I move on instinct, grabbing my coat from the entryway and stepping outside, crossing the street with quick steps until I’m standing in front of his house.
The second they spot me, hands go up and everyone starts shouting. I hear my name coming from every direction all at once.
Pietro reaches me first, pulling me into a tight embrace. Valentina and Anna swiftly steal me from him, wrapping me into a group hug. The others follow, closing in around me, voices overlapping with laughter, hands touching my shoulders, my arms. I catch words and half-finished sentences, answering some in English, others in Italian, my own laughter joining theirs as I try to keep up.
When I crouch down to hug the children, I make a conscious effort not to suffocate them with my longing.
I straighten just in time to see Alexander helping Nonna out of the van.
I walk over to them and fold myself into her embrace, finding comfort in her arms, from the scent that feels like home no matter the country.
“I told you we would see each other very,verysoon, Cecilia,” she whispers in Italian into my ear, her voice gentle and knowing.
And now, with my Italian so much better, I don’t need Alexander to translate the simple things anymore.“È meraviglioso rivederti, Nonna. Mi sei mancata tanto,”I tell her, explaining how wonderful it is to see her again, how much I missed her. My Italian is still hesitant and imperfect, but understandable. At least, I hope so.
Nonna pulls back to look at me, her smile wide and proud.
“Your Italian very good,” she says in her rusty English. “Need to make my English better now, sì.”
We laugh together, and Alexander steps in beside me, kissing my forehead.
“They were only supposed to arrive the day after tomorrow,” he says. “We were planning a surprise dinner for you. But they have their own plans, as you can see.”
He explains that they’ll all be staying for Christmas and New Year’s, with a few more arriving tomorrow. Zio Giorgio, his wife, and their son and daughters among them.
I laugh again. Happy in a way that feels unknown to me.
I cradle Alexander’s face in my hands and bring our lips together in a gentle kiss, feeling his arms go around my waist. It’s brief and chaste, but full of meaning.
While his lips are on mine, the rest of the world simply fades out. I don’t hear a single voice. But the moment we pull apart, the noise picks right back up. Whistles and excited shouts in Italian surround us. I laugh, my cheeks flushing, and tuck my face against his chest, letting myself hide there as his arms tighten around me.
Then I hear a child’s voice cut through the noise. “Alicia!”
“It’s Alicia! Alicia!” Bianca repeats, bouncing on her toes.
I spot her standing just outside her father’s car, one hand gripping the open door, her movements cautious. Alexander kisses my forehead and gives a reassuring nod. Stepping out of his embrace, I walk over to the car, stopping in front of her.
“Hi, honey. This is Alexander’s family.” I gesture behind me. “They surprised us and came to spend Christmas here.”
Alicia peers over my shoulder, taking in the scene.
“I know you and Alexander said his family was big,” she says, eyes widening, “but... are theyallhis family?”
That makes me laugh.
“Yes. All of them. And there are a few more arriving tomorrow.”
She just looks at me, stunned, and I can’t help but laugh again.
“I know,” I tell her gently. “It’s a lot of people. But they’re all good people. If you want, you can go say hello now. And if you don’t, that’s okay too. You can go inside, and I’ll explain that you’d rather get to know them later.”
Her gaze goes back to them, and I follow it in time to see Bianca, Cella, Benito, her nine-year-old brother, and a few of Alexander’s nieces and nephews waving at her.
Alicia lifts her hand and waves back, a smile forming on her lips.
“I’ll go say hi, Mom,” she says, and I can hear a hint of excitement in her voice. “You talk about them so much, it already feels like I know them.”
I smile and lean in to kiss her forehead, my chest tightening with contentment as I watch her step forward, toward them.
