I Made His Wife’s Dress Now I’ll Marry Another Chapter 39
Paolo pushed an old pattern tube toward me.
Inside were no patterns at all—just a girl’s birth certificate, school records, a union apprentice application, and a lawyer’s draft for a declaration of temporary guardianship.
“Sofia is sixteen. Her mother died young. My lungs won’t hold out much longer.”
He looked across the workshop. At the long table, a girl with a short braid was taking apart an old suit jacket with efficient hands, never once glancing our way.
“She wants to study structural design, not inherit my old work. Good. Children shouldn’t spend their lives repaying their parents’ debts.”
His left hand pressed down on the tube.
“Her mother left her a small apartment, but a minor can’t handle the lease and insurance alone. My siblings all live abroad. She doesn’t want to be sent off to relatives she’s never met.”
He didn’t say, *You owe me your life.*
And because he didn’t say it, the weight of his request felt heavier.
“After I die, be her temporary guardian until she comes of age. I’ve left her the money and the apartment. All you need to do is sign for school, hospital visits, and apprentice contracts when she needs it—and make sure no one uses my name to force her to stay here.”