56. Colt
56
colt
The girls are with Maggie tonight with the cats in the cleaned up villa. We spent the last couple of days christening each bat free villa room. The property is stunning. I have spent little time here yet, but I discovered, while on a run, there’s an abandoned tiled pool with a fountain that no longer works. There are also a series of small one-bedroom houses all over the property, I assume, for workers that used to work the grove. I explored a couple but I’m sure all the grounds fell into the overgrown jungle when the caretaker hit his 90 th birthday. I want to resurrect them for her. Not sure what she’d do with little houses, but it gives me a project.
I took myself to Florence tonight because I was missing the pace of a city. I don’t miss Boston all the time, but the energy’s different from our sleepy old town. Funny, I called it ours. It might be nice to have an apartment in Florence and a house somewhere else. Or a villa. Tuscany is more home than I’ve ever felt in my life except around my brothers.
My toe catches on the tip of a cobblestone, and I look up. It is like the universe is catching me calling this place home. I didn’t intend to weave myself into this Italian fabric, but maybe we were always a part of it and now we’re discovering it. Italy knew, we belong here.
I sit down at a café for a caffe. The fall colors of harvest gold, a darker green and burgundy, are blooming in the pots and planters that previously held fuchsia, rich violets and that brighter yellow of summer. If Maggie were a color, it would be yellow. Forever bright, complex, buoyant and makes everything shine better and brighter. What the fuck have I been doing all these years living in a world without yellow? I try calling my mom, but she doesn’t pick up and I’m relieved. I want to see where her head would be if I float the idea of Maggie, but I also don’t want to taint what’s happening with their bullshit.
Hayden: Law was just named best pitcher under thirty or some bullshit.
Tony: Yeah. I heard. {SELFIE Tony, Dax, Law}
Colt: That’s not fair.
Law: Domestic Brothers only.
Robbie: What the fuck? I go to the bathroom and you document without me. {SELFIE of Robbie flipping off Tony, Dax and Law}
Dax: We’re two blocks from the house you own here, Colt. So, fuck off and get here.
Hayden: I liked you a lot better before you decided to share your voice more. Fuck you all. Where’s our invite?
Colt: Ouch.
Tony: Colt, you owe nothing since you’re the only one who bet on Law Making the list before 30.
Law: Awe, buddy. I want to do something sweet for you. Can I send you a blowjob or something?
Colt: All good in that department.
Hayden: Tell Lizzie I need one.
Tony: Staying out of it. But Mak did say Maggie is super happy. I’m guessing you’re back into the boning on the reg business.
Colt: Groan.
Law: Hey. Wait. If Colt’s the only one who doesn’t owe–that means you assholes all bet against me?
Hayden: Aren’t you all sitting next to each other?
Robbie: Yeah. We look like anti-social muthafuckers all on our phones, sitting side by side.
Colt: Enjoy your night. It’s fucking late there dudes. Go home. Do you need me to call an UBER?
Dax: On it.
Colt: Send me the receipts and I’ll piece your night together for you.
Tony: Come home.
Colt: Not yet. You always have a place here with us.
Robbie: Claire’s freaked out by the bat stories from here. Fat Chance I’ll ever get to visit Italy. Paris is fine because of the grandmother situation, but Italy, can’t justify it. Sorry, brother.
Tony: We’re slammed. Mak with applying to internships, and the Cookery has a new launch.
Hayden: Fuck you all. We’ll can come to Italy next weekend. Mamas in tow. They want to see the place that spawned a village of cats and then they’re setting off for some beach hijinks. You got room for all of us? We’ll be there. Lizzie’s texting with her right now.
Colt: Yeah. We’ve got plenty of room. I’ll alert Mags. Her bat free and cat filled villa is huge.
Dax: I don’t like the way this is coming together. I’ll see what Monica’s schedule is. She’s finishing out her parks contract and I don’t know how to tell her how much I HATE Maine. It’s too quiet.
Law: What are we babbling about? I’m here. With you, assholes. Put your phones down. Bye Bro. Thanks for the vote of confidence Colt. Don’t text again.
Hayden: Love you, baby bro.
Law: What did I just fucking type. We OUT!
NOTIFICATIONS HAVE BEEN SILENCED BY LAWRENCE DANSON
Hayden: Good one. Ah shit. He just put on his DND. HA! Gotta miss home. Catch you tomorrow with details, Colt.
Colt: Night.
I look back at that café and this street. I’m not sure I can tell them, I am home. And that this is the last girls’ night for a while. I loved being in this city, and alone for a moment, but it only made me miss the three of them.