Silent Vows

Chapter Two

Past

Savanna's POV - 10 years old

The sunlight was too bright, almost mocking. It filtered through the windows of the small chapel in Seattle, casting long shadows across the floor, touching everything except my mom. I stood there in my too-tight shoes, staring at the casket draped in white lilies. They didn't smell like her. She always smelled like cocoa butter and lavender, not these cold, lifeless flowers.

Mom had dark, smooth skin, always glowing like she carried warmth with her, even on the grayest days. Her curls were bouncy, and she wore bright colors, like the ones I would see on those big city murals—alive and full of energy. But now, she was gone, hidden under that heavy wood, and nothing felt right.

People were crying—the neighbors who barely knew us—but I couldn't. My tears just wouldn't come. I kept thinking about everything that didn't make sense without her. Who would braid my hair? Tell me bedtime stories? Make the world feel safe again?

That's when I noticed him. Standing off to the side, his dark suit too perfect for this place, too perfect for this day. His skin was lighter than mine, and his hair was combed back neatly. He didn't look like the others, didn't cry, didn't bow his head in prayer. He just stood there, arms crossed, staring at the casket with something close to regret in his eyes. Only for a second, but I saw it.

Then he moved toward me.

I froze as he crouched down, bringing his face level with mine. His eyes, dark but distant, searched mine. "Savanna," he said softly, his voice laced with an accent I didn't recognize. "I'm your father."

Father. The word felt foreign, like it didn't belong to me. My father? Mom never mentioned him. I wasn't even sure he existed until now.

He sighed, glancing at the casket. His expression softened briefly before his eyes hardened again. "Your mother... she didn't tell you about me, did she?"

I shook my head, feeling a strange flicker of something inside. "No," I whispered, still unsure if I believed him. But part of me wanted to. I no longer had a mother. But I had a father.

His face tightened as he stood up. "I'm here now. I'll take care of you." He said it like a fact, but there was no warmth in his words. Not like when Mom used to say it. When she promised to take care of me, it felt like the world wrapping me in a hug. When he said it, it felt like a decision had been made for me.

"I'll take you with me," he continued, his voice firm. "To Italy. You'll live with me now."

Italy. I'd never even been outside the United States. My world had been our little house, the one with the lilac door, and the quiet streets where Harper and I would play. Now I had to leave everything behind?

I glanced at the people who had come to say goodbye to my mom. Nobody stopped him. Nobody questioned him. It was like everyone just accepted it.

But how did I know he wasn't lying? He could be anyone. He could be lying.

But... those green eyes. They were like mine. And what other choice did I have? There was no one left. The knot in my stomach tightened, but I didn't protest. I didn't fight it.

Maybe I was too naïve, too desperate. Maybe I would have followed anyone who promised to take care of me, to end the crushing loneliness. In that moment, it didn't matter if he was telling the truth or not. I just needed someone to claim me. I just needed not to be alone.

"But," I stammered, my voice trembling, "what about... here?"

His green eyes, the same as mine, bore into me. "This isn't your home anymore, Savanna. You'll have a new life with me."