Chapter 28 #2
“It’s good to see you too, Alicia. Your mom said the salad was your responsibility tonight.”
She smiles and gives my hand a playful double shake before letting go, then turns to her mother.
“Mom knows my dressing is better than hers.”
Cecilia laughs. “A student surpassing the teacher,” she says. “That’s not bad at all.”
After that, the atmosphere changes, the tension lifting and putting everyone at ease.
I help carry the dishes to the table. Cecilia has prepared a true feast. Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, roasted vegetables, and warm dinner rolls.
When Ethan offers to open the first bottle of wine, I pass it to him without hesitation.
Dinner unfolds with laughter and conversations that move naturally from one topic to the next. Every so often, I let my fork rest and simply observe the three of them—the way love shows itself in every glance, smile, and word exchanged. And I know this is what I want for the rest of my life.
We’re just finishing when Cecilia speaks, glancing at me. “Alexander’s the one who made your favorite pie this time of year.”
Ethan looks at me for a moment, observant, but says nothing.
“You actually made it?” Alicia asks, studying me with open suspicion. “Or did you buy it?”
I chuckle. “I made it. My Nonna—my grandmother—always made sure everyone in the family knew at least the basics in the kitchen.”
She nods, though the doubt on her face doesn’t disappear.
I take Cecilia’s hand. “Do you mind if I go get it for us?”
“Of course not,” she says, smiling. “I can help.”
I shake my head. “How about Ethan gives me a hand instead?” I say, meeting his gaze. “Let the ladies rest while we serve it.”
“Sure,” he replies, already rising from his chair.
I start after him when I hear Alicia whisper behind us,
“Mom, did he really make it? I think I want a very small slice.”
“We can still hear you, Buttercup,” Ethan says without missing a beat.
The last thing I hear before we reach the kitchen is Alicia’s exaggerated groan of protest.
I go straight to the fridge and take the pecan pie from the shelf where I left it earlier. I’d stopped by while Ethan was out with his sister, intending only to drop it off for Cecilia. To check on her, make sure she was alright, and see if she wanted to go through with dinner.
Behind me, I hear Ethan pulling plates from the cabinet. I grab the ice cream flavors Cecilia mentioned they like to have with the pie and turn to find him setting the plates on a tray, his expression distant. Thoughtful.
After placing everything on the island, I don’t say a word.
Throughout dinner, I could tell there was something he wanted to say. Asking him to help with dessert was my attempt to give him the
space to do it.
When he finally looks at me, there’s resolve in his eyes.
“Mom told me you already know everything that happened to her... What my dad did.”
I nod.
“So you know how strong she is,” he continues. “How she went through all of it with her head held high and stayed the mom Alicia and I have always loved.”
The admiration in his voice soothes something deep in my chest.
“But just because she’s strong doesn’t mean she should keep getting hurt,” he adds, his hands tightening on the edge of the island. “Just because she can get back up doesn’t mean it’s okay.”
He lowers his head, then meets my gaze again.
“She said she trusts you. That she loves you.”
I don’t try to hide the smile that forms, knowing she shared that with them matters more than I can explain.
“So I’m doing what I’ve always done,” he says, making no effort to hide his vulnerability. “I’m trusting her to make the right decision.”
He straightens, looking me dead in the eye before adding,
“Don’t hurt my mother, Alexander. If you ever change your mind, or decide you don’t want this anymore—don’t hurt her. Be a man. Walk away.”
I move to the other side of the island, keeping a respectful distance, and look at him calmly. “I love your mother as I’ve never loved anyone. I know words don’t mean much unless they’re backed by actions, so I won’t offer promises I can’t prove.”
I hold his gaze.
“All I’m asking for is a chance. To get to know you and your sister. To be part of your lives without forcing myself into them. On your terms.”
With time, he’ll see there isn’t even the smallest possibility of me hurting her. Betraying her. Or walking away.
And with time, he’ll understand that in a way, I already care deeply for him and Alicia… because they are part of the woman I love.
Ethan nods, then turns back to arranging the cutlery for dessert on the tray.
Just before we leave the kitchen, he adds almost offhandedly, “You should grab the cinnamon too. Mom likes a little sprinkled on her slice.”
I smile. “Thank you.”
He nods again and starts toward the dining room while I turn to where he pointed out the spices are kept. I know it isn’t about the cinnamon. Or even about his mother’s preference. What he offered, what he chose to do, was his way of saying he’ll try. For her.
I bring the pie and the ice cream to the table. When I set the cinnamon down beside Cecilia, she looks at me first, then at her son. Her smile wavers for a beat, her eyes bright as she places her hand over his.
I cut and serve the pie. When I hand Alicia her plate, I keep the piece modest. She thanks me, but her eyes don’t meet mine. I pay attention as she takes her first bite, cautiously. Then her expression changes. She takes another bite. And then another.
Ethan laughs beside her and starts on his own slice.
Alicia is the first to finish. She wastes no time serving herself a second piece. Much larger this time.
“I’m sorry, Alexander,” she says a little awkwardly after another forkful of pie and ice cream. “I wasn’t trying to be rude. It’s just that at home none of the guys was ever any good in the kitchen. Ethan’s... okay. But it’s not great.”
Ethan narrows his eyes. “I’ll remember that next time you ask me to make pancakes because you’re too lazy to make yours.”
Alicia shrugs. “At least yours are better than Dad’s. He burns everything and doesn’t even try anymore.”
The air shifts, just slightly. I catch Ethan’s glance toward me. Cecilia notices it too.
“I’ll teach your mom,” I say lightly. “She can show you, and then you can teach your dad.”
Ethan’s smile tells me he’s holding something back.
Alicia giggles. “Only if I feel like watching him set the kitchen on fire.”
She and Ethan burst into laughter.
Cecilia smiles at her daughter. “We could try making it together sometime. All four of us and see who does it best. Or we could split into teams.”
“I’m on Alexander’s team,” Alicia says, not even thinking twice. She turns to her mother. “Sorry, Mom, but his pie is way better than yours. If we’re competing, I don’t want to lose.”
Cecilia presses a hand to her chest in mock offense. “Then Ethan and I will be a team, and I won’t make this pie for you ever again.”
I reach for her hand. “I can make it for us every year.”
The smile that spreads across her face makes me smile in return as my heart stutters—but it’s what Alicia says next that gives me even more hope.
“Yes, Alexander. Next year the pie is on you.”
I smile at her. “You can count on it.”
You can count on me for far more than dessert.
Alicia looks back at me. “Mom said you’re moving into the house across the street.”
“Yes. Tomorrow I’m officially moving in.”
“Your dog... Sam,” she says. “Is he going to live with you?”
I smile. “He is. He’ll be with me soon.”
While I was going through the move and restoration, I left him in Pisa.
Next week, he’ll be brought over. I’ve found a good school for him—plenty of activities, other dogs, space to run—so he won’t feel lonely while I’m at the company.
And whenever I go back to Pisa, he comes with me.
He loves running free through the olive groves.
I share my plans with them, and Alicia keeps smiling, asking more questions about the villa and the school.
“Mom, maybe we could get a dog too,” Alicia says thoughtfully. “Now that it’s just us at home.”
Ethan scoffs, playfully. “What—are you trying to replace me with a dog, Buttercup?”
Alicia shrugs, and Ethan nudges her, making her roll her eyes and call him dramatic.
Cecilia smiles as she entwines our fingers. “I’m sure Alexander won’t mind sharing Sam with us,” she says.
“Not at all,” I reply, my voice charged with emotion.
I’ll love sharing everything I am with you.
Everything I have to give… and everything I’ll learn, loving you as my family.