Chapter 14 - The College Letter
It was a brisk Tuesday afternoon when Sophie burst through the doors of the bakery, a thick envelope clutched in her hand. She ignored the line of customers waiting for cannolis and ran straight behind the counter to embrace her mother.
"I got in, Mom!" Sophie squealed, waving the letter from Columbia University. "Full academic scholarship. It covers everything!"
Elena wept, holding her daughter tight amidst the applause of the regulars who had watched the girl grow up.
That evening, a familiar black town car idled outside. Sophie walked out, tapping gently on the tinted window. It rolled down to reveal Vincent in the backseat. He looked older, his face lined with the weight of his life, but his eyes were warm.
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"I heard the news," Vincent said, his gravelly voice filled with genuine pride. "Congratulations, Sophie."
"I couldn't have done it without you, Mr. Vincent," she said, leaning in to hand him a small box of his favorite almond biscotti. "Thank you. For everything."
