Nicky did not remember his biological father. The man who he saw again and again as he grew up was Ronan, who came by often to help out with their little family.
In Nicky's mind, Ronan was his "Papa".
He would always be his "Papa" although Marie explained to him many times that he was not.
When Marie took Nicky to move away from Great Lake City to the small Florentine town, Nicky was initially very unhappy.
The school was new, the friends were new, the neighbors were new, and even the sweet vendors were new!
And "Papa" also didn't come to visit anymore.
A year passed, and they happened to meet again.
"Papa" had changed a lot.
He looked dispirited. The adult man sat at the wooden table with two cups of coffee and the half-eaten rhubarb and blackcurrant pie in front of him. He was lost in his own thoughts.
"Papa, I want ice cream," the little boy demanded.
"Mm... Okay, let's get some ice cream."
