decided she must surely be the most terrible daughter in history because at midday, when still nothing had been said on the news, when still the judge had not ruled, she had this brief fantasy that his application would be denied and she could walk out of the apartment and away from Luka without a single word.
Instead, late in the afternoon, she got a text.
Your father has left the infirmary and will be with you shortly. The judge made his ruling in private for security reasons. It will shortly be announced.
Aside from the hell of what lay ahead, Sophie still wondered what sort of a nightmare her father’s release might have been without the well-oiled machine of Luka’s life swinging into action.
She saw on the news the crush of reporters both at the court and another group that was now outside the prison infirmary and she shuddered at the thought of her and Bella dealing with this.
Even as the journalists jockeyed for position at the prison gates Paulo was sitting in Luka’s home.
‘I thought Luka would be here,’ Paulo said.
‘He was at court,’ Sophie said. ‘He has been keeping me up to date with all that is going on.’
‘It is a beautiful home,’ her father said, and then he looked at the view from a huge leather chair. ‘Is there a balcony? I would like to breathe fresh air...’
‘There’s a balcony in your room and there is also a rooftop garden,’ Sophie said.
‘I would never make the stairs.’
‘There’s an elevator.’ Luka deep voice caught her unawares and again, to the sound of him, she jumped, not that her father noticed.
‘Luka!’ She heard the sheer joy in her father’s voice as he pushed himself to stand and then she watched Luka’s eyes briefly shutter as he embraced the old man.
‘Thank you,’ Paulo said in a heartfelt voice as he took Luka into his arms. ‘Thank you for all you did. I know it was you who got me out...’
‘Nonsense.’ Luka’s voice was gruff. ‘The judge was right, there were many mistakes made at the trial. You deserve to have your freedom.’
‘You knew it was Luka who was behind this?’ Sophie checked.
‘Of course,’ Paulo said. ‘There are not many files that just happen to be picked up. I knew that it had to be you.’
‘Father?’ Sophie frowned because her father sounded far more together than he had in recent weeks. ‘Were you pretending to be confused?’
‘Sometimes.’ He smiled.
‘He’s not really sick,’ Luka said, and then he saw Sophie’s horrified expression at the thought that they might be stuck in this lie for ever so he relented. ‘That was a joke.’
‘Ha-ha,’ Sophie said, and then she looked at her father and she knew in her heart that he didn’t have long and yet somehow he was here and they were together.
It was agony.
For Paulo the best wine sat breathing up on the rooftop. Sophie had spent the long day waiting for news, cooking her father’s favourite pasta sauce, which he ate with relish.
‘It tastes of home,’ Paulo said. ‘Almost.’
She glanced at Luka’s plate.
It was untouched.
She watched as Luka poured three glasses and her father reached for his.
‘Should you be drinking?’ Sophie checked. ‘You are on a lot of medication.’
‘You are your mother’s daughter.’ Paulo laughed. ‘I just got out of prison.’
‘Even so...’
‘You worry too much,’ Paulo chided.
‘Someone has to.’
Luka glanced over at Sophie’s slightly bitter retort. She had dealt with so much, that Luka knew—moving so that she could be close to her father, giving up her dreams of working on the cruise liners.
Letting go of them?
Had that been what she had been doing on the beach that night? Luka briefly pondered.
What did it matter now?
The past was closed.
They just had the present to get through and despite Paulo’s slight second wind from his release, Luka knew the charade would not play out for long.
‘So.’ Paulo looked over at Luka. ‘What are your plans for my daughter?’
‘I learnt a long time ago that it is foolish to make plans on Sophie’s behalf,’ Luka responded. ‘She is her own person.’
He looked at Sophie’s tense expression. There was a curl of thought forming but he soon lost that thread because Paulo was making grand plans.
‘I’d like to have a party,’ Paulo said. ‘We never toasted your engagement.’
‘There’s no need for a party,’ Sophie said. ‘We don’t need a fuss to be made.’
‘I would like to celebrate.’ Paulo was insistent. ‘Just a small gathering.’
He started to cough and Sophie took him inside, leaving Luka sitting out there.
‘Please, Sophie,’ her father said as she helped him to bed. ‘I want some photos for you to keep. I want a night we can all remember...’
She didn’t need photos to remember this, Sophie thought as she came out of her father’s bedroom.
‘He’s asleep,’ she said.
‘Lucky him.’ Luka’s response was curt. ‘I might take one of the spare rooms—’ Luka started, but any hope of pulling that particular piece of wool over Paulo’s eyes faded as his bedroom door opened.
‘Could you bring me my wine from the table?’
‘Father!’
‘Stop fussing,’ Paulo said. ‘And can you show me how the radio works? I would like to fall to sleep to music.’
As Sophie headed up to the rooftop garden he smiled at Luka. ‘Where do you two sleep?’ Paulo checked. ‘Just in case I need Sophie in the night. I won’t come in, of course. I’ll just knock.’
‘Sophie sleeps in that room,’ Luka attempted. ‘I have the main one.’
‘Please!’ Paulo was laughing as Sophie reappeared with his wine. ‘Your fiancé is trying to tell me you have separate rooms! I am not that old-fashioned that you have to pretend.’
‘Great!’ Luka hissed, as they finally closed the door to his room.
