Chapter 68
Emilia
As we approached the house, I sucked in my breath.
Though it didn’t look like the one out of my daydreams, it fulfilled all the Big Points on my list.
Out in the middle of beautiful countryside: check.
A small home I could see starting a family in: check.
Peaceful: check.
The land was beautiful. Olive groves spread out behind it on one side of the property, and vineyards lay on the other side.
And the dogs!
When we drove up, three of them ran up, barking excitedly.
Giorgio squatted down and roughhoused with two of them. “Who’s a good boy, huh? Who’s a good boy?”
Any lingering worries I had about how good a man he was?
They instantly disappeared.
You can tell when somebody deeply loves animals…
And Giorgio really loved his family’s dogs.
Just as I was getting acquainted with Dolce, his mother came out of the house.
She was short and cute in a gingham dress and an apron. When she and Giorgio embraced, I could feel the love between them.
His mother turned her smiling face towards me. “And who is this beautiful young lady you’ve brought home?”
“This is Emilia,” Giorgio said with a big grin.
“Hello, Signora Navarrini,” I said. I walked over and kissed her on each cheek.
“Emilia – such a pretty name!” Mama said as she wrapped an arm around me and led me towards the house. “But you’re far too skinny! You need some good home-cooked food – we’re gonna have to fatten you right up!”
Oh shit.
I looked over at Giorgio, but he just laughed.
She led me inside the house, which was small but incredibly cozy. There were dozens of photographs on the walls; many showed Giorgio at various ages. I loved seeing him at five years old, then ten, then 17.
A woman even younger than me sat in a chair holding a baby in her arms.
“Emilia,” Giorgio’s mom said, “this is Cinzia and Mirabella!”
“Ciao,” I said.
“Ciao!” Cinzia said cheerfully. “Say ‘ciao,’ Mirabella!”
The baby looked up at me with the cutest look of bewilderment you’ve ever seen.
A middle-aged man came out of the kitchen. He looked very much like Giorgio, just with a lot of extra weight and grayer hair.
“Fulvio,” Giorgio’s mom said, “this is Emilia, Giorgio’s friend.”
“Ciao,” he said gruffly, nodding rather than air-kissing my cheeks.
Uh-oh.
“Ciao, signore,” I said politely. “I’m very happy to meet you.”
He just nodded and stayed silent.
Everyone else was far more effusive, though. I met all of them – all the brothers and sisters and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. They were gathered out back around a table filled with bowls of food. A four-year-old boy ran through the grass, chasing one of the dogs.
Everyone was kind to me, greeting me with hugs and kisses on the cheek.
Serafina, the youngest daughter, exclaimed, “FINALLY – Giorgio got a girlfriend!”
Everyone laughed, including me.
It struck me that Giorgio was exactly like his family: kind, happy, and positive.
Except for his father, who seemed darker.
A little more… dangerous.
But I’d seen that side of Giorgio, too…
So I guess he really was like everyone here.