films.”
“You should. You’ll want to show your childhood to your kids one day. Let’s see—where should we start?”
“Let’s hit the high points,” Nick interjected. “We can watch the rest later.”
“When you have insomnia,” Joe said cynically. “It will put you right to sleep. Nick, I can’t believe you’re encouraging this.”
Nick grinned. “I know what’s good for me, and that’s keeping your sister happy.”
“Smart man,” Isabella said, exchanging a warm smile with Nick.
“You don’t have to stay for this, Charlotte,” Joe said. “We can go in the other room and talk.”
“Are you kidding?” I would love to see the younger you.”
“Great.” He sighed as Isabella turned on the first DVD.
“This is the summer we moved into the new house,” she said, her hand on the remote control. “We had the best backyard, tons of grass and trees. So much better than the other place.”
“I can’t believe you remember the other place,”Joe commented. “I think you were about five when we moved.”
“I remember there were a lot of cars on the street, and Mama never let me play out front.”
“That was a tough neighborhood,” Joe said. “It wasn’t safe for anyone to be out front.”
“Look, the Slip ’n Slide!” Isabella pointed to the screen, where a dozen bathing-suit-clad kids of varying ages were taking turns running and sliding down a wet piece of red plastic. “And there’s me.”
“Love the polka-dot bikini and the heels,” Charlotte said with a smile.
“I liked to make a statement even back then.” Isabella fast-forwarded for a few moments, pausing at a hill and some skateboarders. “And here’s Joe on the street behind our house, giving our mother a heart attack.”
Charlotte watched as a dark-haired, dark-eyed, teenage Joe flew down the hill on a skateboard, jumping over the curb, onto a bench, and then down a flight of stairs. “Wow, that was crazy!”
“Young and stupid,” Joe agreed. “By some miracle, I survived.”
“And here he is on his bike, no hands, cocky as hell,” Isabella said.
“Hey, I thought we were looking at
your
movies, Izzy,” Joe complained.
“We’re getting there; relax.” Isabella hit fast-forward again, and for the next few minutes, they watched the seasons pass: the Halloween parade, Thanksgiving dinner, decorating the tree at Christmas.Isabella pointed out parents, grandparents, sisters, and cousins. Charlotte couldn’t keep track of the names, but one thing was clear. “Every occasion in your family was big,” she said.
“My parents loved a crowd,” Isabella agreed. She fast-forwarded again, slowing down to show a teenage Joe and his father standing in front of an old Mustang. “The hot rod,” she said, shooting Joe a smile. “How many hours did you and Dad work on that car?”
“Too many to count,” he muttered. “Keep going.”
Isabella hit play again, narrating more Silveira events. Then she said, “Look, Joe, your high school graduation. There’s you and Rachel in your caps and gowns.”
Joe stiffened as Rachel’s face came on the screen. Charlotte cast him a quick look, then focused her attention on the video. Rachel and Joe looked happy, optimistic, ready to take on the world, exactly what graduation was all about. But their future hadn’t turned out the way either of them had anticipated.
“I’m going to get something to drink,” Joe said abruptly.
Isabella paused the tape, shooting a guilty look at Nick and Charlotte. “He’s pissed.”
“I don’t think he’s enjoying the trip down memory lane as much as you are,” Nick said. “Why don’t we do this later?” he added, getting to his feet. “In fact, let’s take the DVDs to my house, and we’ll show them to Megan.”
“All right.” Isabella ejected the DVD and put it in the box. “Sorry, Charlotte.”
“No need to apologize. I enjoyed seeing you both as kids, especially Joe. He’s so private; he’s a little hard to
“You should. You’ll want to show your childhood to your kids one day. Let’s see—where should we start?”
“Let’s hit the high points,” Nick interjected. “We can watch the rest later.”
“When you have insomnia,” Joe said cynically. “It will put you right to sleep. Nick, I can’t believe you’re encouraging this.”
Nick grinned. “I know what’s good for me, and that’s keeping your sister happy.”
“Smart man,” Isabella said, exchanging a warm smile with Nick.
“You don’t have to stay for this, Charlotte,” Joe said. “We can go in the other room and talk.”
“Are you kidding?” I would love to see the younger you.”
“Great.” He sighed as Isabella turned on the first DVD.
“This is the summer we moved into the new house,” she said, her hand on the remote control. “We had the best backyard, tons of grass and trees. So much better than the other place.”
“I can’t believe you remember the other place,”Joe commented. “I think you were about five when we moved.”
“I remember there were a lot of cars on the street, and Mama never let me play out front.”
“That was a tough neighborhood,” Joe said. “It wasn’t safe for anyone to be out front.”
“Look, the Slip ’n Slide!” Isabella pointed to the screen, where a dozen bathing-suit-clad kids of varying ages were taking turns running and sliding down a wet piece of red plastic. “And there’s me.”
“Love the polka-dot bikini and the heels,” Charlotte said with a smile.
“I liked to make a statement even back then.” Isabella fast-forwarded for a few moments, pausing at a hill and some skateboarders. “And here’s Joe on the street behind our house, giving our mother a heart attack.”
Charlotte watched as a dark-haired, dark-eyed, teenage Joe flew down the hill on a skateboard, jumping over the curb, onto a bench, and then down a flight of stairs. “Wow, that was crazy!”
“Young and stupid,” Joe agreed. “By some miracle, I survived.”
“And here he is on his bike, no hands, cocky as hell,” Isabella said.
“Hey, I thought we were looking at
your
movies, Izzy,” Joe complained.
“We’re getting there; relax.” Isabella hit fast-forward again, and for the next few minutes, they watched the seasons pass: the Halloween parade, Thanksgiving dinner, decorating the tree at Christmas.Isabella pointed out parents, grandparents, sisters, and cousins. Charlotte couldn’t keep track of the names, but one thing was clear. “Every occasion in your family was big,” she said.
“My parents loved a crowd,” Isabella agreed. She fast-forwarded again, slowing down to show a teenage Joe and his father standing in front of an old Mustang. “The hot rod,” she said, shooting Joe a smile. “How many hours did you and Dad work on that car?”
“Too many to count,” he muttered. “Keep going.”
Isabella hit play again, narrating more Silveira events. Then she said, “Look, Joe, your high school graduation. There’s you and Rachel in your caps and gowns.”
Joe stiffened as Rachel’s face came on the screen. Charlotte cast him a quick look, then focused her attention on the video. Rachel and Joe looked happy, optimistic, ready to take on the world, exactly what graduation was all about. But their future hadn’t turned out the way either of them had anticipated.
“I’m going to get something to drink,” Joe said abruptly.
Isabella paused the tape, shooting a guilty look at Nick and Charlotte. “He’s pissed.”
“I don’t think he’s enjoying the trip down memory lane as much as you are,” Nick said. “Why don’t we do this later?” he added, getting to his feet. “In fact, let’s take the DVDs to my house, and we’ll show them to Megan.”
“All right.” Isabella ejected the DVD and put it in the box. “Sorry, Charlotte.”
“No need to apologize. I enjoyed seeing you both as kids, especially Joe. He’s so private; he’s a little hard to
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