Page 40 of Modern Romance May 2026 Books 5-8
He heard her swallow. ‘But that wasn’t the only reason. My mum was an alcoholic and when my dad was away on business she’d forget to feed me and Oscar. And I didn’t want my friends to meet her because she would drop things and do stupid dances, and I was embarrassed.’
Her hands were shaking. ‘I was embarrassed so I chose my dad, and Oscar stayed with my mum. He was only two.’
‘How old were you?’
‘Seven. But I knew what I was doing was wrong.’ She looked up at him angrily as if defying him to contradict her. ‘I knew that she couldn’t look after him, but I left anyway. And then he ended up in care. Ended up like he is now.’
‘You couldn’t have known that would happen.’
‘But I did. I knew she couldn’t cope on her own. I knew because I was the one who bathed him and fed him and put him to bed.’
‘What about your dad?’
‘He didn’t want another baby. He never hurt Oscar or anything like that, but he never picked him up or played with him.’
‘How did he end up in care?’
‘He didn’t go to school for months. She was living in a van by then, moving around all the time. He was so thin when they finally caught up with her and all his clothes were dirty. And I was having ballet lessons and riding lessons and going to boarding school.’
Ettore could hear a roaring noise in his ears.
Years of going to thecasa-famigliahad taught him that some people were not meant to have children, but it still shocked and appalled him. Angered him too. But his feelings weren’t important here.
‘You didn’t do anything wrong. You were a child. Your father should never have asked you to choose.’
But you did.The accusation reverberated inside his head, blunt and undeniably true. But he would deal with the guilt and remorse it provoked later.
‘And I should have refused. But I knew my dad would just leave us behind. Leave me behind. I was thinking about myself.’
‘Because you weren’t an adult. Okay, your mum wasn’t able to do the right thing, but Oscar had two parents. It didn’t matter if your dad didn’t want him. He was his responsibility.’
Reaching out, Ettore touched her cheek gently and this time she didn’t jerk away.
‘Did you not see Oscar after that?’
‘I asked if we could see them but my dad said that my mum’s situation had changed and that she couldn’t have me in her life any more. I thought she’d remarried. But she’d actually gone into a clinic and Oscar was in care. My dad knew that but he made me think that she had a new husband so that I wouldn’t ask him to look after his own son. He refused to do it. I was twenty-one when I found that out. We argued and I said I was going to find my brother and he cut me off.’
‘And you did find him. And you’ve been taking care of him ever since,’ Ettore said gently.
She stiffened and then he felt her body soften against his. ‘It’s okay. He’s getting help. We’re not going to give up on him. Whatever it takes, however long it takes, you’ll be there and I’ll be there too.’
He pulled her closer, held her close for a long time, until finally she shifted against his chest and looked up at him. ‘What do you think we should do?’
‘Honestly? I think he needs help and he’s getting it. But detoxing is hard. You have to face the world without your drug of choice. And that’s scary. But he’s done the hardest part, Dulcie. Taking responsibility is the hardest part. And Oscar can’t change unless he keeps accepting that responsibility for himself. If he sees you, he’ll have the hardest part to do again.’ He hesitated. ‘But we don’t have to decide here and now. The first thing we need to do is talk to the clinic director.’
It took several hours to resolve. They spoke to Elaine O’Neill and then to several of Oscar’s therapists. Ettore joined in the call and Dulcie found his input supportive and constructive. He asked questions and listened to the answers and then asked pertinent follow-up questions. He also asked for the conversation to be written up so that Dulcie could review it.
The consensus was that Oscar’s reaction was normal. Distressing but normal.
The conclusion was that he would remain in the clinic, and they would send Dulcie regular updates on his progress.
‘Are you happy with that?’ Ettore asked her.
She nodded. ‘Yes. Are you?’
‘I think the clinic is excellent. They clearly know Oscar. And they care about him. If he were my brother I would continue with the treatment but if at any time you change your mind or you want to go to England and talk to Dr O’Neill in person, we’ll go back.’
She nodded. ‘Thank you. For today. For everything.’
