“Sounds likehe’susingyou,” Dad says.
“It’s not like that,” Charlie protests, trying and failing to cling to his optimism. His usual refrain ofwe get on just finereveals itself to have been more of a defense mechanism than a long-held truth.
“You just said he has to marry or else he loses his big, cushy corporate job,” Dad says.
“It’s not a big, cushy, corporate job. He’s managing one of Italy’s largest chocolate production operations. He’s trying to make it more sustainable and help it thrive. He can explain it all better than I can.” Charlie’s head hurts, and his thoughts scramble together.
“Then Dario should come here and shake my hand and tell me himself,” Dad says.
Charlie sags in his chair. “I… I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“Why not?” Dad asks in challenge.
Charlie won’t share Dario’s diagnosis. It’s not his place. So all he says is: “I just don’t think he can.”
“If he’s too busy or too good to come out here and do the gentlemanly thing, then he’s not good enough for you, kiddo,” Dad says. “End of discussion.”
“No. Not ‘end of discussion.’ I’m not a ‘kiddo’ anymore. I’m twenty-eight years old. I contribute to our household as much as anyone else. I wanted to do what I could to fix this for us,” Charlie says as his voice and eyes grow watery. Even adults need to let their emotions out sometimes. “I really care about this guy, and he wants to help us fix this. Why would we turn away from that?”
“We’re not in the market for charity,” Dad says, seemingly already dead set against this. Charlie wants to take him by the shoulders and shake some reason into him.
“Help and charity are not the same thing! It’s not charity when it’s family,” Charlie protests.
“He has a point,” Grandpa says.
Dad shakes his head. “If he can’t come here to meet us and make his intentions known, then I want absolutely no part of this,” Dad says with a note of finality. He stands and exits the room.
The phone shakes. Charlie calls after him but he doesn’t come back.
Mom sighs after several seconds that feel like hours. “Maybe it’s best you stay another week. It’ll give him time to cool off and—who knows—maybe come around. If that’s what you want. I love you, Char.” She gets up and follows Dad, disappearing around the corner.
The tears percolate but they don’t fall. Charlie is more stunned than anything else. His mouth hangs open, barely any words left.
“I don’t mean to pour salt in the wound, but you should have at least toldusabout the letter when you got it,” Grandpa says, sounding a bit hurt. His cheeks sag more than they already do.
“I know. I’m sorry,” Charlie says. Because he betrayed his grandparents’ trust when they’ve never given him a reason to be dishonest. They’ve always been there for him. Theirs were the smiling faces he saw each day when he got home from a long day at school. Theirs were the shoulders he cried on when he came home soaked through with rain from Max’s house after being outed and dumped. Theirs were the hands he squeezed for luck when he opened the email to see if he’d won the Amorina contest.
His grandparents have given him so much his parents couldn’t that he didn’t waste a second thought when he turned eighteen, graduated high school and took over as their full-time caretaker.
He just wanted to do this one thing alone for the good of them all. Now regret is a clamp around his heart, cutting off his blood flow.
“You probably should’ve eased your father into this a little more, too. You know he doesn’t take kindly to change,” Grandpa adds.
“I know.” Charlie hangs his head as a tear slides down his cheek.
“Despite that, we’re very excited for you,” Grandpa concludes, happiness playing softly behind his words.
“I know.” Charlie feels like a broken record, but he looks up and smiles through the tears.
“Really, truly, over-the-moon excited for you, Charlie,” Grandma says, hands pressed to her chest.
“Thank you.” Charlie hiccups. “Will you two be okay for another week?”
“Who, us?” Grandpa asks. “We have been A-okay for eighty-plus years. We plan to stay that way. Don’t you worry ’bout us.”
“I do worry about you guys, though,” Charlie says. He would’ve never gone through all this if he didn’t. And despite his dad’s dismissal, he still thinks he was right to be reckless this once. If he hadn’t been, he’d have never met Dario Cotogna, and that would’ve been a tragedy.
“Don’t let worry get in the way of living your life,” Grandma says. Her eyes beam a million hugs through the phone screen.
