23. Family History
Family History
Lucy
I can’t stop thinking about Elio and how desperately I wanted to kiss him yesterday.
It’s crazy. I’m crazy. We just discussed our relationship and agreed that there is nothing more going on between us.
It must be the constant flirting and him calling me Bella , that’s finally getting to me.
Why don’t you try surviving a constant firework display in your belly? It’s impossible not to explode.
Good thing I won’t be seeing him for three full days, because I really need a reset on those pesky feelings.
It’s not ideal for the feature, but I have enough content from the previous days to whip something up.
Elio is going to Milan today and tomorrow for a secret personal day, and while I have this urge to know everything about him, I also respect his privacy.
Besides, it’s the perfect opportunity to relax and spend some time with my family.
How crazy does that sound? I have family, right here in Italy!
We didn’t have time to unpack everything at Grandma’s birthday, so I offered to have lunch with them today.
It’s just Paola, Alessia, and Grandma. The others are all stuck at work.
My anxiety has calmed since Saturday, but it’s still nerve-wracking, and I don’t have Elio for support today.
“So, where is your friend, Elio?” Grandma asks, taking a sip of her drink. “What a nice ragazzo .”
“Boy,” Alessia mouths to me, and I nod, smiling.
“He’s in Milan, coming back on Wednesday.”
She frowns slightly. “Ah, that’s a shame. I like him.”
“And the diamonds he bought you, right?” Paola teases, unfolding her menu.
“That’s not the reason why,” Grandma retorts as her cheeks flush, making us all laugh.
“I’m kidding, Ma. Relax.” Paola winks before calling the waiter over so we can order.
The conversation flows effortlessly as we talk about our jobs, catching up on each other’s lives.
“So, Lucy,” Alessia says, “you’re here in Italy for work, but how have you been liking it here? Any favorite parts of the country so far?”
I smile, grateful they don’t talk about Elio more.
“Honestly, it’s been amazing. The food, the people.
” I shake my head, taking in the quaint restaurant.
“It’s just so different from Chicago. There’s so much history here, too.
I haven’t had much time to explore, outside of my time with Elio, but Portovino is beautiful.
It’s so much quieter than I expected, and that’s a nice change. ”
Alessia nods, sipping her drink. “You should go to Capri Island, if you can. It’s not too far from here, and the views are incredible. It’s like something off a postcard.”
I make a mental note to look into it. “That sounds wonderful. Hopefully, I’ll have more time after this whole project wraps up.”
She squeals. “We should all go together. How about tomorrow?”
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to Capri,” Grandma says, looking thoughtful.
Paola nods. “We could do a day trip. It’d be fun.”
A levity fills my chest as I glance between them, touched by their enthusiasm and generosity.
They’re willing to clear their schedules for the day just to show me around and include me in their lives.
Now more than ever, I want to ask about my mom and everything that happened—it is my nature to seek answers, after all—but something prevents me from voicing the question.
Probably the fact that we’re having such a nice time, and I don’t want to ruin it.
“That sounds incredible,” I s ay instead, my voice quieter than I intended. “I’d love to. Really.”
Alessia smiles brightly. “It’s settled, then. Capri tomorrow! It’ll be a nice break from your work, and you can experience another side of Italy.”
Throughout lunch, we keep chatting about Capri and what I should expect during our island trip. I’m getting more excited by the minute.
When the waiter asks if we have space for dessert, I discover that sweets are my family’s guilty pleasure too.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to put a damper on the atmosphere,” Grandma finally says. She wrings her hands, her deep brown eyes settling on me. “But I need to know. Did Giulia talk about us at all?”
I glance at Alessia, who gives me a subtle nod.
I guess it’s time to break my grandma’s heart.
As eager as I am to get answers, I know this conversation is going to hurt.
“Um, not really. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t love you or think about you,” I quickly say.
“We never talked about family. It was always just me and her.”
“You mean your dad wasn’t in the picture?” Paola asks with a frown.
“No. He left shortly after my birth. I’ve never met him.”
Grandma and Paola both look surprised. They glance at each other, their eyes full of meaning.
“What is it?” I ask. If I hav e to dredge up the past and say hurtful things, then so do they. I know nothing about my dad. Maybe they do. “Did you know him?”
Paola nods. “She met Rob when he was here on vacation, and they fell in love. It happened so fast. Rob was everything your mother wasn’t. He was rebellious and impulsive. Your mom loved that about him. We didn’t, obviously, but we thought it was just a fling.”
“But then she left with him,” Grandma says, her eyes brimming with tears.
My jaw drops. “What!”
“She wanted to be with him, and there was nothing we could do about it. We fought her on it, trying to reason with her,” she continues.
Paola fidgets with her napkin. “Until it got ugly, and everyone said things they regretted. It went too far, and before we could reconcile, your mom left for the US. We never saw her again. We had no way of contacting her, and she never reached out.”
I open my mouth to speak, but what can I even say?
That’s not at all how I expected this whole thing had gone down.
I figured they had a fight, but over a guy?
It just seems silly. Especially when I know for a fact the guy in question bailed on her two years later.
“Why didn’t she reach out?” I breathe. “I mean, he left us. We had no one.”
Paola shakes her head. “That’s why we were so shocked when you told us. We always thought they were happy together.”
“Your mother was a stubborn girl,” Grandma says, closing her eyes. “Proud too. She probably didn’t want to admit she was wrong.”
“But that’s insane. Why give up your entire family for some guy?” I shake my head slowly, then lock eyes with Grandma. “She loved you, I’m sure of it. Why else would she name me after you?”
Grandma buries her face in her hands, and I feel a stab of guilt for bringing all these memories crashing back into their lives.
“I’m sorry,” I say, a hand on her back. “This is my fault. I came looking for you all because I was curious, and I wanted answers, but all it did was bring you pain.”
“That’s not true,” Grandma and Paola both say at the same time. Paola places a hand on mine, and when I look into her eyes, I see my mom again. Her caring side that always radiated kindness.
“It’s natural to be curious, and I’m happy your curiosity led you to us. We are so glad to have you in our lives, Lucy.”
“We are,” Alessia agrees from the other side of the table, offering a comforting smile.
“It’s just hard for us to relive all these memories, that’s all.” Paola squeezes my hand, and Grandma adds hers on top. “But I’m happy you’re here, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You belong with your family.”
Our eyes lock, and I see so much of my mom in hers. But I also see myself. I’m sure she and I looked alike when she was young. I want to cry, feeling hurt that I missed all these years with her, but I know I should be grateful that I was able to connect with her in time.