AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The more the merrier,” Mamma said, making me feel welcome again. It hurt her the most when I stopped attending family dinners, but she’d understood. She’d said Papà was stubborn, and he’d eventually come around, but he hadn’t.
Not that it mattered. I didn’t let anyone’s opinion of my business affect me anymore. All that mattered was how I felt about it.
Silas stood next to Leo, with Evie in his arms. I squeezed her knee. “Good to see you, squirt.”
She leaned down to hug me, and Silas’s body came with her to prevent her from falling out of his arms. His chest pressed into my shoulder.
I saw the question in Silas’s eyes, but I couldn’t let on that we were intimate. To maintain everyone’s expectations, I should have said something snarky to him, but I couldn’t manage it. I was too torn up about what happened earlier.
Slowly, the room filled with talking and laughter again, and I didn’t feel like I was being scrutinized as much. Mamma kept shooting me concerned looks, and Harper gave me a reassuring smile. Harper wanted me to come home more often too. We were like her second family since her mother hadn’t been around much growing up.
“Why did you come?” Silas asked once he’d set Evie down.
My heart pounded in my ears. “I didn’t feel right about what happened earlier.”
His expression was stoic. “We can’t discuss it here.”
“I know.”
He squeezed my shoulder but didn’t say anything else. We helped Mamma put the food on the large dining room table, and we all sat down to eat.
Silas sat next to Carlo and Matteo because Mamma knew enough to keep us separated. It was a good thing, but I hated being so far away from him after our fight.
We ate, and the discussion focused on the new pizzeria and its success.
“I’d like to offer the family-style items on the menu, not just for parties and catering orders.” Matteo spent most of his time in the kitchen.
The table fell silent. No matter how much Papà said he wanted to take a step back from the restaurants and retire, he was still the one in charge, and everyone knew it.
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Let’s say you have a large gathering or party scheduled, and you don’t have time to cook or clean your house. You can order the meals, and it’s taken care of.”
“When someone has a party, they order ahead of time.”
“But that requires forethought and planning. What if it’s an impromptu party or someone waited too long to order the food in time? This will allow for more orders.” He continued without waiting for Papà to respond. “I’d like to see if it would work. We can start with chicken parmesan. I’m thinking it will be eight chicken breasts with pasta. The salad and breadsticks can be add-ons. If it works, we can offer other options, but I would keep it to three or so entrées. We can package the salad dressings and sell them on the side too.”
“I love that idea,” I said to the quiet room. “It doesn’t hurt to try it. You’re already providing these types of meals for parties and catering. What’s the harm in allowing other customers to order the meals? I can see the appeal of a busy mom not wanting to cook for a large gathering.”
“You can’t just come home and offer us advice. You wanted out of the pizzeria. You made your choice,” Papà said.
My face flushed as a shocked silence fell over the table.
“This is a family matter,” Papà said stiffly.
I hadn’t planned to come tonight and cause a fight. “Am I not family?”
“You didn’t want to be part of the family business. I don’t understand why you do now.”
It wasn’t a question. Instead, his statements were intended to stop any further comments. I threw my napkin onto the table. “I don’t know why I came.”
It was only to see Silas, but it was shortsighted because my father wouldn’t change. Different ideas wouldn’t be welcomed. My brothers were better at convincing him to see their side.
“Papà didn’t mean that,” Mamma began as I stood.
“You don’t have to stand up for him. He said what he did. Nothing has changed. My opinion isn’t welcome here.”
“If you want to come back to the pizzeria, then we can talk.”
