“Is in prison,” Dawn said. “She can come down later and get a fresh start.”
Annette smiled. “Yes. I guess she can.”
“It might be the best thing for her too,” Luca said. “New place and new people, with a whole new attitude.”
“At this point, is anyone not coming with us?” Antonio asked.
Everyone laughed, but then Jayce, who’d been uncharacteristically quiet, looked at Kristine and put an arm around her. “We’re both captains here, and it’s what we love. If we move down there, we’d have to literally start over. Go through training all over again, then probation for however long, then work our way back up the ladder.”
“You two could live here, Jayce,” Antonio said. “I wanted to keep the brownstone in the family, and your little one-bedroom condo in Charlestown must be feeling pretty small with two of you in it now.”
“I was supposed to take over as head of the family when you left. If there’s no one in Boston but us…”
“I can do that now,” Ryan said. “If I don’t have to show my face in Boston, and with a wife who can transport me anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice…”
Antonio leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his expanding middle. “That’s what I had intended long ago. That Ryan—our firstborn—would take over for me whenever I’m gone.”
“If you’re ever gone,” Jayce said, and everyone laughed. “You’re the only one who hasn’t used up one of your many lives.”
“I haven’t,” Luca said.
“Yeah, and you were the one Mom worried about. Go figure.”
“Hey, you could start over, Dad,” Gabe said. “Just let us have a barbeque on your head and come back as a young man.”
Most of the room was laughing, but Gabriella gasped. “That’s not funny, Gabe.”
Antonio chuckled. “I won’t waste a life just to come back looking like another one of Gabriella’s sons. As it is, I have to fly around from time to time to speed up the aging process.
“No, I’m going to play the part of retired firefighter. I was thinking of starting a little wine-making business. I’m not the type to just sit around and do nothing.”
“That’s a great idea,” Jayce said. “You’ll need it to put up with a big family you can’t seem to get rid of.”
Kristine held up one finger. “I just thought of something. Puerto Rico has the largest tropical rain forest in the United States. You guys wouldn’t even have to disguise your tail feathers down there. You’d just look like another tropical bird.”
Antonio winked. “That’s exactly what I was thinking and why I picked the Caribbean for retirement.”
“So it looks like every one of your sons except Jayce and I are going to Puerto Rico,” Ryan said. “And both of us can visit any time.”
“You should still call first,” Gabriella said. “We might be in the middle of…um…”
“Smashing grapes?” Luca asked.
Everyone burst out laughing, including Antonio.
If this was what Fierro family meetings were always like, Dawn figured she just might enjoy them.
* * *
“Hello there, gorgeous.”
“Hi, LC.”
Dawn arrived at Karma Cleaners for her usual appointment. But as soon as she walked in, it looked like a party was underway. People were milling about chatting and talking. Some were still wearing their work clothes, while others were all dolled up in fancy party clothes.
“What’s going on?” Dawn glanced around the main reception area. Tables had been set up and pastries from the bakery downstairs were laid out around a big punch bowl filled with a yummy-looking pink punch.
“Oh, we’re just having a little celebration,” Lynda said. She was wearing a gold-sequined minidress and sparkly gold heels. Her hair was down, looking straight and sleek and parted in the middle. “I’m glad you’re here. C’mon. Let’s grab a cupcake and go into my office to chat.”
