I’d known something was wrong the moment Ella’s texts trailed off into silence.
By the time I finished my last surgical consult, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I slipped out of the hospital, telling myself I’d surprise her at her apartment, maybe find her on the couch with the twins, too busy or too stressed to reply. A thousand rationalizations.
But as I drove, that hollow ache in my chest only deepened. I climbed the familiar stairwell, each step echoing ominously. At her door, I knocked, heart in my throat.
Silence. No infant cries, no shuffle of footsteps.
A chill ran through me. Come on, Ella, open the door. I knocked harder, tried calling her phone—straight to voicemail. Blood pounding in my ears, I debated forcing the lock. That was when I noticed Mrs. Waverly hovering at the end of the hall, grocery bag in hand, concern etched on her features. Hoping for good news, I stepped away from Ella’s door.
“Mrs. Waverly,” I said, swallowing hard, “have you seen Ella? She hasn’t been answering me.”
The elderly neighbor offered a sympathetic frown. “I’m sorry, Dr. Mortoli. Ella moved out this morning.”
My mind blanked. “What?”
She nodded, eyes full of regret. “Said she was leaving the city altogether.”
My pulse thundered. “Did she say why?”
Mrs. Waverly shrugged, face somber. “Only that it was time to move on. Looked like she’d been crying half the night. Poor thing. I’ll miss her and the girls.”
I managed a stiff nod, mind swirling. “Thank you,” I murmured, stepping back.
My gaze flicked to Ella’s door one last time—locked tight, no sign of life. She left me without a word. My phone buzzed in my pocket, a text that made my heart seize with hope. Maybe she’s telling me to come find her.
Ella: I’m sorry, Dom. The girls and I have left NYC. This is what’s best for everyone. I’m changing numbers soon, so don’t bother texting this one. Please take care of yourself, your work, and your other kids.
Her final goodbye—no address, no chance to argue. Just a curt apology and a severance of ties.
Like I was nothing to her.
I typed a frantic reply anyway, only to receive a “Message not delivered” notice. She must’ve already shut off her phone. A hollow sensation spread through my chest, each breath a struggle.
She actually left.
Eventually, I trudged back down the stairs, out into the twilight city. The shock gave way to a swirl of anger at her for bailing, at myself for not seeing it coming, at Seth for piling on the pressure that drove her away, at the hospital for complicating things, at everyone and everything I could think of. By the time I got home, I was numb.
The next few days dragged by in a blur. I went through the motions at the hospital—performing surgeries on autopilot, giving curt nods to staff. Everyone noticed I was off my game, though my hands stayed steady. Years of training kept me from mistakes. When I was not in the OR, I obsessively checked my phone, hoping Ella would reach out again.
She didn’t.
The koi pond at the hospital had lost its shine. Everything had. So I took my meals in the breakroom, which left me open to Seth’s verbal sparring at random. As I stared at a stale sandwich I couldn’t bring myself to eat, he strolled in, smug and smiling.
“Dom,” he said, voice dripping with false concern, “I heard your girlfriend took off. Tough break.”
My jaw clenched. I forced myself to speak evenly. “This isn’t your concern.”
He raised his brows in mock innocence. “Just repeating what I heard. Something about her landing a job at a Michelin-starred place—must be quite the career move. Shame she didn’t see fit to include you in that plan, huh?”
Ambition? Was that what this was all about? But her text implied she was fleeing for my sake. Could both be true? Was I that naive?
I bit back a retort, shaking my head. “You don’t know a damn thing.”
Seth shrugged, sipping his coffee. “The admin role demands focus. Hard to keep that when your personal life is a train wreck.”
I spun on him, rage flaring. “Stay the hell away from me.”
He raised his cup in a mock toast, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
I’m giving him exactly what he wants. That realization scorched me. I’m done.
Storming out, I made it to my office before my knees threatened to buckle. Was he right? Was this some kind of karma for what I’d done with Jodie? I lost one partner because I gave my all to my career, and now I was losing another because she gave her all to her career.
And for what?
Around midday, I just…gave up. After completing a consult, I strode to HR, ignoring the stares of staff who tried to stop me from barging in. Mrs. Fletcher, the HR manager, looked up in alarm as I approached.
“Dr. Mortoli?” She glanced up from her screen. “Is everything—”
“I’m resigning,” I said bluntly, my heart hammering. “Effective immediately.”
Her eyes widened. “But—your candidacy for admin is still under review—”
I let out a harsh laugh. “I’m done here.”
She hesitated, as if searching for the right words. “You’re certain? This is…quite sudden.”
“Yes, I’m sure. Please email me whatever paperwork you need.” My chest felt hollow.
Her expression was heavy with concern. “Sure, but—”
I got up and left, striding out of HR. Staff parted for me in the hallway, eyes flicking with curiosity. Let them talk. It’s not my problem anymore.
But the freedom felt suspiciously like despair. My mind flitted to the only family I had left here. I got in my car, knuckles white on the steering wheel. My phone pinged once—Gina texting me about brunch next weekend.
I swallowed, thinking how I’d rarely see her if I left. But our brunches had become an excuse for Leo to take his anger out on me and little more than that.
Ella wasn’t the only one who needed a fresh start.
I sped all the way there. Once inside the sketchy building, I climbed the rickety stairs, each creak echoing the tension in my nerves. At the door, I pounded with more urgency than usual. After an agonizing minute, it cracked open, revealing Leo’s disheveled form.
His eyes flicked over me, annoyance plain. “What do you want now, Dom?” He spat my name like an insult, refusing to call me ad.
I mustered my last few ounces of calm. “I quit the hospital.”
He blinked, crossing his arms. “So? Why should I care?”
“Because I might leave the city for good, and you’re my son, whether you accept it or not. I need to see if we can bury the hatchet.”
Leo’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t slam the door. “Fine,” he muttered, stepping aside. “If you want to talk so bad, make it quick.”
Inside, the loft was the same chaotic mess—paint cans all over, reeking of stale smoke. My eyes burned from the acrid smell, but I focused on what I came to say. “Ella left me. Took the twins somewhere. I have no clue where she went.”
He raised a brow, expression guarded. “The way you are about your partners, are you really that surprised?”
Pain flared in my chest. “I’m devastated and furious.”
Leo shrugged, though something flickered in his gaze. “So you’re alone, then. Sucks.”
“Listen, I’m not here to guilt you, or talk about Ella. I just…can’t leave Manhattan without telling you how sorry I am for everything. I couldn’t save your mom, I know you blame me. But I can’t rewrite history.”
His lips pressed into a thin line, an old bitterness returning. “You should’ve known she was sick. You’re a doctor.”
“I know that makes it hard on you—”
He snorted in derision.
“But for once in your life, imagine how that makes me feel.”
He blinked up at me. “Not ‘imagine how that makes me look’?”
I swallowed the guilt of having said that once many years ago. Maybe that was why he hated me. In a rambling grief tirade, I’d said that to him—that her getting ill and my not noticing it meant that other doctors doubted me. Maybe that was why I had so much to prove with the admin promotion.
“I was a shitty man for saying that before, but I was a shitty man who was grieving, and I hope you never know what it’s like to say the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time the way I said that to you.” I blew out a breath to steady myself. “I would’ve done anything to save her, Leo. Anything.”
He let out a ragged breath, raking his fingers through unkempt hair. “Even after she was gone, you buried yourself in surgery. Gina and I had no one.”
“You had me, and I failed you. You deserved better than that. You both did. I botched everything back then.”
“Yeah. You did.”
We both exhaled, and our eyes met. “Funny. I think that’s the first time we’ve ever agreed about anything from back then.”
He nodded, a ghost of a smile on his face.
“There’s more. I’m leaving New York—maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. If you never want to see me again, that’s your choice. But I want you in my life, if you want the same thing.”
Leo’s eyes dropped to the floor, tension radiating from him. “So, is that it? Just ‘sorry’ and you bail?”
“I’m not bailing on you. After leaving the hospital, I have no reason to stay here—Ella’s gone, Gina doesn’t need me, and you hate me—”
“You think I hate you?”
“Are you trying to say you don’t?”
He swallowed, tears glistening. “I’m…I’m tired of hating you. But I can’t just forget everything.”
“I’m not asking you to forget. Or even fully forgive. I’ll never be able to do that for myself, so how could I ask that of you? But we can move forward.”
“Jesus, Dom, you’re asking a fucking lot.”
Hearing him call me by my name instead of Dad was another knife twist, but I bit it back. “I love you and Gina. I just…messed it all up.”
He looked ready to argue, but the tension drained from his shoulders. Slowly, he turned away, dropping onto a paint-stained couch. “What future do we even have?”
I approached, sinking onto the edge of the battered coffee table. “One where we’re not strangers. Where I check in on you, and you don’t slam the door in my face.”
He gave a watery scoff, swiping at his eyes. “That’s a low bar.”
“We can start low.”
For a long moment, we sat in silence, the gritty loft air feeling thick. Then Leo exhaled shakily, glancing at me. “It sucks that you’re leaving, but I guess…if that’s what you need to do…”
“I can’t stay here. Too many memories.”
He swallowed, a single tear slipping down his cheek. Then, so quietly I almost missed it, he murmured, “I…I don’t hate you, Dad. Not anymore.”
The word dad cracked something inside me, tears I’d held back surging. I reached out, and to my shock, he let me hug him. We clung to each other in the musty loft, father and son trying to rebuild a bond shattered by years of grief and anger.
Eventually, we pulled apart, both wiping our eyes. The gloom of the loft seemed less oppressive. I stood, exhaling unsteadily. “I’ll let you breathe,” I murmured. “But call me anytime, okay? And I’ll text you when I figure out where I’m going.”
“All right,” he said softly, glancing away. “Dom—Dad. Be safe.”
A lump rose in my throat. I gave him a final pat on the shoulder, then headed out, leaving behind the echoes of so many regrets. Outside, the city’s neon glow felt harsh, but my step was a fraction lighter.
Dad.
At least he and Gina still acknowledged me. Marissa and Summer? Would they ever get the chance?
My chest remained hollow, the sting of Ella’s absence gnawing at me. Maybe I’d prove her wrong, track her down eventually. Or maybe, if she truly wanted me out of her life, I’d respect that. The thought crushed me, but I had no fight left in me.
Starting the car, I stared at the flickering city lights, mind swirling with memories of her eyes, her laugh, the twins’ soft coos. I resigned from the hospital, made amends with Leo—sort of. That left me…nowhere, standing at the edge of an unknown future.
But for the first time in ages, I felt a strange clarity. I’d learned the hard way that life was too short, that burying guilt in ambition only led to missed chances. If Ella left to spare me from scandal or to chase her own dreams, I couldn’t fix it by lingering here.
If fate was kind, maybe it’d lead me back to her someday.
I let the tears slip down my cheeks as I drove into the night, mind on Ella and the twins. My heart ached, but I wasn’t broken. Leo had called me Dad. That was worth something.
No. It was worth everything. That little word was a stepping stone on a new path. I had no idea where it would lead me, but it was a first step nonetheless.
