Fuming, she rounded the table while he scurried to the other side. “I’m going to butcher you to pieces for every tear I shed from heartbreak.”
“With what, that spatula in your hand?” he goaded, but the smile on his lips told her everything she needed to know. He won. She lost. “Good luck. You can’t even hurt a fly. Plus, if you kill me, you’ll miss me too much. Who else is going to put up with your needy nature,principessa—”
Like a woman scorned, she pounced on him with a battle cry, spatula at the ready.
The doorbell rang that very instant.
“I’ll get it!” I declared all too happily and got out of the kitchen before they started destroying things.
Luna strutted after me.
Neither of us was fazed. When both parents had lived under the same roof, this was a daily occurrence in our home.
I swung open the door with a bright smile on my face, already knowing who it would be. “Ciao,Nonna!I’m so happy to see you!”
My grandmother stood on the front porch with her cane and a dish of tiramisu in her hands. Behind her, a taxi exited. “Piccola, I’m so happy to see you too.”
I hugged her, breathing in her homey smell. “You’re here early. Not that I’m complaining.” I smacked a noisy kiss on her wrinkly cheek. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” She smiled. “Your papà was supposed to pick me up in half an hour, but I had an inkling that something was wrong. Hence why I decided to come on my own.”
“Your instincts are on point.” I grabbed the tiramisu dish from her so she could enter inside with her cane. “Oh, I love your outfit. You look so cute.”
She gave me a slow twirl, elated. “We match.”
We both wore black dresses. Mine was form-fitting and down to mid thigh, coupled with sheer stockings that had little black hearts on them. Nonna’s was ankle length and billowy. She accessorized with the cutest rhinestone crossbody purse and jeweled clips to keep her grey hair away from her face. And blood red lipstick, of course. That was a classic Bellafiore women staple.
“That we do.”
On cue, a loudvaffanculorang in the background.
“Nonna…do you still carry holy water in your purse? We have a bunch of sinners in this house.”
Nonna shut the front door, locked it, and peered down the hallway to see a sliver of the chaos in the kitchen. Mamma and Papà went at each other’s throats like dogs. A plate got thrown on the floor. Glass shattered. Curses were exchanged.
“Oh!” She reared back. “What’s going on?”
“Okay, so basically…” I gave her the entire rundown in under thirty seconds. Nonna emulated the cross sign when I told her what I walked in on. By the end of my storytelling, she was shocked but not surprised at their antics.
“Now”—I flicked a glance towards the kitchen—“it looks like Mamma picked up a knife and she’s going to stab him.”
“She won’t stab him,” Nonna said. “Also, Enzo’s like a cat. He’s got nine lives.”
“Yeah, well, if she does stab him, he’ll be down to eight.”
“Meh. A little bit of fighting is good for the soul.”
“Shouldn’t you be more concerned about your son’s well-being?”
She shrugged. “He’s a hellion, just like your grandfather was—may his soul rest in peace. Men like that deserve a good spanking every so often. Let your mamma berate him. Furthermore, she’s doing it out of sheer pleasure, not anger.” She waved her cane in their general direction. “Secretly, the part of her that fell in love with his dangerous side loves that he was crazy enough to sabotage her dates. They’re just letting out some much-needed steam. Trust me, Gabriela. Their passion lies in their fight—it’s how they thrive. They were like that even when they were young. But you, my child, are an angel compared to them.” She patted my face lovingly. “That’s because you take after me, of course.”
I chuckled. “Of course I do.”
She bent down to coo at Luna, who was pawing at her leg for attention. “Hello, my pretty little baby. My other angel who takes after me. How are you? Yes, yes, I’ve missed you too. I have some treats with your name on them.”
While she rummaged through her purse for Luna’s treats, I observed my parents over my shoulder. “Um, Nonna, they don’t seem like they’re fighting anymore.” My eyes squinted in disbelief. “Ew. They’re kissing now and oh my God, Papà is down on one knee, proposing to her!”
All three of us crowded into the hallway to watch the scene unfold.
