That, I could believe. Even though there were a lot of people, Scarlett and Matteo were right. It was hard to confuse anyone with anyone else. Personalities were not something lacking around here. LikeZia…no...ZioRomeo. After I’d met him, I had no idea how I could forget him andThe Hair.That still cracked me up.
Scarlett patted my hip and returned my smile. “Romeo?”
“Yeah,” I said, laughing. “He’s unforgettable.”
“Ah,Cher!” Juliette said from somewhere in the kitchen. “If he hears that, we won’t be able to walk him out of here. His head will swell too big!”
The entire kitchen laughed, and then a woman who sat at the table, doing something with a green, spiky-looking vegetable, waved at me. “I am Apollonia,” she said with a heavy Italian accent. “Scarlett has surpassed the teacher, but allow me to get to know you and teach you a few things in the kitchen.”
“Don’t feel pressured to help!” Scarlett waved her hands in a good-natured way. “This party is in your honor—a welcome home party!”
I took the seat next to Apollonia, and Scarlett formally introduced us. One of Apollonia’s daughters was married to a son of friends of Scarlett and Brando’s back in Louisiana. Scarlett slipped an apron over my head when she noticed Apollonia asking me to do this or that with the food prep. Then Scarlett’s parents arrived, and I was introduced to them. Her father, Everett, was there and then gone. Her mother, Pnina, stuck around and started talking to me about wedding gowns. She asked if I’d do her the pleasure of allowing her to design one for me. She was a famous designer.
“Sure.” I laughed. “As soon as there’s a wedding to plan. “
She waved this off, like I made no sense. Magpie got in on the conversation, and before I knew it, one of them had pulled up Pnina’s page on the Internet and was showing me pictures while I got my hands dirty with Apollonia.
A few minutes later, Magpie nudged me. “Some handsome fella has come to check on you.” She smiled at the door.
Sure enough, Matteo braved the women and stood in the doorway, looking over at me.
“You okay?” he mouthed.
I nodded, a big smile on my face that I couldn’t control. I was having fun with the women, but it was him that made me feel like I could float.
He smiled at me before an older woman shooed him out. Her name was Aunt Lola, and everyone said she didn’t make appearances for just any reason since she was up in age. She was married to Uncle Tito, who Ava had told me was famous in the Fausti family for marrying Lola and being their doctor for many years. They were both old, but so nice, and as far as I could tell, Lola was still a spicy pepper.
“That’s very ballsy and rare,” Noemi said, appearing next to me. “A man entering this kitchen.” She nabbed something from the table and moaned at the taste of it. “These are even better than the last time!” She took another. “Let me tell you all the plans I have for Stella.”
“An actress!” Magpie beamed. “I love that for her! Tell me more about what you have planned!”
After about fifteen minutes, Magpie jumped up and ran out of the kitchen. When she came back, she was wearing a head piece with tall feathers on it. I looked at Scarlett and she grinned at me.
“I love you in that, Magpie!” Mia said. “Oh, maybe we can have a movie night and all wear one. You have enough!”
“Mia Gorgeous,” Magpie said, dancing around the kitchen. “I think that’s the best idea you’ve had in ages.”
I started to laugh and couldn’t seem to stop. I loved these people!
“Okay, who’s having fun without me?” Evelina, Saverio’s sister, entered the kitchen and looked around.
“We could never have fun without you,” Mia said.
Evelina leaned down and touched Mia’s belly. “How’s my newest baby?”
“Good,” Mia said, patting Evelina’s hand and then squeezing it. “Getting stronger every day.”
The conversation turned to Mia’s newest pregnancy and how it was different from the first. Aunt Lola said she was going to do something with a ring over her stomach later. Mostly everyone thought she was having a girl. Scarlett didn’t say anything, even though most people kept looking at her.
About fifteen minutes later, we all took a dish and brought it outside. It was going to be served family style, was what Scarlett had called it, and in a rush of things, partners pairing up, men holding out chairs for the women, we all took our seats.
The main table was decorated like something out of a magazine, as mom used to say, and the food was served in dishes that were almost too pretty to eat out of. Nonno led us in prayer, said in Italian and then English, and then we were all passing the dishes, picking what we wanted or passing it on. I noticed two women, who were not there before, taking the platters to put on side tables once we were done. If someone wanted more, they requested it through one of the women.
I’d never eaten food so good in my life. And I totally got why the chatter had died down and the only noises that could be heard were the sounds of humming and even moaning. I was probably the one leading these two sounds. I ate so much,my eyes started drooping, and I rested my head on Matteo’s shoulder while he had a conversation with Marciano.
Nonno stood with Magpie on his arm. The table quieted instantly. He thanked Scarlett for the divine food and gave a speech that seemed worthy of an award, then lifted his glass to Matteo and me. Matteo took my arm, and we stood. I probably looked confused and like I was pregnant from the swelling in my stomach, but I managed to stand tall, lifting my glass like Matteo did.
“This dinner that we were all so blessed to enjoy is in honor of my grandson, Matteo Leone Fausti, and his beautiful heart, who I had the pleasure of spending time with earlier. If you are at this table, you are family. Family, join me in celebrating the newest member of the family, our own star, Stella.”
