“Hi!” I say, beaming up at Daniel cheerfully. And then I laugh harder as he frowns down at me, because he doesn’t know just how much he looks like his dad right now. “Well,” he says, moving into the room when I step backwards to make space for him. “You’re…happier than I thought you’d be.” “I go
I laugh harder at Daniel’s suggestion, playfully shoving his shoulder. “No, he’s not! Ridiculous,” I sigh, turning towards my vanity. “I’m serious, Fay,” Daniel continues, still grinning wickedly at me. “I mean, I guess you don’t see it the way I do because you’ve only experienced obsessed Kent. B
“Fay,” he says quietly. “What do you think you know about how my dad loved my mom?” “I think she was his first and only love,” I say promptly, straightening my shoulders and staring at his face, wanting to see his reaction. But Daniel just glances back down at his sandwich and takes another bite
Fay gives a gasp and then a loud whoop of joy that makes Kent laugh, pleased to see her reaction. Daniel gasps “no!” and then drains his glass of champagne, likewise laughing before wrapping his dad in a hug that makes Kent stumble back a step. And then Daniel lets Kent free and Fay takes his plac
“Or…four?” Fay says excitedly, smiling at Daniel with an eager expression. Daniel gapes at Fay, his eyes darting between her and his father. “Oh, he knows you have a boyfriend,” Fay says, rolling her eyes. “You should bring him!” Daniel goes a little pale then, realizing that this post-Natalia
I stand very still for a very long time, my breath getting increasingly faster as I stare into space, trying to figure this out. What was – what’s wrong with me? How the hell did I miss this?! My period has, since I first got it when I was thirteen, been very regular. And unlike Janeen, who so
We drive in silence. My anxiety takes full control of me and I sit with my arms wrapped around my legs, my chin on my knees, my dirty boots flat against the leather of the seat as I stare blankly out the windshield. From the corner of my eye I can see Jerome glancing at me anxiously every few minu
“What!” I gasp, shocked, but then I get very angry very fast, ripping my arm out of Jerome’s hand for the third time in about an hour. “I don’t even know if there is a father, Jerome!” “Of course there’s a father –“ he shouts, his voice cracking because apparently he’s as freaked out as I am. “I
My dad greets him with such genuine joy and excitement that it makes my heart swell with joy. They talk for a few minutes about Dominic’s day before dad gives him a little nudge back towards the gate where Kent and I are waiting. Dominic gives dad a kiss before running ahead again. My dad waves to
“Papa!” Dominic shouts, startling me out of my reverie as he drops my hand and darts down the road. I look up, a huge smile breaking out on my face again as I see Kent on the sidewalk just ahead. His back is to us as he speaks companionably with the butcher, a heavy bag of his purchases already hung
As I walk down the street towards the little Italian kindergarten, the whispers start around me, as they always do. I listen to all of them, a big German Shepherd padding quietly at my heels. “Is that her?” “Yes, that’s the one – I heard she was her husband’s mistress before he married her – tha
Both Kent and I laugh, but Don Bianci – across the baptismal font from us – snaps his eyes up, perhaps not liking the joke as much as we do. But I just ignore it, because dad’s right, frankly – and it’s too happy a day to care. After the final blessing everyone applauds Dominic – he likes that, bl
“Well, it didn’t seem to affect your first very badly,” Ivan says with a shrug, peering around Kent to where Daniel is laughing with an arm around Jerome’s shoulders. “So…maybe keep it up.” I smirk, squeezing Ivan’s hand once more before standing and moving to Kent’s side, tucking myself against h
“Hey, gorgeous,” Ivan says, his mouth turned up in a smirk as I cross the churchyard, beaming at him. “Look who’s talking,” I say, laughing and reaching for him when I come close enough. Ivan wraps me in a hug, dropping a kiss to my cheek as I hold Dominic a bit to the side so he doesn’t get squis
He laughs, smiling at me genuinely. “Do I make you nervous?” he asks, blunt. I laugh, unable to help it. “Has no one bothered to tell you, in all these years, that you’re a little terrifying, Don Bianci?” He grins and shakes his head at me. “Well, considering what you accomplished, young lady, I
Two months later, we’re all gathered together again. And it is only with frustration that I see Gio and Janeen standing so close together that their arms nearly brush, even though they’re still not together. I roll my eyes, dismissing the problem for a moment as I move my eyes down to Dominic and
It's an incredible night. Kent didn’t lie, not at all, about the food either. I’m shocked by the mountains of dishes that continue to follow each other, one after another, long into the night. After a few hours of it I just mournfully watch the waiters go by because I couldn’t eat another bite if I