The Itinerary

Secrets and Suspicions

Marco pulled Haley aside after checking in the latest guests. His expression was serious, and he spoke in a hushed tone.

"Haley, we need to talk about Nico. I think he might be Luca's father."

Haley's heart skipped a beat. She had been dreading this conversation, but she knew Marco was too perceptive to let it slide.

"You're right," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Nico is Luca's dad, but I never told him. Please, Marco, you have to keep this a secret."

Marco's eyes widened, but he nodded solemnly. "Of course, cugina. Your secret is safe with me. But why didn't you tell Nico? Doesn't he deserve to know?"

Haley sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I wanted to, but after that night in Amsterdam, I got scared. It seemed easier to just disappear."

Marco placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I understand, but keeping this from him won't be easy, especially with him staying here."

Haley's stomach twisted with guilt. "I know, and I appreciate you keeping this between us. It's just...I don't know how he'll react, and I don't want to disrupt Luca's life."

Marco nodded, his expression softening. "Alright, I won't say a word. But you should consider telling Nico the truth. He deserves to know, and Luca deserves to know his father."

Haley forced a smile, grateful for Marco's understanding. "I'll think about it, I promise."

As their conversation ended, Nico stepped outside to find Luca silently sobbing on the villa's steps, his knee scraped and bloody. Concern etched across Nico's face as he approached the boy.

"Luca, what happened?" he asked gently, crouching beside him.

Luca sniffled, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. "The big kids made fun of me for not speaking Italian good," he mumbled. "I tried to run home, but I fell."

Nico's heart ached for the boy, and he felt a sudden protectiveness wash over him. "Hey, don't listen to those bullies," he soothed. "Your Italian is just fine, and even if it wasn't, that's no reason to tease you."

Luca looked up at Nico, his big brown eyes glistening with tears. "I didn't want Mama to worry, and I wanted to be tough for Papa Marco."

Nico's brow furrowed. "Papa Marco?"

Luca nodded, his lip trembling. "The big kids said Papa Marco is...gay." He said the word like it was a curse.

Nico felt a sudden lurch in his stomach. If Marco was Haley's partner, then that would mean...

No, it couldn't be. Could it?

Pushing the thought aside, Nico focused on comforting Luca. "Hey, it's okay," he said, gently wiping away Luca's tears. "There's nothing wrong with being gay, and those kids were just being mean."

Luca sniffled, leaning into Nico's touch. "You won't tease me too, will you?"

Nico's heart melted, and he pulled Luca into a gentle hug. "Of course not, piccolo. I would never tease you."

As he held Luca close, Nico couldn't shake the nagging feeling that this boy was more than just a guest's child. The resemblance was uncanny, and Nico couldn't help but wonder if his suspicions were true.

One thing was certain – he would get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took.

Nico gently pulled back from the embrace, his eyes searching Luca's face. The boy's features were so familiar, it was almost haunting. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something crucial.

"Luca," Nico began, his voice low and serious. "Can I ask you something?"

Luca nodded, his big brown eyes fixed on Nico's face with an innocent curiosity.

"Do you know who your father is?"

Luca's expression fell, and he shook his head slowly. "No," he mumbled. "Mama never talks about him."

Nico felt a pang in his chest, his suspicions growing stronger. Could Luca be actually his?

He took a steadying breath, choosing his next words carefully. "Well, if you ever want to know more, you can always ask me, okay?"

Luca's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly. "Okay, Nico!"

Nico ruffled the boy's hair affectionately, his heart swelling with a tenderness he couldn't quite explain. "Now, how about we get that knee cleaned up?"

As Nico tended to Luca's scraped knee, his mind raced with a thousand questions. How could Haley have kept this from him? Did she truly not want him involved, or was there more to the story?

He thought back to their fateful night in Amsterdam, the connection they'd shared, and how devastated he'd been when she'd disappeared without a trace. Nico knew he needed answers, but he also knew confronting Haley could potentially upend Luca's world. He had to tread carefully, for the boy's sake.

Once Luca's knee was bandaged, Nico stood, offering his hand. "Why don't we go inside and see if we can find you a snack?"

Luca's face lit up, and he took Nico's hand without hesitation, his earlier tears all but forgotten.

As they made their way back to the villa, Nico couldn't help but marvel at how natural it felt to have Luca by his side. It was as if a missing piece had slotted into place, and for the first time in years, Nico felt a sense of completeness.

He knew he had to approach this delicately, but one thing was certain – he wouldn't rest until he had the truth, no matter how difficult it might be to uncover.

As they stepped inside, Nico caught sight of Haley across the room. Their eyes met, and he saw a flicker of panic cross her face before she quickly looked away.

Nico's jaw tensed with determination. He would get to the bottom of this, one way or another. Luca deserved to know the truth, and Nico deserved answers.

It was time to confront the past he'd thought was long buried.