19. Dom
19
dom
As I watched Ella smiling, eyes sparkling, surrounded by my family, something in my chest clicked into place, like the final tumbler in a multi-chambered lock. I had a supportive, loving family and a job I loved, but something had been missing.
Until now.
With Ella here beside me, everything was exactly as it should be.
She was doing great amid the organized chaos. Little by little, as she came to realize that this was not the inquisition she’d thought it would be, she relaxed. Her stiff, formal posture eased. Her smiles came easier and more frequently. She even felt comfortable enough to join in some of the multiple conversations occurring simultaneously.
She seemed particularly interested in the one going on between Uncle Vito and Gina’s husband, Gray. They were talking about a new up-and-coming band, one that was getting gigs as a popular opener. As Gray was the lead guitarist for the mega-popular Bad Influence and Vito was a regional concert promoter, they knew what they were talking about.
“Did you go to a lot of concerts?” Ella asked, looking at me.
Man, I loved when she looked at me. Loved even more that she wanted to know more about me.
“Oh, yeah,” I replied. “Gina and I went all the time. Name a band, and chances are, we’ve not only seen them, but we’ve been backstage with them too.” Yeah, I was bragging, but sometimes, a guy felt the need to impress his woman.
“What kind of music do you like?” she asked.
“Pre-2K rock and ’70s, ’80s, some ’90s.” I was about to ask her about her music preferences when Gina tossed in, “Don’t forget glam pop disco boy bands.”
Ella sputtered around her sip of wine, nearly pulling a spit take. “Glam pop disco boy bands? You’re into that?”
I glared at Gina, who was now grinning widely. “No, I’m not into that,” I said irritably.
“Why did you go to a concert if you didn’t like the music?” Ella asked.
“It was under false pretense. I thought we were seeing someone else. I don’t even like those guys.”
“I have a video that says otherwise,” my evil little sister said. “You know, the one where you were captured on the Jumbotron, singing along at the top of your voice, surrounded by a hundred screaming preteen girls?”
I scowled. I knew exactly the video she was talking about. Gina had promised me that she’d delete it the moment we got back to our hotel. Clearly, she’d lied.
“It was one line of one song .”
“That’s-a true,” Nonna said, nodding his head. “It’s very funny.”
I turned to my grandfather in disbelief. “You’ve seen it?”
Vinnie tried to cover his laugh with a cough. “Everyone’s seen it, dude. Gina sent it in the family group text. Guess she left your name off that one.”
Even Paulie, the serious lawyer of the family, didn’t bother hiding his smirk.
“Do you still have it?” Ella asked eagerly.
“Yeah. Hold on. I’ll send it to you.” Gina extracted her phone and started thumbing the screen with lightning speed.
Oh, hell no. “Hey, no phones at the table,” I protested. “Ma, tell Gina no phones at the table.”
My protest was immediately dismissed because even my mother was laughing.
“I think we can make an exception in this case.”
I made a half-hearted attempt to swipe Ella’s phone out of her hand, but she was quick, skillfully dodging my efforts.
“Make sure the sound is turned up,” Gina coaxed.
A hush fell over the room, and within seconds, my voice rang out, singing along to a truly horrible song. Ella was looking at the screen and giggling. My serious, introverted woman was giggling , to the point where she clasped a hand over her mouth. Seeing that was worth reliving any number of embarrassing moments.
Ella put her phone down, hit me with a brilliant smile, and clearly said, “That’s one of my favorite songs.”
If I wasn’t already a goner for this woman, I would’ve been in that moment.
“What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?” I asked later as we put Mama C’s in the rearview.
She’d been quiet for a while. I thought she might be upset with me because I had abandoned her for a bit to clear the table. Not because I’d wanted to, but because it was tradition. Men cleaned up after Sunday dinner, leaving the women to linger over their beverages of choice—usually espresso.
After several moments, she finally said, “Your family is so …”
My heart sank. My family was a huge part of my life, and I selfishly wanted them to be a big part of her life too. I never considered she wouldn’t want that. I was so sure she would fit in perfectly.
“ Wonderful ,” she finished.
I glanced over and found her looking at me, her expression soft and a little sad. I laced my fingers with hers. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
She nodded and dabbed discreetly at her eyes. I couldn’t not respond to that. I immediately pulled over into the first parking lot I saw and found a spot.
“Hey now,” I said, releasing her seat belt and pulling her close. “Talk to me.”
“There’s so much love among you,” she said, sniffling into my shoulder, “and you’re not afraid to show it. Men are generous with respectful displays of affection. The women speak their mind and people listen.”
My heart broke a little. “I’m guessing your family wasn’t like that, huh?”
She gave a small laugh. “No. Not even close. We never enjoyed each other’s company like that or openly poked fun at one another. And neither my father nor my brothers would ever clear a table.” She shook her head. “I knew other families were different, but I’d never experienced it myself.”
“That’s how we were raised,” I told her, pushing a lock of hair away from her forehead. “Nonno says that when we find the woman who completes us, we must always put her first, and if we do it right, she’ll do the same. He and my nonna have been happily married for more than sixty-five years, so I’d say he’s onto something.”
“That’s beautiful. Your grandfather is a wise man.”
“And quite the matchmaker, don’t forget. He’s never been wrong.”
“Never?” she whispered.
“Never.”
I stared into her beautiful eyes, seeing nothing less than my whole future. Next thing I knew, I was lowering my head, and she was raising hers, lips parted. Nothing but a no from her could have stopped me from kissing her.
Her lips were so soft. So perfect. Ella was right there with me. Her hand cupped the side of my face, gently holding me in place so she could angle her head and deepen the kiss. I felt her not only on my lips, but soaking down into my heart and soul as well.
I didn’t know how long it lasted. An instant. An eternity. Only that it wasn’t long enough. I had a feeling I could kiss this woman forever, and it still wouldn’t be long enough.
Catcalls and teasing shouts of, “Get a room,” from a group of passing teens were a timely reminder that we were in a public parking lot.
We broke the kiss and laughed. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips glossy and slightly swollen. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
“Guess we should get out of here,” I said.
“Yeah,” she agreed on a soft sigh, her lips slightly curled in a smile that told me she’d enjoyed our kiss as much as I had.
As we got back on the road, Ella was the one who entwined her fingers with mine. “You know what?”
“What?”
“I’d say Nonno’s batting average remains pristine.”