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“Oh…I don’t like it when it becomes about me.” I huff.
“Darling, what reporter ever does?”
“True. Um. But I’m not sure what to say. So, I put my phone on not disturb so I can gather my words.”
“You have no idea if you’re going to Dubai to write about the Khan family? You literally haven’t made up your mind?”
“Can we circle back to the part where you told me you had something to tell me? It sounded like you were talking about your memoir. Because before I go to Dubai or not, I have to finish this up.”
“I hear your point!”
Grandma snaps as the waitress brings up a couple of chilled waters. I put in a pork belly and fennel salad for appetizers and pull my tape recorder out of my purse.
I set it on record on the table. Nonna bats her eyes every time as if the recorder is somehow videoing her. She’s such a ham, and now she’s at the age where it is deemed adorable and not vain. Oh, dear God, the judgments we put on women.
“Okay. I told you a couple of weeks back, or whenever it was, about how I left the love of my life here in Evergreen when I was young.”
“Yes.”
“We were penpals for almost two years before I stopped writing to him.”
“Oh. Why’d you stop? You met Grandpa when you were my age, so —”
“Oh, life in the movies does that to you. I got caught up in a fling with one of the ADs, and it was what you young folks call a ‘hot mess.’ But, anyways, Ilovedthis Missouri guy, and I broke his heart. After that, word has it, he was depressed for a long time, and the woman he married helped him out of his dark depression. I mean, can you imagine, Nadia? Seeing your love in the movies, ignoring your letters. When I came back to town, I was advised by my agent in Hollywood and a couple of friends that were still here not to reach out to him. They told me to leave Jasper alone. He’s married and happy now. You can’t break up his happy home because you’re in town. Don’t do that. And I listened, but it was so hard to listen. So hard to listen to.”
“Do you know where he’s at now?”
Nonna huffs and fluffs her hair as if on cue.
“He’s dead. But his wife is still around.”
“Oh…I see. Have you bumped into or —”
“No. No. Um…but you need to know this.”
“What’s that?”
“The man I was in love with, the man that loved me, was Joaquin’s grandfather.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. My heart propels and begins racing as if someone physically tossed me onto a literal race track, demanding me to run. I gulp the chilled ice water and nearly slam it on the table.
“Are you serious, Nonna?”
She nods her head. “Listen, he got that jawline from his grandpa. Those men in that family are quite the lookers. You can’t tell me that’s not true.”
I shake my head, and I almost want to stop the recorder.
“It’s interesting how this circled back to me.”
“Precisely! And, so, I think you should probably add that to the memoir. How you came to town and unknowingly fell in love with the grandson of the man I loved.”
“It is a bit incredible, but…” I don’t know what to say. If I say anything Nonna may not want to hear, she will bark at me.
“I wonder if Joaquin knows.”
“Do you think?”
Grandma appears intrigued.
