"No, just listen to me for once!" The words are tumbling out, years of frustration finally boiling over. "Gabi is going to run the company. She's been running it for almost a year, and she's incredible at it, and you'd know that if you paid attention!"
"I—"
"Sophia is going to give you grandbabies, and she's going to be an amazing mother, and Rick is going to be a fantastic father, and you should be thanking them instead of ignoring them!"
Rick's head swivels between my father and me like an owl watching a tennis match.
"And I—" I'm shaking now, fists clenched at my sides. "I'm going to be a doctor. I got into med school. I start next term. And I'm not coming to work for you. Ever."
My father's mouth opens. Closes. Opens again.
"And another thing—” I'm on a roll now, can't stop, don't want to stop. "Gavin isn't my friend. He's my boyfriend. I'm gay, Papa. I've been gay my whole life. And I'm done pretending otherwise!"
You could hear a pin drop around our table.
Then Gavin's hand reaches up and takes mine, warm and steady.
I look down at him. He's smiling, soft and proud.
Across the table, Gabi and Sophia exchange a look. Then, very quietly, Gabi pulls a twenty out of her pocket and hands it to Sophia.
"I said by Christmas," Sophia whispers. "You said never."
"I was being supportive!"
"You were being wrong."
Mamma clears her throat. "A doctor! Sebastiano, that's wonderful!" She's already pulling out her phone. "Who should I tell first? Rosa? No, no, Angela—she's always bragging about her son the lawyer, well now I have a son the doctor?—“
"Mamma—"
"And your boyfriend is very tall, no? Very big." She beams at Gavin. "You'll eat more lasagna. You're too skinny."
Gavin, who is approximately the size of a small vehicle, nods solemnly. "Yes, ma'am."
Gabi leans in, lowering her voice so only I can hear. "Didn't peg you for a size queen, Seb."
Gavin choke-laughs beside me.
I'm going to kill her.
Sophia leans in from my other side, eyes sparkling. "Does he come with a box for you to stand on, or?—"
"I will murder you." I point at Gabi. "Andyou—" I shift to Sophia. "Are on borrowed time. The baby's the only thing saving you right now."
They dissolve into giggles, completely unrepentant.
But I'm watching my father.
He hasn't moved. His eyes are distant, processing. Finally, he looks at Gabi.
"You've really been running things?"
"For about ten months, Papa." Her voice is gentler now. "Yeah."
He sits back in his chair, blinking rapidly. His gaze moves to Sophia, to Rick, and his face lights up with a small smile. Rick doesn't seem to know what to do, but he shyly smiles back.
Papa then looks at me, then at Gavin.
