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“I care, bella. I care more than you know. I missed you. I love you. I couldn’t wait any longer. Is it okay if I come straight to your house?”
“Of course, but do you even know where it is?”
“Yeah. I got the address from Chelsea.”
“She gave it to you and didn’t warn me?”
“She doesn’t know. I told her I wanted to send flowers.”
She laughed. “Sneaky.”
“I prefer to think of it as smart. Anyway, I’m going to hang up, so I can program this damn machine and come to you. I should see you in, what, an hour?”
“Maybe less. Call me if you get lost?”
He laughed. “I won’t. I’m on my way.”
~ ~ ~
It only took forty-five minutes for him to get there. It had been one hell of a day so far. After his conversation with his mom in the kitchen this morning, he’d packed his bag and bid farewell to his family with reassurances that he planned to see them again real soon. The family jet had taken him to Rome where he’d found time to do a little shopping before his flight. He’d been lucky to get a seat in First Class on a direct flight Rome to JFK, but then he’d had to sprint to make his connection to a low-budget leisure carrier on which he’d sat cramped in cattle-class, surrounded by a family of five who were coming back from their first sight-seeing trip to New York City. He smiled. Of course, he now had new friends here in Cincinnati, if he was ever in the area again. He hoped with all his heart that he would be back—for holidays and family events. Not that he cared for the place, but this was Mary Ellen’s hometown.
He parked the car on the road and looked up at the house. She wasn’t joking when she said she’d grown up in suburbia. Her parents’ home was a neat Cape Cod. The well-kept front yard was surrounded by a formal hedge—just like about fifty percent of the other houses on the street.
He reached into the back and rummaged in his bag. He wasn’t sure if he’d be invited to stay, but he was sure about one thing. He was going to ask a very important question before he left. He took what he needed out of the bag and then sat there a moment longer smiling to himself. If anyone had told him that he would propose to the love of his life in a little suburban house in Ohio he would have laughed. He was more about grand gestures. He could have made elaborate plans, done this anywhere in the world, taken her anywhere. But this was right. It might be too soon, but it would be very down-to-earth.
He looked up as the front door opened. He’d been sitting here too long, and she’d seen him. She was coming down the path to meet him. He got out of the car and couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. She stopped a foot away from him and smiled. “Hey.”
“Hey, bella.” He closed the final distance between them and closed his arms around her. Her arms came up around his neck and he kissed her. He kissed her with the hunger of a starving man, and she kissed him back with the same passion. She’d missed him, too.
“Come inside! Don’t do that out there.”
Antonio lifted his head. A woman, who must be Mary Ellen’s mom, was standing at the front door looking out at them.
He looked down at Mary Ellen who gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”
“What for? I get to meet your mom.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her up the path, smiling at her mom as they went. “Mrs. Greene. It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you.” He took hold of her hand and lifted it to his lips. Her eyes grew wide as he kissed the back of her hand. “Forgive me. I’m Antonio. Antonio Di Giovanni.”
~ ~ ~
Mary Ellen had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. Antonio pronounced his name with a full-on Italian accent, which somehow made it sound even more impressive. Her mom didn’t know what to do with herself. Her disapproving scowl had melted in the face of Antonio’s charming smile as they’d walked up the path. Now he was kissing her hand and she was fanning herself with the other.
“Oh, my! Well, it’s nice to meet you, too. I’m sure. Come on inside.” She gestured for them to go by her and caught Mary Ellen’s arm as she went. Mary Ellen couldn’t have been more relieved to see her beaming smile. She nodded approvingly and that was it—Antonio’s charm had won the day already.
“Bill,” she called. “Antonio’s here!”
Mary Ellen wanted to laugh again. She said it as though she was announcing the arrival of some long awaited special guest rather than the guy she’d been referring to assome Italianonly an hour ago.
Her dad appeared in the hallway from the kitchen and smiled. Mary Ellen’s heart went out to him. He looked nervous. She had a feeling that was more about what her mom might do than about meeting Antonio.
Antonio went straight to him and shook his hand warmly. “Mr. Greene. Antonio Di Giovanni. It’s an honor to meet you, sir. I’ve looked forward to this.”
Her dad smiled warmly at him. “It’s good to meet you, too, son. Why don’t you come on out back? I’ve got the grill going. I thought we could have some burgers. I don’t know much about wine, but I’ve got some cold beers on ice.”
Mary Ellen couldn’t hold back a giggle at the sound of her mom’s sputtering. “Bill! What are you thinking? We’ll go out for dinner, somewhere nice.”
To Mary Ellen’s surprise and great pleasure, her dad shook his head firmly. “No, Vera. We won’t. We’re going to hang out here at the house and relax and get to know each other, right, Mary El?”
She nodded happily.
