As we pull down the driveway I grin as I watch Janeen balk at the size and splendor of this house. “Noooo wayyyy,” she breathes, and then she stares wide-eyed at Kent and Daniel. “Are you serious? You – you two grew up here!?” “Just dad,” Daniel says over his shoulder, turning to smile at Je
Gio then turns and shouts something to the crowd and everyone starts to move, sweeping us not through the house but towards the gardens. I smile as I look around at this gigantic, happy family, so excited to greet their long-lost son. I glance over my shoulder but just shrug when I see that Kent has
When night truly falls and the garden becomes too dark to be practical, we all troop back to the front of the house, heading indoors. Kent takes the opportunity to dislodge Natalia from his side, somehow, and is waiting for us at the entrance to the garden. “How did that go,” he murmurs, looking
He blushes again, laughing and my jaw drops open to see him like this. “She said,” Kent says, giving in and making me lean so close that I almost tip out of my chair to hear him, “that you were very pretty, Fay, but that she was surprised that you married Daniel, because you seem more like my kind o
I reach for a dish in front of me but Daniel smacks my hand away playfully, murmuring that he’ll fill my plate. I laugh at his over-solicitousness, but I’m secretly grateful – because while I recognize pasta and bread and cheese, I honestly don’t know what any of these dishes are. And Daniel – he kn
They’ve made it very clear that they understand who in the Lippert family actually holds the power. “Papa has told us of your offer, Fay,” Alessi starts, giving me the sweet and friendly smile that he always uses on me as he speaks. “I admit, it’s quite generous, and with such…interesting terms.
“Really, Fay,” Kent says, pretending to ignore Bianci and putting a solicitous hand on my shoulder, though I know that both of our attention is firmly on the Don. “Let’s get you home –“ “One moment,” Bianci says, holding up a single finger as we turn to the door. “I have one offer which we have
When the door snaps shut behind us, Gio’s face breaks into a wide grin and he wraps an arm around my shoulder, hurrying me down the hall and away from the door. When we get halfway down the stairs, he bursts into laughter and shakes his head at me, thrilled. I can’t help laughing along with him
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