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Matteo escorts us to a fancy seafood restaurant called The Colombina. I decide to try gnocchi with sautéed crab. Slade chooses Venetian-style stewed squid with polenta, and Matteo orders the sea bass fillet with a zucchini crust. I’m not a big seafood eater, but Venice is known for its seafood, so here we go. I suppose it’s a miracle I haven’t starved yet.
As Slade eats his squid dish, I inform him, “I’m not kissing you after you eat that.”
He blinks at me, his dark eyes amused. “I bet you will.”
He knows I can’t resist him. “After I eat a raw onion, I expect you to love kissing me too.”
“I happen to love onion,” he smirks, knowing he just won. “I also love liver, pickled pig’s feet, alligator tails, chitlins, deep-fried butter, and Rocky Mountain oysters.” He closes his eyes as though he’s wishing he could eat each one right now.
Ugh. He’s purposely naming every gross thing he can think of.
“Still gonna kiss me?” he asks. “Your lips might have to join a lonely-hearts club. There’s one that meets weekly in Leroy’s basement. I’m sure it’ll be a blast.” He winks and takes another bite.
He’s the only man I know who can get away with a wink without looking stupid. Slade leans over the table for a kiss and I, of course, oblige. He has mercy on me and gives me a closed-mouth kiss.
Then we both remember Matteo is sitting there listening to our odd exchange.
“This American humor? I no understand.” His expression is confused.
“Sorry,” I tell Matteo. “Your son has a crazy sense of humor.”
“Ah,” Matteo says, looking sad. “So did Laurie. She always make-ah me laugh. I always happy.”
He drops the ‘h’ in happy, making it sound like appy. I love his accent. He can speak two languages. Impressive. I can only speak one.
I watch Slade’s expression, knowing he’s in one of his deep-thinking modes. He seems to reach a decision. “My mother would love to see you again.” Slade holds up his phone. “She’s been messaging me practically every hour, wanting to know every detail of our trip. No, I take that back. To be honest, she wants to know every detail about you. You have a standing invitation to come visit. You can stay at Sheridan House.”
“Thank you, my son. I want see Laurie. Very much. We have much to say. I don’t know about more. I have family in Italy. She have family in Oregon.Come si dice…ah…how to say…how that work? Many years go by. We know each other no more. We old now. But want to see her. Very much. Sorry, my English no good.”
Slade shakes his head in the negative. “I understand everything you’re saying. We can communicate. That’s all that matters. You and my mother can communicate too.”
“Can I ask for number?” Matteo asks with hesitation. “That okay? I don’t want make problem.”
“Of course. She’d like that.” Slade takes Matteo’s phone to type in Lauren’s number.
“Yours too, my son? We keep touch, yes?”
“Yes, I’d like that very much.” Slade’s throat bobs as he swallows, and his jaw tenses in an effort to keep his emotions under control. I know he doesn’t want to play matchmaker, yet it’s clear how much love there was between his parents. He appears torn.
“My son, I see you upset. I know me and my Laurie was wrong. She married. Was not right. We two stupid kids. But now have you. You not wrong. You best thing in life. Okay? You understand? Best thing isyou. I wish I see you grow up. I missed much.” Matteo leans over the table and gives Slade the traditional Italian air kiss, once on the left cheek and once on the right cheek.
Slade runs his hands over his face, overwhelmed. After what his father just said, I don’t blame him.
Matteo rests his forearms on the table. “Many say Italian men say anything for romance. Is true. We know how to love. We make lady feel like only woman in world.” He throws his hands up in the air. “We move on next day to new lady. But not my Laurie. My love was true. For my son too.”
Slade nods, unsure what to say.
We switch to light conversation before saying our goodbyes. We plan to meet up again tomorrow morning.
One last day.
chapter twenty-six
SLADE AND Iwalk back to our hotel hand in hand, deep in thought.
“You okay?” I ask him for the hundredth time during this trip.
He stretches a kink out of his back. “Yeah, actually, I am. I feel good about today. And my father…he’s amazing. I genuinely like him. I wasn’t sure if I would or not. He loved me immediately when he realized who I was. I felt the same. There’s a connection between us. It’s hard to define.”
