Page 69 of Love, Amy

After our negotiation, Bianca quickly loses interest in me, instead turning back to the card game. At least I have the approval of one member of Aurelio’s family. He grins at me from across the table. “I thought we’d go to the beach today. Take a day off.”

I pop a grape into my mouth. “A day off?” I chew contemplatively. “No, never heard of it.”

He rolls his eyes. “If we hurry, we can get there before it gets too busy.”

I nod, but really, I’m looking around the kitchen at the rest of his family. I want to ask so many questions. I want to know about Aurelio as a kid. I want to know how he looked that first time he picked up the tennis racket. I want to hear from his father how he fell for Aurelio’s mother when she was studying abroad here. I want to hear it all.

But the longer I look, noting the easy way they are together, the less impatient I feel. I’ll have a chance to ask them tonight. Or the next time I visit. Or the next time they visit us. Isn’t that the best thing about family? They’re always there to share life with you.

There’s just one thing I have to say now. I put down my fork and look at Aurelio. “Will you translate for me?”

I reach across the table, gently touching Nona’s hand so she looks my way. Her shrewd eyes watch me from across the table. “Nona, I’m so happy you’re feeling better. For Aurelio, for this family, but also because there’s something I’ve always wanted to say to you.”

I glance up at Aurelio whose brow is furrowed in confusion. Still, he carefully translates for me, speaking beautifully to his grandmother. Her expression also becomes confused, eyes darting between me and Aurelio, standing at her shoulder.

I take a deep breath. “Thank you,” I tell her. “Thank you for convincing Aurelio to come back to tennis. Thank you for convincing Aurelio to pick up the racket again.” Another pause for Aurelio to translate. I keep my gaze on Nona, though I can feel everyone watching me. Even Bianca has stopped shuffling the deck. “If you didn’t...” I’m a little embarrassed when my voice cracks, but I power on. “You changed his life when you got him to come back to tennis. But, the thing is, you changed my life, too.” Aurelio told them everything, so they know what I mean. They know that I’m no longer speaking to my father, that he was the one who marked Aurelio’s face.

I dare a peek up at Aurelio and his eyes are wet, too. But he’s smiling at me like I said the right thing. In fact, when I look around the room, everyone is smiling at me. Alessandro reaches over and pulls Bianca from her chair, putting her on his lap. She snuggles up to him. Aurelio’s father walks over, clapping Aurelio on the shoulder.

I focus back on Nona. I’m surprised when she responds in English. “I do same... for you.” Her words are heavily accented, hesitant. Her gaze is anything but, fierce and unwavering.

I look at Aurelio for help. He asks her a question in Italian, and she responds with a disapproving cluck of the tongue and sharp question of her own. “She heard that you aren’t playing in the U.S. Open,” Aurelio explains.

Nona places both hands on the table. “Will you... play?”

Everyone waits for my answer, even Aurelio. I know he’ll understand if I want a break. I know I’d be happy to sit in his box and watch him play in New York.

But, the truth is, I think I’d be even happier to play with him.

I nod for Nona. “I will,” I confirm. And for the first time all morning, Nona smiles. All the fatigue, the weakness from the hospital, it seems to fade with that smile. Bianca claps in approval, nudging her father until he does too. Aurelio’s eyes shine at me, and I think I’ve said the right thing again. “Also,” I lean conspiratorially across the table, “Vince got me and Aurelio into the All-Star event on Saturday. We’re going to play mixed doubles together.”

You’d think we just announced our engagement. Bianca cheers, jumping from her chair. Nona claps her gnarled hands, eyes crinkling in joy. Aurelio’s father raises his espresso cup to us.

Aurelio starts laughing, maybe at the absurdity of it all. At one point, we both saw tennis as a tragedy. He felt his family had betrayed him, that tennis had torn him away from real life. I felt like tennis could only be Beck’s game, not my own.

Now, we’re going to play at a Slam together.

I start laughing, too.

It’s not the last laugh I have that morning, either.

*

Rome isn’t on the coast, but it’s not far from it. Aurelio parks the car after a short ride, paying the young man standing guard at the striped umbrella so we can enter the beach. It’s hot outside this deep into July, but the sun is hidden behind the clouds. The water is a muted blue gray, reflecting the turmoil above. I don’t mind because it means the beach is pretty empty, just a few people dotting the shoreline.

I inhale the salty air, a deep calm falling over me.

Aurelio reaches out and grabs my hand, twining our fingers together. “Do you want to swim?” He tilts his head towards the water. I’m already a little sticky from the humidity, and I’ll never say no to seeing Aurelio with his shirt off, but something compels me to shake my head.

“No,” I say, looking up at him. The sea breeze ruffles his beautiful curls. “Let’s walk.”

We drop our shoes, beach bags, and towels off under one of the beach umbrellas dotting the coast. The sand feels like heaven under my feet, warm but not scalding. Aurelio bumps my hip so we’re walking half in the sand, half in the tide.

“Did I do okay back there?” I ask him. “With your family?”

He squeezes my hand. “You were perfect, mia dolce.”

“I like them,” I confess. “I really like them. Especially Bianca and Nona.”