The corner of his mouth ticked up, and tipping his chin, Nick shrugged at the same time. “Miracles can happen, yeah?”
They can, but after eight years, Gina had her doubts that the rift between her brothers would ever mend.
Teo never came up for dinner. When Gina went downstairs to get him, he pretended to be asleep. He wasn’t snoring, and typically, he rumbled like a freight train when he slept, so she knew he wasn’t.
Combing the hair from his face, she kissed his temple. “I’ll bring a plate down for you, okay?”
“Thanks,” he said, his strained voice so soft it was barely audible.
“I love you.”
No one mentioned Teo’s absence at the dinner table as if it didn’t matter, which only made her angry for him. Maybe if her parents had acknowledged Teo’s feelings and addressed the issue between him and Tony head-on, they wouldn’t all be walking on eggshells. But no, they swept everything under the rug. And now, all they had was a fractured, dysfunctional family to show for it.
While her mom served everyone squares of icebox cake, Gina watched her nephew, Anthony, chase his five-year-old sisteraround the table. Kids will be kids, but jeez, Tony and Lina didn’t even attempt to correct him. She rescued Nina before the little girl face-planted on the hardwood floor and deposited the child in her father’s lap.
“I’m gonna bring Matteo some dinner.”
“Not now, Gina.” Rosemary motioned for her to sit down. “We’re having cake.”
“Unbelievable.” Appalled, she shook her head. “Do you even hear yourself?”
“Gina Marie Rossi, you willnotspeak to your mother like that!” Her dad’s fist slammed onto the table, the impact knocking over the salt shaker. “Do you hear me?”
She nodded, then shooting daggers at her eldest brother, she turned and left the room.
“Hey.” Gina found Teo sitting in the oversized leather beanbag chair she got him last Christmas, staring vacantly at the TV. “You okay?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” He snickered, his gaze never leaving the screen. “I’m just a prisoner in my own fucking house.”
“You could’ve come up.” She put the food she brought him on the table, then made room for herself beside him. “I wish you would have.”
“Better I didn’t.”
Gina picked up a magazine lying on the table next to his plate. “Since when do you read?”
“I don’t, much.” Clasping his hands behind his head, her brother chuckled. “Asshole’s old pals are on the cover.”
She flipped it over. The boys known as Venery stared back at her. “So, I see.”
“Cool dudes,” Teo said, and finally turned his head to look at her. “You probably don’t remember, but they used to hang out here a lot.”
“I remember.”
“Yeah, maybe you do.” Smiling, he tugged on her ponytail. “You pulled Bo’s hair once. He pretended to cry, and you gave him your Furby so he’d feel better.”
“I didn’t give it to him. I let him borrow it,” Gina said, correcting him. “Furby’s tucked away somewhere in my closet.”
“Jesus, you still have it?” Teo laughed.
“Yeah, I kept my Bratz and Monster High dolls, too.” Gina punched his arm and stood. “Now, eat your dinner before it gets cold.”
He reached for the plate, setting it on his lap. “I am. I am.”
Tucking the magazine under her arm, she headed toward the stairs.
“Gina?”
She turned around. “Yeah?”
