hat?” Jacqueline asked.
    ***
    Rayne handed Alessandria the party hats. She wanted the little girl to have some interaction with her marble-stone family. Alessandria hesitated. She made as if to head toward Jacqueline first, but changed direction and walked to Antonio. Rayne saw the emotion in his eyes as his daughter’s trembling hand extended a party hat toward him. She didn’t expect him to wear it. She thought he would just nod and put it on the table beside his plate. But he didn’t. Antonio reached down and kissed her cheek and put the party hat on.
    Shock and disbelief clouded the little girl’s