The duplex that was almost the twin (except it was cream-colored instead of red-bricked) of the one we came from was filled with people, and she seemed to have the entire place under control by the sound of her accented voice alone.
Right away, I could tell she was the heart of the home, like the kitchen. Everyone rotated around her. Men. Women. Kids. So many kids. A constant flow of them came in and out of the house. Up and down the stairs. Some were laughing. Some were crying.
Aniello gave me names, but I knew I’d never remember them all. Some of them waved at me. Some nodded. There were so many, though, that I was lost in the hustle and bustle, which made me feel more comfortable. I was glad they all didn’t stop what they were doing and stare at me.
After Aniello kissed Lina on the cheek, and she tapped his face, she looked at me and did the same thing.
“We are so glad you are back,” she said, tapping my face again. Then she wrapped her arm around my waist and tried to shoo Aniello out of the kitchen with her free hand. “I’ll take good care of her. You go out and play bocce.”
He looked at me.
“Go,” I said. “I’ll help wherever I’m needed.”
“See.” Lina grinned at him. “She knows this is her home! She feels it here.” She touched my heart.
He hesitated before he left to go back outside—maybe to make sure I was comfortable.
Lina, and everyone in the house, treated me as though I’d been around forever. They treated me no differently than they treated each other, and the sense of normalcy made me feel immediately at ease. I felt that I belonged, and wherever they needed me, I helped. Just like everyone else.
They had more food than an Italian restaurant. It was as loud as one too. Especially with the music playing in the background.
“Buona sera, signorina…”
The dining room table was full of dishes that smelled so good, my stomach kept growling, and my mouth watered. And it seemed like, as soon as someone would put one dish out, another was ready.
Through constant conversation, I’d learned that Peppin and Lina had only Paul until they adopted Aniello. But Peppin and Lina had each come from large families, and most of the people in the house were sisters and brothers and nieces and nephews, along with their families. Some friends were in the mix, too, but it was hard enough remembering family.
“You can eat whenever you want,” Alessa said, handing me the baby in her arms.
She was one of the chattiest cousins, and she had kids, but I wasn’t sure if the one suddenly in my arms was one of them. A beautiful little girl who was probably around a year old. It wasn’t the first time someone had handed me a baby to hold that day.
I loved it. I loved everything about this family. About this day. Even though sometimes I got a pang in my heart knowing I could never give Aniello anything close to this. My package included me and my dog, who was loving all the attention too. She was going from hand to hand—especially when the hand smelled like food.
Would Aniello even want children if I could’ve had them? I never thought to even ask him. We had to have talked about it before the accident—because it had nothing to do with the accident, the reason why—so it was what it was. It was one of those things life handed me that couldn’t be changed.
The baby stared at me, and when I turned my face and looked at her, she gave me a big smile. I smiled back, really noticing the details of her face. She had light brown hair, enough to comb, and the prettiest blue eyes.
“We ate a little bit ago,” I said, remembering that Alessa had invited me to eat whenever. “Niello made me a plate.”
“Niello, huh?” She smirked as she grabbed some food from the table. “He once broke a guy’s nose for calling him Neil. I guess you get special privileges.”
I smiled but didn’t comment on that. “What’s her name?” I asked, taking her little hand and holding it in mine.
Alessa stopped piling her plate with food and looked at me. “Lina.”
“That’s so sweet,” I said. “She has a family name. And she looks like a Lina. It means ‘light,’ right?”
“I’m pretty sure it does,” Alessa said. “But you might want to ask Aniello. He knowseverything.”
I laughed, and so did Little Lina.
“He does,” I agreed.
Alessa took her plate into the other room and left me alone with Little Lina. She seemed like a good baby, content to be held, so I enjoyed keeping her with me.
The house wasn’t quieter, but it was more relaxed. Most people had already eaten, everyone either taking turns sitting at the table or finding other places to eat or take a nap after the food overload, and the mood felt more settled. More content.
Taking Little Lina with me, I went to find Aniello. From the screen door that led outside, I watched as he played bocce. It looked like it was down to him and Paul. Men crowded around them on either side, making noises when one guy would score or not, and it seemed tense, which made me wonder about their relationship.
