Now all I see is Daniel’s right shoe.
For fuck’s sake, they might as well be two eighty-year-olds trying to make a social media post with the way they’re acting.
I wait for their laughter to die down, but my patience wanes.
“Are you guys done?” I make a show of checking out my nails.
“Sorry.” Grace steps back into the frame, looking sheepish. Daniel joins her, still grinning. That asshole.
“So, how goes it over there, Tessie?”
“It’s been really good. It’s so beautiful here. You should definitely add this to your second honeymoon destination list. The countryside is gorgeous, and the pace is much slower out here, more relaxing.”
Grace sighs. “That sounds wonderful.”
Daniel pecks her on the cheek. “Do you want to go, Gracie girl? I’ll fly us out tomorrow. Whatever you want.”
“You’re flying to New York to do the coin toss before the rival game… foryourcharity? In case you forgot,” she reminds him.
He tucks a flyaway curl behind her ear, gently tugging on the end of the spiral. “Football schmootball, baby. I’m retired anyways.”
I sigh. “Damn, you two are cute.”
Still gazing into her eyes, Daniel absentmindedly replies, “We know.”
I can’t be mad at their love for one another, even if I’m a little jealous.
“It sounds like Giovanni isn’t making your life miserable yet, huh?” Daniel teases.
“Um, no. For the most part, he’s been unexpectedly great. His family, too,” I gush. “His mom reminds me a lot of your grandmother, G. A tell-it-how-it-is—with a healthy dose of roasting—kinda lady.”
“Aw, I’d love to meet her one day,” Grace replies softly.
I blush. “Oh. Well, I don’t think that would happen. We’re not really… I mean, none of it is actually…What?”
They look at each other knowingly. And then I’m staring at my brother’s shoe again, catching barely audible interjections like, “you” and “no,you.”
Just as I’m about to hit the little red button, G’s sweet face fills the screen.
“I think you should, um, relax,” she says gently, averting her eyes to an off-screen Daniel.
“I am. Things move slower in Italy. It’s easy to relax here.”
“Does that ‘Italy mentality’ apply to you, too? Or are your thoughts still racing at a New York speed?”
“They’re…” I trail off. There’s no use denying it. I’m overthinking, overanalyzing, overeverything.
Observing the conflicted emotions I imagine flashing on my face, Grace nods. “Just… be open to anything that might happen over there. Don’t close yourself off. Take risks. Embrace whatever comes your way.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Huh? Why are you being so cryptic?”
My brother pops into frame. “I think what Gracie’s trying to say iswherever you may go, go with all your heart.”
My eyebrows raise in soft surprise. “Wow, Daniel. That’s actually really insightful.”
He nods solemnly before holding up a little slip of paper. “Your lucky numbers are four, eleven, and nine.”
All it takes is one last snicker from my big brother for me to roll my eyes and end the call.
