chapter 57: hangover

                                    

                                          
Bose POV: 
As the afternoon wore on, Chapa turned to me and asked, "Is it okay if I head to Swellview to visit Sage?"
"Yeah, of course," I said, nodding. She asked if I wanted to come along, but I shook my head. "I think I'll stay here."
"Are you sure? It might help to get out a bit," she offered, but I assured her it was fine. When I offered her a ride, she politely declined, saying she'd manage. After she left, the penthouse felt strangely empty. I sat in silence, surrounded by the walls that suddenly seemed to close in, and after an hour, I couldn't take it anymore. Almost on impulse, I decided to go to Sam's place. Maybe it was a bad idea, but I felt like I needed to.
When I knocked, my uncle opened the door. It was still surreal to look at him and realize this man was family. My emotions were dried up; I felt hollow, like I'd already emptied every tear. "Is Sam home?" I asked.
"He left earlier—out with some friends tonight," Edoardo replied. 
"Oh, okay." I hesitated but then asked, "Mind if I come in for a bit?"
Inside, I took a deep breath before saying, "Does Sam know about... any of this?"
"He knows bits and pieces," Edoardo said with a shrug. "But Sam's never been interested in family matters."
"I get it," I said softly. "And... sorry for running off yesterday."
"It's understandable," he said, giving me a look that felt sympathetic. "You don't have to apologize for that."
Then, with a quiet breath, I asked, "Are my grandparents still... alive?"
"As far as I know, yes," he answered, looking at me curiously.
"Would you happen to know where they are?" I asked carefully.
He paused before saying, "I don't know their current address, but I can give you my home address where I grew up, it's possible they still live there."
We exchanged numbers so he could send it to me, and while we did, he glanced at me. "So... are you famous or something?"
"Yeah," I said with a small smile. "Not exactly by choice. I'd rather have a quiet life, honestly."
He chuckled. "Thought I recognized you from somewhere."
I cleared my throat, shifting uncomfortably. "May I ask... why you left Sam's mom after she was pregnant?"
Edoardo looked down for a moment. "I tried to make things work here in Swellview, but it was overwhelming. Eventually, I moved to Texas to work, save up... and once I was stable, I reached out."
I nodded slowly. "Got it. Thanks for sharing that."
He sent me the address, and I thanked him. As I turned to leave, he stopped me. "Wait... I'm sorry for your loss," he said quietly.
I took a moment, then replied, "It's fine. I... never knew him anyway."
Edoardo gave me a steady look. "If you ever want to talk about him, or have questions, reach out anytime."
"Actually... would you want to grab dinner tonight? My treat."
Edoardo looked a bit surprised but nodded. "Of course, that sounds nice."
We went to a cozy, quiet restaurant. I didn't know what to expect, but all night, Edoardo shared stories about my dad—details about my father's childhood, his habits, the dreams he'd had. The way he talked about him, my father seemed more real than ever. I could feel pieces of myself settling, my confusion easing just a bit. For once, I didn't feel as lost, and I felt a little closer to understanding the man I came from.