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His words gave me a burst of pride. It really was very lovely, and I knew how hard my parents had worked to make it that way. “It’s pretty special, that’s for sure. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
He grabbed his tablet and we went inside the house. I showed him the kitchen, explaining how we canned or bottled the produce, how my dad milked the goats and made his own feta. I mentioned Mom’s dream to get some olive trees happening so she could make her own oil and sell it in the restaurant.
“It’s all amazing.”
“Thanks. Through here is the part we were talking about…” I led the way out onto the small back porch and down the two steps to the back lawn. “We don’t have much in the way of actual garden, like flowers and stuff, which I think makes Mom a bit sad. She loves flowers. I guess it’s harder out here, since they aren’t ever here long enough to keep on top of that kind of stuff, what with everything else they have to do while they’re here.” I was babbling and I had no idea why. “Maybe when they retire, they can get a really beautiful garden happening.”
“When will that be?”
“When will they retire? Not any time soon, I don’t think. They’re only in their sixties. I can’t imagine them giving up the restaurant within the next decade, to be honest.”
“How do you feel about that?”
I frowned. “In what way?”
“I’d assumed you’d take over the restaurant when they retire, but if that’s not going to be for another ten years, that’s a long time to wait.”
“Oh.” I bit my lip. “Um, I’ve never really thought about that.”
“You don’t want to take it over?”
Did I? “I don’t really know. I just do what I do because it gives me a way to be close to them and help them. Plus, I mean, they pay me very well. But… I’m not sure I see the point of working in the restaurant if they aren’t there with me.”
“So, what would happen to it if you don’t take over?”
“One of my cousins would be happy to take it over, I think. I’ve literally got fifty of them, and a lot of them cook, so if it came to it, Mom and Dad would give it to whoever wanted it.”
“What the fuck? You have fifty cousins?”
I chuckled. “Yeah, it’s a lot, hey? But Mom’s one of five kids and dad’s one of six, so there are a lot of cousins on both sides.”
“But you’re an only child? I’ve never heard you mention a brother or sister.”
“No, I was a miracle baby. They thought they couldn’t have kids, then when Mom was in her mid-thirties, surprise! The pregnancy was really rough on her, though, so they decided not to risk anymore. They’ve always said they were happy with theirtesorrucia.”
“I’ve heard your dad call you that. What does it mean?”
“Little treasure.”
His smile was ridiculously sweet. “Wow. With this big, loving family and a billion aunts, uncles and cousins, Christmas must be a blast.”
“It sure is.” I suddenly remembered that he and Jake had spent Christmas with the Coopers last year – and, in fact, I’d never heard either of them mention parents or any other family. “You… You have no family?”
“Just Jake and the Coopers.”
I knew I shouldn’t, because it was really none of my business, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable or upset and I was intensely curious, so I said, “What happened to your parents?”
“Dad left when I was twelve and Mom passed away when I was sixteen.”
I gasped. “Sixteen? And still your dad didn’t come back?”
He shook his head.
“How… How did she die?”
“Cancer.”
“I’m so sorry.”
