“Sophie said she’ll back you,” Jimmy said. “You don’t need me too.”
“I told him,” Sophia said.
They were in the dining room having breakfast. Their parents’ chef, who runs one of the five-star restaurants downstairs, brought up a spread that was far more than any of them could ever eat. But Carmine was giving it a good go. “And stop eating like there’s no tomorrow, boy. Dang, Carmine,” she added.
“I’ll stop eating like there’s no tomorrow when Jimmy stop behaving as if he’s Switzerland.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” It was Reno. He and Trina were walking into the dining hall when Carmine made that statement.
When their children saw them, they all inwardly smiled. Reno was dressed in his always super-expensive suit that looked crisp and fresh that morning but was going to look slept-in and well-worn by the time Reno finished with it at the end of the day. Trina, by contrast, wore a pristine peach-colored tweed above-the-knee skirt suit that looked stitched on it fit so well. And it would look that way all day long.
On the surface they didn’t match at all. Despite his best efforts, Reno had mob written all over him while Trina, with the stylish prescription eyeglasses she now had to wear more thanjust for reading, looked more like a college professor than the owner of a huge chain of luxury boutiques.
But Jimmy knew it wasn’t just the clothes that gave them that odd couple vibe. They fought like cats and dogs ever since he first met them. Reno didn’t know he existed until he was a teenager, but from the day he walked into their home they would fight and fight and then somehow make it work. Somehow they made dysfunction functional.
“What are you yelling at my baby about?” Trina asked as they walked in.
“I’m not a baby, Mother,” Carmine pointed out.
“He eats like he’s Ethiopian,” Sophia said.
Reno frowned. “What’s with all this talk of countries? First Switzerland. Now Ethiopia.”
“Switzerland is supposed to be neutral,” said Sophia. “Jimmy was acting as if he was neutral. And I only said Ethiopia because Carmine is eating like he’s starving to death.”
“Then say that,” said Reno. “All Ethiopians aren’t starving to death, what are you stupid? It’s a historic country. The great Moses from the Bible had an Ethiopian wife, so put some respect on that country.”
Everybody looked at Reno with shock in their eyes.
“What you just said about Moses is correct, Father,” said a surprised Carmine. “But how would you know that?”
Trina and Jimmy laughed.
“Very funny,” said Reno.
“And I didn’t mean to be disrespectful of an entire country, Daddy,” said Sophia. “I just meant he’s eating likehe’sstarving to death.”
“They shouldn’t bring all this food and not expect people to eat it,” Carmine shot back.
“True that,” said Reno as he sat down.
Trina was Jimmy’s stepmother, but because he was biracial just like Trina’s biological children Dommi, Sophia, and Carmine were, he was often mistaken as her biological son too. Since his mother died a long time ago, he never felt the need to correct the misperception. He loved and respected Trina above any woman alive.
That was why, when he saw that his father had taken a seat without bothering to ensure Trina had a seat, Jimmy hopped up to hold the chair for his stepmother to sit down.
“Thank you so much, Jimmy,” Trina said as she sat and looked over at Reno. “You are such a gentleman. Your father could learn a lot from you.”
“What learn? You don’t be complaining when you’re spending my money,” Reno said as he began putting food on his plate from the trays on the table.
All three children looked at Trina for a response. She never let Reno get away with anything. But she didn’t say a word.
“You’re going to let that stand?” asked Sophia.
“Let what stand?” asked Trina as she began putting food on her plate too.
“Daddy said you don’t complain while you’re spending his money. But you have your own money to spend.”
Reno gave a one-syllable chuckle that made them all look at Trina. “Well Ma?” asked Jimmy.
