It’s so overwhelming that I fear I’ll drown in it. God, how did Kent do this every day, year after year? He’s so much stronger than me. I successfully evade Daniel all evening, but at night? When it’s just me, retiring to my bed alone? He knows he has me trapped. I kind of expect the tapping on
The next morning I wake up alone, blinking in the sunlight, and the grief and loneliness hits me like a truck. I stare at my window, looking at the patch of blue sky visible through it and listening to the sound of the gulls cawing outside, thinking that it’s beautiful here by the sea. Thinking tha
“Well, there she is,” I hear Janeen say, and I sit up, sniffing and wiping at my tears. I didn’t even hear the door open. “What?” I ask. “My little crybaby sister,” Janeen says, smiling at me and leaning against my doorframe, wrapped in her ratty old robe. “Finally, she’s back. Come on, spill,” sh
But somehow, I manage to simply laugh at Natalia’s suspicion that Daniel might like men – as if it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heared? “Really, Natalia?” I ask, scoffing pleasantly. “I mean, I know we’re not a very handsy couple or anything, but I didn’t think we’d pushed you that far alo
And currently on the phone with your husband. I resist the urge to look over at Daniel for the length of the phone call. When he comes back to his seat ten minutes later, I tilt my head at him in inquiry, hoping Natalia and Alessi read it as the worry of a wife for her husband. Daniel gives me a so
Daniel sighs and glances at Jerome, willing to explain. “We got a phone call from the prison during cocktails,” he says, pitching his voice low as if he’s still worried about being overheard. Probably the result of growing up in a house filled with secrets, I consider, thinking about the little kidn
So I move on. Because if I don’t, I’m going to have that meltdown Janeen is looking for. “Don’t tell him anything,” I say quietly, looking down into my lap. “Why not?” Daniel asks, curious. “Because,” I reply, flicking my eyes up to his. “I don’t trust those phones. I know that they’re supposed t
My father leads me to a little sitting room just off the dining room, built for little chats like this. We settle on a sofa where we can still see most of the action at the party, and where, indeed, I have a direct view of Tristin, who glares daggers at me while she holds my baby sister on her lap.
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