Wow! So many reviews! You really seem to have liked the last chapter! Thank you all so much, it means a lot to me that you are not only reading but also enjoying my stories.

Anyway, there is more father-son-stuff ahead, before we return to Christine next chapter...

Oh, and I still don't own anything or anybody...

Chapter 13 – Acceptance

For the next two weeks Erik spent most of his spare time working on his new mask, until he finally felt it was close enough to looking natural that he might dare go out by daylight wearing it without having to fear people staring at him. While the seams of the mask would still be slightly visible under close scrutiny and especially in very bright light, it would be next to impossible to notice for a passer-by in the street, especially if Erik wore a hat.

He put on the mask and went to the living room to show it to Giovanni. The old mason stared at his adopted son in wonder. "This is amazing, Erik," he stammered. "I almost did not recognize you! How did you manage to fabricate this mask?"

Erik beamed at his new father's impressed words and went into a highly technical description of how he had been able to mold and shape the rubber so that it would look the way the right side of his face might have looked if it were not disfigured. Giovanni understood only half of what Erik was telling him, but it only confirmed his opinion that his son was very talented in many ways, a highly creative person, and overall very special.

"Oh Erik," he murmured. "I know how much this means to you. This mask will allow you to work on the construction site for the new school, see your project through from start to finish. That way I can concentrate on the villa for this obnoxious Marchese, who once again wants some changes made that we would have had to know about weeks ago and that at the current progress of construction will be hard to implement." He smiled at is son. He did not want to think of that pesky nobleman when Erik had found a way to interact with others like any other man.

"Will you come to work with me tomorrow?" Giovanni asked eagerly. "That way, I could introduce you to our employees, and you can pick those you want to work with you on the school project. The Mayor just sent me a note yesterday that he would like us to start with the school on Monday."

Erik hesitated for a moment. Somehow the thought of walking around in bright daylight, where everybody could see him, still scared him. Then he thought of his new mask. He would never know how natural it really looked, unless he tried it out. Considering that it was late fall, the sky overcast most of the time and the days were rather gray and gloomy, chances were good nobody would notice anything strange about him. He finally nodded. "I will come with you tomorrow," he promised.

Giovanni beamed. He knew Erik had made an important step in the right direction, if he was willing to leave the house and walk among other people as if he had no handicap. He was convinced that Erik's professional expertise would do the rest. Once he had earned his workers' respect, his self-esteem would hopefully get a boost and he would learn to see himself as normal.

Xxxx

The next day, a proud Giovanni introduced his new son to his employees. He informed them that Erik would be in charge of the school project about to start next Monday. He then explained the current work to Erik, showed him the changes the Marchese wanted to have made and was not surprised when Erik came up with a cost-effective way of implementing those even at such an advanced stage of the villa's construction. Giovanni was impressed. He had not thought of that particular possibility, but he had to admit that it would not only work but also not cause any noticeable delay.

Giovanni's foreman Marco came up to Erik. "Signor Erik," he said, "The solution you suggested is brilliant. It is obvious that you understand a lot of our profession. The master has already told us that you are the one who submitted the winning sketch for the school in Trastevere. It will be an honor for all of us to work with you."

Erik was a bit embarrassed at that high praise. He still was not used to getting recognition for anything he did, but he had to admit to himself that it was a good feeling to be appreciated for one's knowledge and achievements.

The following Monday, Erik and his chosen team of workers assembled at the construction site for the new school. Giovanni had informed the four masons who had competed with him for the assignment and invited them to the groundbreaking ceremony, where he officially introduced Erik to them as his new son. They were all impressed by "the young Nardini", who obviously was not only highly competent but was also respected by his employees. They had often pitied "il povero Giovanni" (poor Giovanni) for not having a son and successor, but they had now to admit that Giovanni had found himself a most worthy heir. That Giovanni and his new son also seemed quite fond of each other was just an additional bonus. Considering their own sons' limited potential they had an inkling that "Nardini & Son" would soon be Rome's leading masonry business.

Xxxx

November turned into December and the construction of the new school progressed nicely. Erik highly enjoyed his work and his staff adored him. They knew that he was not only highly competent but also did not consider it beneath him to get his hands dirty and work alongside them.

As Giovanni had suspected, the physical exertion did Erik a lot of good. His muscles developed and his skin took on a healthy color. To Giovanni's great relief, Erik had also well adjusted to interacting with his co-workers. His son's insecurity had not prevailed long, once Erik had felt his staff's respect and acceptance. Erik was definitely getting ready to being introduced into Roman society. There was just one last hurdle they had to overcome, before he would take Erik with him to public events and functions.

In mid-December Giovanni received a letter he had been eagerly awaiting. He opened it immediately and read through it, then he nodded. Everything was going as planned.

That same night, after dinner, Giovanni looked at his adopted son. "Angela and her family will come here on Saturday," he informed Erik. "They will stay until Christmas." Erik started to fidget nervously. Giovanni's daughter was coming for a visit! He suddenly felt like an intruder. For the first time in months he remembered that he had no right to Giovanni's love. He was not really a member of the family, and once Angela and her children had arrived, he would be like the fifth wheel.

"I will keep to myself and try not to intrude during her visit," he finally whispered. Giovanni looked up sharply. "What kind of nonsense is this?" he asked. "What makes you think you will be considered an intruder? You are a member of the family now, and I have explicitly asked Angela to come, so that you can meet your new relatives. I think you and Angela only met very briefly when you were my apprentice, and her children had not been born yet then. Since you are now my son, Angela is your sister, and I hope that the two of you will become like real siblings. I am fairly certain you will like her husband Mario. He is a nice fellow. As to the children, you have two nephews, Giuseppe and Piero, they are twelve and ten years old, and a young niece, Assunta, who is five."

Erik stared at Giovanni. "You want to force me on them? What will they think? They have so much more right to your love than I do."

Giovanni interrupted him. "No, they do not. By adopting you I assumed not only all the rights of a father, but also all the duties. It is a father's duty to love all his children equally. As my adopted son, you are therefore entitled to the same love my biological daughter Angela receives from me." He frowned as he saw Erik's insecurity return. "Erik, don't fret. All will go well, you'll see. They are a nice bunch and they know that I once hoped you'd become my son-in-law. I am certain they will accept you and welcome you into the family once they have got a chance to know you."

Erik nodded, unconvinced. He had a feeling that Angela and her family might not share her father's opinion in that specific case. After all, who liked having to share one's father's affections with a half-faced freak and stranger?

Giovanni sighed. Erik had been doing so well. Why did the prospect of meeting his new relatives seem to scare him so? Still, he had a feeling that in this case Erik was probably the lesser problem. Despite his display of confidence, he was not too certain of Angela's reaction to her new brother.

Xxx

Saturday afternoon, Angela and her family arrived from Naples. Erik had retired to his room – with Giovanni's permission. They both agreed that Angela deserved to hear an explanation first, before Giovanni would introduce her to her new brother.

Giovanni warmly greeted his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. He did not see them often, but he loved them all, especially the children. Once they had all comfortably sat down in the living room, Giovanni began to speak. "Angela, Mario," he said, "from my last letter you will have learned that I recently adopted a former apprentice of mine. Angela, I think you only met him briefly then, but Erik is the young man Luciana was crazy about."

Angela stared at her father in shock. "You mean that disfigured freak of nature, whose face is so ugly that he had to wear a mask at all times? Father, you cannot be serious!"

Giovanni glared at her. "I will not allow you to talk like that about your brother in my house," he said firmly. "Erik is a very intelligent, talented, competent man, who will be able to take over the family business, once I will be too old to continue. While it is true that he suffers from a facial deformity, he has succeeded in fabricating a very natural-looking rubber mask which covers the damaged part of his face. When he wears this mask – which he will do in your presence – he is actually quite handsome. Also, please keep in mind that I love him and that, if things had been different, he might have been your brother-in-law anyway."

Angela had never heard her father talk to her like that. She understood that the old man was totally besotted with his so-called son and she suspected foul play. After all, Giovanni was fairly well off, it would be worth the effort for an adventurer to play the affectionate son in order to become Giovanni's heir.

"So this Erik is your heir now?" she asked angrily. "What about me and my children, your own flesh and blood?"

Giovanni smiled. If that was her only concern, he had an answer to that. "Actually, the fact that I have such a talented son and successor now, works in your favor," he explained to Angela. "Without him, sooner or later I would have had to sell my business and retire, living off my savings and whatever I would have got for the business. At my death, not too much would have remained for you to inherit. Now, Erik will take over, we will keep the business running, Erik and I will be able to live comfortably off it, and once I'll die, Erik will be able to send you part of the company revenues on a monthly basis. He will deduct his salary from the net profit and send you your fifty percent share of the rest, like any good brother would do."

Angela bit her lip. She could not say anything against this plan. If things turned out that way, having a brother would indeed work in her favor. But what if the moment her father died, this adventurer sold the company and disappeared with the money?

"You do not know Erik yet," Giovanni continued. "Therefore you do not trust him yet. I understand that. But I also know that you will learn to do so." He then went to fetch Erik.

Erik was very nervous when Giovanni introduced him to the family. He felt like an intruder. Mario immediately picked up on his new brother-in-law's insecurity and felt pity for him. "This is as awkward for him as it is for us," he thought by himself. "He does not give me the impression at all as if he were after the old man's money." He greeted Erik friendly, while Angela remained a bit reserved and the children did not quite know what to think of this "zio Erik" (uncle Erik), that they had never heard about before.

The adults sat down to make some stilted conversation, while the children played in a corner. Suddenly Piero started crying. A mechanical gadget he and his brother had been playing with had somehow broken down. "Father, please, can you fix it?" he asked Mario.

Mario looked at the gadget and shook his head. "I am afraid, no," he said. He had no talent for that kind of delicate work. Erik gazed at the gadget. "May I have a look?" he asked. Giovanni smiled. "Of course," he said. "Piero, show your toy to zio Erik."

Piero cautiously approached the new uncle and held his toy out to him without a word. Erik took it and examined the contraption. He immediately noticed that a screw was lose and the mechanism was therefore not working properly anymore. "You are in luck, young man," he reassured the boy. "With the help of a screwdriver this will be fixed in no time at all." With these words he left to get the tool in question. A few minutes later he returned and to Piero's utter delight repaired the toy.

The boy beamed. "Zio Erik, thank you very much," he said, and after a moment's hesitation he added. "Would you like to play with us a bit, to see if it works properly now?"

Erik nodded. He felt more at ease with the children than the adults. Soon he was playing with his new nephews ad niece and they were convinced that "zio Erik" was the best uncle they could wish for – not that they had any comparison, their father being an only child.

Giovanni smiled. He should have known that Erik would be good with the children. He remembered what his adopted son had told him about his relationship with the Persian boy, Reza, and later with the orphaned girl, Christine. "He would be a great father," Giovanni thought. "But unless he finds a woman that can not only see beyond his face but also live with the memory of this cursed Christine who hurt him so much, I don't see that happen."

As Angela saw Erik play with her children she mellowed a bit. She loved the three very much and her new brother's attitude towards them impressed her. "Would he do that if he truly were an adventurer?" she asked herself. She was not completely convinced yet, but she began having her doubts about the justification of her suspicions.

Xxx

The following Monday, when Erik had left to work on the school project, Angela secretly followed him and observed him from afar. She realized that her father had not exaggerated when he had called Erik an accomplished mason. She was no mason, but as a mason's daughter she understood enough about the business to know that Erik was extremely competent. She also noticed that the workers treated him with respect and seemed to like him a lot. Her doubts were beginning to dissolve.

On her way back home she once again replayed in her mind every scene with Erik since her arrival. She remembered how proud her father seemed of his new son, but also a few furtive displays of affection between the two men. "Maybe it's because of Luciana," she thought, "or maybe because they share the same profession and a lot of interests, like this obsession with chess and this love for music, but I think Erik really does care about Papa, and there is no doubt that my father loves him like a son. Maybe I am unfair. Mother and Luciana have been dead for so long, and I have moved away to Naples. Father must have been very lonely all these years. Erik obviously is lonely, too. While I would not have noticed that he is wearing a mask if I had not known, I can understand that with a disfigurement as bad as his supposedly is, he will have troubles founding a family himself, and if I remember correctly his parents were dead already when he was my father's apprentice. Maybe I should be glad that these two lonely men have each other."

In the evening, she waited nervously for Erik to come home. When she heard the door she went to meet him in the hallway. "We need to talk," she said. Erik felt uncomfortable. He had sensed her reservation over the weekend. Was she now going to tell him that she considered him an intruder?

"I want to apologize to you," Angela began. Erik stared at her, startled. "Apologize?" he asked. Angela nodded. "I misjudged you. I thought you were an adventurer trying to win my father's affection to somehow gain access to his money." She blushed. "But I have seen you with the children and I have seen you with my father. The two of you really behave like father and son and I do think that the affection between the two of you is genuine." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I also spied on you today," she finally confessed. "I followed you to the construction site and observed you there. I am a mason's daughter, and I know a good mason when I see one. It is clear that you could start your own business any day and be highly successful. You do not need my father for that."

Erik shook his head. "Before I got this mask perfected, I would not have been able to run a business," he confessed. "It was hard enough to find a job. Your father gave me a chance when I needed one and because of that I love him."

Angela smiled. "You are honest, too," she said. "I like that. I am glad that my father found you, that he now has somebody here with him and is not as lonely anymore. If you agree, from now on we will be brother and sister, as our father wants us to be."

Erik fought back tears. She had offered to be his sister and had referred to Giovanni as "our father", thus acknowledging that Erik was Giovanni's son. "I would like that very much," he finally mumbled. Angela took his hand. "Then come," she said, "and let's tell father."