That night, when their father got home, Steffi was showing Teo the handprint art they’d made in preschool. She was beaming because Miss Patricia had complimented her, saying her artwork was beautiful. “And they gave us a big bowl of warm milk and bran crackers!” she exclaimed, her big blue eyes sparkling.

  In the hallway of their old house, they heard a commotion. It was Mrs. Elvira, berating their father the moment he walked in the door. They were over a week late on rent. Dante tried to explain he’d have the money the day after tomorrow, but she insisted she wasn’t going to house a “lazy man” who couldn’t pay his rent on time.

  Steffi listened, but it was all beyond her understanding; it was “grown-up stuff,” the kind where they always seemed to be scolding kids or yelling at each other. She’d heard that adults had “problems” and that’s what made them so grumpy all the time. She wished they could be kids again, so they’d understand that life was better spent laughing and playing, and that would make the problems go away.

  But Teo, being older and having a better grasp of the world, understood perfectly. When he heard Mrs. Elvira call his father a “lazy man,” he was filled with indignation and rage, his face flushing. He felt his blood boiling, his cheeks and ears burning. His brow furrowed so deeply it felt like a line was being etched into his forehead. “My dad’s not lazy!” he wanted to shout. “He works every day, from sunup to sundown. And even though we don’t have much, we owe everything to him. And if you haven’t noticed, it hurts him when you yell and make him worry about not being able to feed us if he pays the rent! And you have no idea how terrified he is about us being thrown out! Not for himself, but for us! So he goes to the docks and works harder and harder. He gets up earlier and goes to bed later, just so we don’t go without! I see him wearing himself out, and he doesn’t say a word, but I know he’s hurting inside. I see him tired and worn. But he always smiles to comfort us, to give us hope, to make us believe there’s good in the world. Because he’s afraid we’ll see that it’s not always true, that there are injustices and heartless people like you, who dare to hurt him.”

  “You have until tomorrow night, Mr. Sacks,” he heard the old woman growl. “If you don’t have the money by then, you’re out.”

  Teo leaned against the bedroom door, feeling like he’d been slapped. Only this hurt more.

  A minute later, Dante came into the room, his eyes red and swollen. Teo was on the bed with Steffi, looking at her preschool artwork. He knew if his father found him by the door, he’d feel humiliated, so when he heard him coming, he jumped onto the bed and pretended he hadn’t heard anything.

  “Hi, Dad!” Steffi shouted, running into his arms. “Look how cute the little shoes you gave me are!” she said, stretching out her foot. “Thank you, Daddy! Thank you so much!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and showered him with kisses.

  Dante smiled, and Teo did too. For that night, at least, he felt the knot in his chest loosen.

  The next day, Mr. Piero noticed Teo was distant and preoccupied. A deep sadness clouded his eyes.

  “What’s bothering you so much, Teo?” Mr. Piero asked during lunch. “You haven’t said a word all morning, and you’ve barely touched your food.”

  “I’m not hungry, Mr. Piero,” Teo replied politely.

  “What’s going on, son?” the old man insisted, his eyes warm and fatherly. “You know you can trust me. You can tell me anything!”

  “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Mr. Piero. You’ve always been kind to me, and I love you very much, but my dad told me I shouldn’t tell anyone what…”

  “So, it’s family problems that are making you sad…” the old man interrupted, before Teo realized he’d said too much. “What kind of problems, son?”

  Teo was stunned. He was surprised and desperate, because he’d promised his father he wouldn’t talk about their financial troubles. He searched for the right words. “I’m not supposed to say, sir.”

  “They’re money problems, aren’t they, son?” the old man guessed. “I’m not surprised; after all, you’re the only nine-year-old carpenter’s apprentice I know!”

  Teo was speechless.

  “Listen to me carefully, Teo,” Mr. Piero said, his voice gentle and comforting. “It takes courage to keep a secret, to carry it like it’s your own. When we love someone, we think keeping their secret protects them and makes them happy. And it does! But sometimes, it takes even more courage to ask for help. People are proud and don’t want others to think they need them, but there’s nothing wrong with it.”

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “There’s really nothing wrong with it?” Teo asked, intrigued.

  “Of course not!” Mr. Piero said, smiling warmly. “Helping someone is a beautiful thing! There’s no shame in asking for help! That’s what we’re here for: to help each other!”

  Teo looked at him, surprised. The old man spoke with such passion. He wondered if he was thinking about his friend Paolo. Then, without needing more prompting, Teo said, “My dad doesn’t have the money for the rent—he didn’t tell me, but I know—and Mrs. Elvira’s going to throw us out. I heard her! She said we have to leave tonight!” Teo’s voice broke. “Then Steffi will have to leave preschool, because I’ll have to give my dad my earnings so we can eat!”

  “No, Teo!” Mr. Piero exclaimed, his voice firm. “None of you will be homeless as long as I live! My house isn’t fancy, but it’s comfortable and big. I have a room for you and your family. Your sister will stay in preschool, and your father can pay me rent when he can. We have plenty here, and we don’t lack for money. I could lend you the money for that awful woman, but since my name is Piero Della Francesca, you’re not going to live with that miser anymore!”

  Eventually, the Sacks moved in with him. Dante paid rent every month, but unlike Mrs. Elvira, the old man didn’t complain if it was a week or two late. He even told him to save the money for gifts for the children. Since they’d moved in, none of them had gone hungry.

  The old man also decided that while being a carpenter’s apprentice was good, children should also go to school. So, not only did Steffi go to school, but Teo did too. When the old man told him, he was stunned, then he was jumping and running, shouting that he’d be a scientist and do wonderful things for humanity, just like Mr. Piero had taught him. He wanted to help others, just as the old man had helped him, because there was no shame in asking for help, and giving it was a magical gift, a “little miracle.” Yes, magic existed... in the hearts of good people!

  However, not everyone was happy. Marco’s family, who also lived in the house, didn’t like the fact that the old man had brought in strangers. Of course, he could do what he wanted, but they thought the Sacks were taking advantage of him. Enrico, the oldest grandson (who looked younger than his twenty-five years), had heard Teo call Mr. Piero “grandfather” and the old man had smiled and hugged him. Enrico warned his mother, Sandra, that if they didn’t do something, the Sacks would take over the house and leave them homeless.

  Fabio, the teenage grandson, didn’t want them there either. He was the most openly contemptuous, making offensive comments about Dante’s job or the children’s hygiene during dinner. The old man reprimanded him sharply, and Fabio stormed off, cursing. Mr. Piero apologized to the Sacks, embarrassed, while Marco and Sandra looked down and kept eating.

  The only one who loved them was the old man’s youngest grandson, “naughty Tommy,” just seven years old.

  Tommy was a bird enthusiast. He had illustrated books filled with photos of all kinds of birds, along with detailed information about their habitats. Whenever he saw a new bird, he jotted it down in a little notebook he always kept in his pocket.

  On the morning of December 8th (after a busy school year, with houses decorated with Christmas trees and everyone anticipating the holidays), an eaglet flew overhead. Tommy, thrilled to have spotted such a majestic bird—his first raptor!—pulled out his notebook and wrote it down in his slightly messy, but advanced, handwriting. Once he’d calmed down, he ran inside through the back door and called for Teo, who was getting ready to start work in the carpentry with Marco.

  “You’re not going to believe it, Teo!” he said, barely containing his excitement. “I saw an eaglet! My first bird of prey, can you believe it?!”

  “Wow! That’s awesome, Tommy! Let’s tell your grandfather, he’ll be so happy!”

  Tommy nodded, and they raced up the stairs to Mr. Piero’s room.

  They tiptoed in, afraid of disturbing him. A ray of morning sunlight fell across the old man’s forehead. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Tommy, eager to share his news, shook his arm. “Grandpa, Grandpa, you won’t believe what I just saw!” When Mr. Piero didn’t wake up, Tommy huffed in frustration. “I’m going to tell Mom,” he said to Teo. “I’ll tell Grandpa later.” Then, he dashed down the stairs, bumping Teo’s shoulder as he went.

  Teo barely noticed. He was captivated by the perfect stillness of Mr. Piero’s sleep. But it wasn’t a comforting stillness; it was unsettling. Standing there made him feel uneasy and tense. He couldn’t quite put his finger on why, but something about the way the old man was resting felt off. At first, he didn’t know what it was, but then he realized: Mr. Piero’s chest wasn’t rising and falling under the sheet, like Steffi’s or his father’s did when they slept. It was completely still. It was then that the chilling thought struck him that he wasn’t looking at a sleeping man, but at a wax figure.

  He cautiously approached and whispered in his ear. Mr. Piero didn’t respond.

  Now, he felt a surge of panic and distress. He wanted the old man to wake up and smile at him again. But when he took Mr. Piero’s hand, he understood the truth: his fingers were cold. It was that coldness that made him understand the emptiness he’d imagined when he’d first thought about death. Mr. Piero had gone to that place where his friend Paolo had gone so long ago. Teo knew there was no coming back from there, and when he realized he’d never see him again, he broke down, sobbing uncontrollably by the side of the bed.

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