That’s not the whole truth. I know so. I’m sure of it, actually. The more I talk about the reality of Willow leaving eventually, the more I know I can’t let her go. I don’t want her to leave me. Don’t want her to leave Star Falls. I don’t know what I need to do, but maybe, just maybe… I have under a year, but who knows. By that time, maybe I’ll be able to convince her to stay.
My pops hugs me and holds me tight. “You deserve happiness, Benny. And nothing really good ever comes without complications. You’ll work it out.”
He releases me, and I search my dad’s face. “How can you be sure?” I ask. “There are so many things stacked against us. How can I be sure it’s not all going to be too much?”
“Too much?” My pops echoes my words. “It’s never too much. Not when you love someone,” he assures me. “Just trust that, Benny. No obstacle you two might face will be too much. Not if you don’t let it.”
The front door opens, and my sister Gracie breezes in, her toddler on her hip. “Ma! Pops!” she shouts. “You guys busy?”
“Oh, they were,” I mutter under my breath. “Sorry, but I had to say it.”
Mario groans and sniffs in indignation. “Well, if a man can’t make love to his wife in his own house…”
“Hold the phone.” One of Gracie’s thick brows is sky-high in her forehead, her lips pulled into a grossed-out grimace. “Did Pops just say he wasmaking love to his wife?”
“Don’t even get me started,” I tell her, shaking my head. “I saw it, Gracie. Saw things no man should ever see.”
Gracie puts the baby down, and he toddles over to me. I open my arms for a hug and murmur against his neck. “Make it go away, Ethan. Make the memory go away.”
Grace looks horrified as she hugs Pops and holds up a hand. “Stop. I have already heard more than enough.”
“Pops got himself on Viagra,” I offer. I use my finger to again simulate a hard-on, and Gracie makes a puking sound.
“Oh my God, I told you to stop.” She smacks me on the arm. “That’s sick.”
“It’s nature. It’s natural, I mean…” Pops holds his hands in the air. “I give up. I’m sorry your brother had to see my morning wood, Gracie, but…”
“Pops. Oh my God, stop.” Gracie covers her mouth like she might actually puke when Ma and Willow come down the stairs. Gracie turns to our mom and kisses her cheek. “Don’t tell me,” she says. “Ma, I don’t have the stomach to hear about your sex life.”
“Gracie, please, it’s bad enough that Willow had to meet your father for the first time in the nude, but in front of the baby.” My mother scowls. “Let’s leave the bedroom talk to the grown-ups, please.”
Gracie is covering her entire face with her hands. She’s squeezing her eyes, heavily winged with eyeliner, closed, and she’s making a fake-retching sound behind her hands. “Oh my fucking God, I’m leaving. I’m done.”
“Language.” Ma never misses even one curse.
Willow is standing behind my mom, grinning at me and watching the scene unfold. When Gracie finally uncovers her mouth, she looks from Willow to me and then back at Willow. “Please tell me you’re with my brother and you have nothing to do with the apparent sex den my parents have turned this place into.”
Willow extends a hand to Gracie. “I am with your brother. Willow Watkins.”
Gracie looks at her hand but then says, “Are you not a hugger?”
Willow grins, a large smile that lights up her whole face. “No, no. Hugs are great.”
Gracie clasps her in her arms, the neck of her very loose boatneck top falling over one shoulder, revealing both a bright-red bra strap and an arm loaded with ink. “Nice to meet you. I’m the smart one in the family, and this is my kid, Ethan. I have two more in school.”
Willow nods and bends down to greet my nephew. While she’s kneeling, Gracie spins and throws a look at me. “What’swith all the secrets in this house? Ma and Pops have set up a sex dungeon, and you have a girlfriend? Do Vito and Franco know?”
“There is no sex dungeon,” my father says on a long sigh. “And I don’t know if your brothers know about Benny’s girlfriend, but this is the first we’re meeting her.”
“And she is wonderful.” Ma is beaming.
She hasn’t even put on makeup yet, which means she’s really feeling comfortable around Willow. Not that she has had any time since Willow and I interrupted her and Pops.
“She is wonderful, and Pops and Ma are healthy andactive.” I grimace as I emphasize active. “And Willow and I were just leaving.” I nod at Willow, who is looking at my sister like she’s about to burst out laughing.
“So soon? Can’t you stay for lunch?” Ma picks up Ethan and smooches him loudly on the cheek.
“Ma, I might never get my appetite back.” I lean down and kiss her goodbye, then give Ethan a loud raspberry on his chubby little neck. “I’m kidding. Love you, but we got places to be.”
