ECHOES OF US | 18+ ✔️

CHAPTER 11

DANTÉ

St Vincent's is packed with officers wearing their formals, including myself, as we pay tribute to our fellow officer, Sergeant Ray Dawson.

Today undoubtedly marks among the most heartbreaking days in my police career, and I believe my fellow officers would share the same sentiment. The loss we feel is not just for a team member, but for a truly amazing friend who always made us feel like a tight-knit family. We have truly suffered a tremendous loss, and so has his family.

Ray truly exemplified a devoted husband and father who cherished his family. They also adored him, making his loss even more painful. I have to admit, I secretly envied his life and always imagined that if I became a husband and father one day, I would be just like him with my wife and kids.

A dream I've come to terms with will never happen.

Glancing over at Ray's wife, Maggie, and their two beautiful boys, my heart aches deeply. They will never be the same again. Tragically, they are broken, a state I know all too well and endure daily. It's a feeling that gnaws at you relentlessly, like a cancer that consumes you from within.

As the Padre conducts the requiem, I'm suddenly an eight-year-old boy again, reliving the loss of my mama. My right leg begins to bounce uncontrollably, my chest tightens, and breathing becomes a struggle. Rising quickly, I make my way through the pews. Tears stream down my face, tracing salty paths down my cheeks, as my hands grow damp with perspiration, a tangible symbol of the sorrow that weighs heavily on my soul.

Keeping my head down, I gingerly wipe the tears away with my hand. As I approach the door, a sudden instinct prompts me to shift my gaze upwards, resulting in a near complete halt in my movement.

No way.

It ain't possible.

All the tension is making me see things.

Pushing the thought out of my head, I exit the church and find solace on the cool stone steps. However, minutes later, a soft, soothing voice behind me inquires, "Are you alright?"

The sound of the voice is so familiar that my body involuntarily jerks, leaving me paralyzed. After a brief moment of silence, just as I begin to think I imagined hearing someone speak, I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder.

My heart thumps in my chest, and I remain unable to move. But the moment a shaky voice whispers, "Danté DeLuca," I instantly jump up and spin around.

My breath hitches, and my jaw drops when I meet a pair of big, mesmerizing blue eyes. I'm unsure how long I stand there, speechless. But when I attempt to speak, my lips move with no sound emitting.

"I-I thought you were dead, Danté."

"I... I," I stammer, taken by surprise, but a smile tugs at the edges of my lips as I extend my hand to touch hers. "I tried so hard to find you, Mia."

She steps away from me, just out of my reach, and I am struck by the harsh reality of my hopeless situation once again. If only circumstances were different, I would pull her close and shower her with passionate kisses, but I can't.

Mia's a nun.

I swear the universe is playing a fucking cruel joke on me.

Her eyes well up with sadness, transforming into a shade of red as tears cascade over her rosy cheeks, her trembling chin reflecting her deep-seated sorrow.

"I... uhm... need to go," Mia's voice falters as she turns away, but I instinctively lunge forward, catching her hand.

"I've felt your absence deeply over these years and there's so much I need to tell you," I whisper, gently squeezing her hand. The simple touch sends a wave of tingles rushing through my veins.