" Domenico." The word came out with so much confusion and doubt as though Dominic, for a moment, lost the ability to distinguish between what was real and what wasn't. His face was a strange mixture of shock, confusion, and joy as he rose from the bed.
He narrowed his eyes harder at the man by the door.
" Domenico?" He called out once more, taking an uncertain step forward. " Is that really you? You look a bit different."
Nostalgia spiked in Damien at the familiar sound of his father's voice, a voice he hadn't heard in years— a voice he once thought he would never get to hear again. Suddenly, the knots in Damien's chest loosened and he allowed himself a smile. Domenico was a name Dominic loved calling Damien when he was a kid. It had the same meaning as Dominic; of the lord. It was also the name Dominic aimed to dub Damien at birth but long story short, his wife and mother vetoed his plans.
