The moment Vito found out, something in him broke.
I watched it happen. His face didn't crumble the way most people's do , it went very still instead, the way water goes still right before it freezes. He'd spent years trying to make sure I had a good life. He'd taught me things, pushed me, built a version of safety around me the best way he knew how. And now a doctor was sitting across from us telling him that the skydiving, the stress, all of it , had been too much for a heart that was already quietly failing.
I could see the guilt carving itself into him, so I did what felt natural.
"Vito." I waited until he looked at me. "Stop. I'm fine. Medicine has come a long way , there are surgeries, treatments, options. This isn't a death sentence. Look at me. I'm sitting right here."
He pulled me into his arms before I finished the sentence, his grip tight, his voice so rough it barely sounded like him. "I'm sorry. Anna, I'm so sorry."
