“Sweetheart, I'm home!”my dad called out.
“Hi, Dad!”
“Hello, Mr.Bernardi!”
“Is that Jessica?”he asked, coming up the stairs.Then he knocked before entering the room.
“Great to see you!I chatted with your dad earlier; he mentioned your trip to Paris.Sounds like it was spectacular!”he
said, smiling with his hands tucked in his pockets.
“Magnifique!”Jess chimed, waving her hand enthusiastically.
“Oh, so you picked up some French!”We all laughed together.
“Alright, ladies, I'll leave you to it.I need to figure out something for dinner,” he said, nodding as he headed for the door.
“Wait, is Mom coming home soon?”I asked, puzzled.
“She had to go to Rome for work and will be staying overnight,” he said, hurrying away to avoid any more questions.I didn't follow; I knew I could ask him more during dinner.I turned to Jessica with a worried look.
“Hey, I should probably get going.It's getting late, and you really should help your dad out.I remember he's not the best cook,” she suggested.
“Okay, see you soon then!”
“Definitely.”She leaned down to kiss my forehead, and I walked her to the door.
As I approached the kitchen, I could hear my dad clattering around with pots and pans.
“Do you need a hand?”I asked hesitantly, noticing the sadness in his eyes as he turned to me.
“How about we just order pizza?”he said.
“I'd love that.”He grabbed his phone and placed an order for delivery.
“I'm going to take a quick shower,” he said, rushing upstairs as if he were avoiding a deeper conversation.Meanwhile, I set the table.About 20 minutes later, the delivery guy showed up.I paid him with the money jar we kept for takeout.
“Dad, the pizza's here!”I called out.
“Coming, just a minute!”
As we sat down at the table, I tried to catch his eye, but he was staring down at his plate.
“How are you doing today?How was school?”he asked, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence.“I know yesterday wasn't the best day.”
“It was fine.Everyone's already moved on,” I replied.ILied.
“That's good to hear!”
“Yeah, I suppose.”We both returned to our meals.
“And what about Marco?”he inquired, his tone cautious as if he weren't sure how to approach the subject.
“Well, we're just… taking a break,” I said, hesitating.
“Got it.”
“So, Mom's in Rome.Where's she staying?”I asked, hoping to shift the focus.
