safe.”
She closed her eyes a moment. The tears disappeared, threatened rain that never falls. Joe was right, in so many ways. “Joe’s my safe place. I want to create that for him.”
“He’s a lucky man. You tell me what I can do.” He patted her arm gently and dropped his hand.
“I expect you’ve already been doing plenty.” The Christmas gifts, Joe happening to be there when he, Becca, and Pete had taken Layla out…
He shrugged. She hugged him. He hooked her arm under his. “You ready to join the others?”
She nodded and they strolled out to the living room. She warmed again, seeing how at home Layla was. Everyone took her in as part of the family. Almost everyone. Sophia hung back from the group. She motioned to her husband and whispered to him. He nodded.
“Sophia and I better get going,” Carlo said. “We’ll see you soon.”
They exchanged hugs with Lorenzo, Lita, Enzo, Celeste, Becca, Pete, Gina, and Vincente. Carlo bent down at Layla’s level. “Nice to meet you, Layla. Hope we’ll see you soon.”
Layla shook his outstretched hand. “Thank you, Joey’s dad.”
He smiled, but this faded when he stood and met his wife’s pained expression. At least Carlo seemed to accept her and Layla like the rest of the family did. Her cheeks heated. Sophia had been Mamá’s best friend. She was Joe’s mother. Ariella hadn’t been able to face everyone at eighteen, but now she had to make things right with Sophia, for herself, for Joe. Ariella met them at the doorway to the hall. “Sophia, can I take you to lunch this week? So we can talk.”
Sophia glanced at Carlo, who had his hand protectively on Sophia’s lower back, much like Joe had done for her earlier. Sophia closed her eyes a moment. When she opened them, she nodded.
“Why don’t you come to lunch in a couple of days? I think a private place would be better.”
“Thank you. Can I bring anything? How about my mom’s pineapple empanadas?”
Sophia touched her throat, fingering her delicate cross necklace. “That would be nice, thanks. See you at twelve-thirty?”
Ariella nodded. It was a start. Carlo gave her a smile as he passed, ushering Sophia out.
“You’ve become quite a woman,” Grandpop said in a quiet voice. “That’s all the repayment I need.”
She leaned her shoulder into him for a moment. She watched Lorenzo, Lita, Angelo, Enzo, Celeste, Gina, Vincente, Becca, and Pete, who were all chatting with Layla—family. She lifted her head, a new lightness radiating from her toes, through her legs. She wasn’t tensing to run, or anticipating danger. She and Layla were safe.
Grandpop moved toward the refreshments on the coffee table and made himself a small plate. He sat in a wingback armchair near the fireplace, overseeing the grouping like the family patriarch.
“Ariella, won’t you sit here and tell us how you’ve been?” Celeste created a place between her and Enzo on the long sofa.
Ariella sat between them and inhaled slowly. She breathed in belonging, family, home. She could realize her dreams. If she dared to risk her heart.
***
A couple of days later, Ariella stood outside Sophia and Carlo’s, a plate of empanadas in hand. She shifted her feet. Becca, who was still on vacation, was watching Layla. The three had formed a real friendship, something Ariella had missed, that sisterhood.
She glanced at her outfit, which she’d chosen carefully: boots, light grey slacks, a muted burgundy blouse, and a long sweater. Her cross necklace flashed from atop the conservatively closed blouse. Her necklace had been Mamá’s. She squared her shoulders and knocked on the door.
After a few moments, Carlo opened the door. She let out the breath she’d been holding.
“Ariella, good to see you again.”
No smile accompanied his words. She didn’t move. She needed to do this. She gripped the plate.
“Come on in.” He waited for her to enter then shut the door. He touched her shoulder. “Sophia told me what’s
She closed her eyes a moment. The tears disappeared, threatened rain that never falls. Joe was right, in so many ways. “Joe’s my safe place. I want to create that for him.”
“He’s a lucky man. You tell me what I can do.” He patted her arm gently and dropped his hand.
“I expect you’ve already been doing plenty.” The Christmas gifts, Joe happening to be there when he, Becca, and Pete had taken Layla out…
He shrugged. She hugged him. He hooked her arm under his. “You ready to join the others?”
She nodded and they strolled out to the living room. She warmed again, seeing how at home Layla was. Everyone took her in as part of the family. Almost everyone. Sophia hung back from the group. She motioned to her husband and whispered to him. He nodded.
“Sophia and I better get going,” Carlo said. “We’ll see you soon.”
They exchanged hugs with Lorenzo, Lita, Enzo, Celeste, Becca, Pete, Gina, and Vincente. Carlo bent down at Layla’s level. “Nice to meet you, Layla. Hope we’ll see you soon.”
Layla shook his outstretched hand. “Thank you, Joey’s dad.”
He smiled, but this faded when he stood and met his wife’s pained expression. At least Carlo seemed to accept her and Layla like the rest of the family did. Her cheeks heated. Sophia had been Mamá’s best friend. She was Joe’s mother. Ariella hadn’t been able to face everyone at eighteen, but now she had to make things right with Sophia, for herself, for Joe. Ariella met them at the doorway to the hall. “Sophia, can I take you to lunch this week? So we can talk.”
Sophia glanced at Carlo, who had his hand protectively on Sophia’s lower back, much like Joe had done for her earlier. Sophia closed her eyes a moment. When she opened them, she nodded.
“Why don’t you come to lunch in a couple of days? I think a private place would be better.”
“Thank you. Can I bring anything? How about my mom’s pineapple empanadas?”
Sophia touched her throat, fingering her delicate cross necklace. “That would be nice, thanks. See you at twelve-thirty?”
Ariella nodded. It was a start. Carlo gave her a smile as he passed, ushering Sophia out.
“You’ve become quite a woman,” Grandpop said in a quiet voice. “That’s all the repayment I need.”
She leaned her shoulder into him for a moment. She watched Lorenzo, Lita, Angelo, Enzo, Celeste, Gina, Vincente, Becca, and Pete, who were all chatting with Layla—family. She lifted her head, a new lightness radiating from her toes, through her legs. She wasn’t tensing to run, or anticipating danger. She and Layla were safe.
Grandpop moved toward the refreshments on the coffee table and made himself a small plate. He sat in a wingback armchair near the fireplace, overseeing the grouping like the family patriarch.
“Ariella, won’t you sit here and tell us how you’ve been?” Celeste created a place between her and Enzo on the long sofa.
Ariella sat between them and inhaled slowly. She breathed in belonging, family, home. She could realize her dreams. If she dared to risk her heart.
***
A couple of days later, Ariella stood outside Sophia and Carlo’s, a plate of empanadas in hand. She shifted her feet. Becca, who was still on vacation, was watching Layla. The three had formed a real friendship, something Ariella had missed, that sisterhood.
She glanced at her outfit, which she’d chosen carefully: boots, light grey slacks, a muted burgundy blouse, and a long sweater. Her cross necklace flashed from atop the conservatively closed blouse. Her necklace had been Mamá’s. She squared her shoulders and knocked on the door.
After a few moments, Carlo opened the door. She let out the breath she’d been holding.
“Ariella, good to see you again.”
No smile accompanied his words. She didn’t move. She needed to do this. She gripped the plate.
“Come on in.” He waited for her to enter then shut the door. He touched her shoulder. “Sophia told me what’s
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