“I will,” she said, not able to look at her brother’s face on the screen. As predicted, a tall and tanned figure entered from the street side of the terrace. Cris’s eyes met Ellie’s, and a different kind of heat spread as he grinned. She straightened in her chair and turned her face into the wind, letting it dry the beginnings of tears. She smiled brightly. “I just don’t have time right now. It will be okay, I promise. I’m okay.”
Ben cocked his head to the side and squinted at her. “Yeah, I’m letting this slide right now, but we’re not done here,” he said, swinging his index finger back and forth in front of the camera. “There’s at leastthree more avoidance tactics you haven’t tried yet, and I, for one, would like to witness the whole set.”
“Yeah, yeah, focus on not slipping a disk over there, Elastigirl.”
“If you meant to insult me, you failed.” Ben grinned.
“I’m going! Just hurry up and get here! Love you!” Ellie smiled and hung up. She leaned over to tuck her phone into her tote since it appeared that the group was about to take their seats. Ellie always felt weird having a phone out on the table here like she did back in New York. Graziella and company only had phones so that they could ring unanswered in the bottom of their purses on days like today. Who would call when almost everyone important was currently within earshot?
“Ciao, gioia!It’s so beautiful to see you smile,” Graziella said, setting her bag down next to Ellie. “Was that my Beniamino?”
“Yes! He’s busy, busy. You know him! I know he wishes he could be here already.”
“Such a good boy.” Graziella shook her head and placed her hand on Ellie’s. “But he works too much! I told him that he needs time to enjoy himself, too. Maybe find someone special.”
“He will when he’s ready, Grandma. Right now, he’s very driven. He’s very focused.” Ellie’s eyes flicked up to follow Cris’s long legs carrying him over to the cabanas.
“Of course. He’s young. He’s successful. He feels like he has all the time in the world. But at some point he will need a good man to share it with. Otherwise, what’s the point?” Graziella squeezed Ellie’s hand and smiled.
“You are so right, Grandma,” she said.
“And not just him. All of you kids. Work hard, yes. But you have to be ready to enjoy life, too.”
“Well, that’s something that is very hard not to do here.” Elliegrinned, gesturing around them. A waitress with an apron over her short cutoffs carried a tray loaded with focaccia, olives,giardiniera, and potato chips. A mix of American and Italian oldies played softly from the speakers set up in the window of the café kiosk. Diamonds glinted off the sea below as a friendly game of water polo rallied on in the dipping sunlight. Even she had to admit that the only stressful thing about this environment was—well, it was her.
“Tesoro mio,it’s easy to enjoy life when you’re on vacation because that’s what you’re supposed to do. But when you go back home? I worry that you’ll do what you’re supposed to do there as well.” Graziella frowned.
Ellie shook her head slowly and then put on a smile she knew would keep her grandmother from worrying too much. Sometimes, when she thought her expression read neutral, it looked to other people like she was holding in a storm of emotions. She’d learned that big smiles erased their scrutiny and created a smooth exit from prickly topics. It wasn’t manipulation. It was that Ellie did not want to be perceived as anything in this moment but what she truly felt she was—a loving and grateful granddaughter. A smile delivered the message.
“Don’t concern yourself with me now, Ms. Bride-to-Be, at least until after the wedding,” she said. “Then I’ll let you resume your usual concern.”
Cris, clad in a faded blue T-shirt, pulled out a chair and sat across from her and Graziella. His grandfather sat down next to him on the opposite side and away from his future wife.
“Are you afraid of me all of a sudden? You should probably think about that before Saturday, you know,” said Graziella, waving her hand at the empty seat next to her.
“I’m saving myself for the wedding night,” said Simone, wagglinghis eyebrows. The two of them dissolved into giggles while Cris and Ellie exchanged horrified looks.
“I really am going to need a drink for this conversation,” Cris said, laughing. On cue, the waitress set down large, sweating goblets filled with crimson liquid and orange slices in front of him, Graziella, Simone, and Cinzia, who was pulling up a chair to sit.
“Prosecco per te, vero?” It was always prosecco for Ellie. Aperol and Campari both gave her a massive headache, so a Spritz was a drink best left for photo ops. It wasn’t a tough compromise considering how delicious the bubbly wine was here.
“Si, grazie,” she said to the waitress.
Glasses in hand, the table leaned in for a quick “Cin!,” clinking glasses together in a toast. Ellie looked around for her mother and father, but each of them had found spots at different tables with other members of the congregation. It was understandable that neither one of them wanted to draw attention to their breakup, but did they have to be so weird about it? Ellie took a deep sip of her wine.
“This is so good,” she said with a sigh. The wine, the air, the sea, the company—it was all good. She had to remember how lucky she was.
“Ah! That reminds me!” Graziella turned to Simone. “The wine!”
“Tomorrow,” Simone said, stabbing a piece ofgiardinierawith a toothpick. It seemed like only the older generation ate the pickled vegetables, but they still made a regular appearance on the snack tray at the Delfino, where ridged potato chips were considered innovative.
“Yes,amore,but you and I have too many things to wrap up tomorrow I think.” She paused and glanced over at Gio, who was contemplating a fat seagull with a cracker in its mouth. She turned her gaze to Ellie and Cris and smiled brightly. “Maybe the kids can go.”
“Go where?” Ellie returned her grandmother’s smile, but she knew there was some mischief under there somewhere.
“To pick up the wine,” said Simone. “We ordered a few cases from an old army friend’s vineyard near Sarzana. It’s about an hour from here if there is no traffic. What do you think?” He turned to his grandson.
“I’m happy to help, Grandpa.” Cris flicked a look at Ellie. “You’ll come, right? I know we have more prep work to do for the interview. We can talk in the car.”
