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Momharumphsbefore turning away from us. “Dinner is almost ready. Everyone else is at the dining table.”
“Mom, wait.” She pauses, looking over her shoulder at me. I walk over to her and throw my arms around her. She tenses for a second before relaxing into my touch.
“What’s this for?”
“I just love you, ok?” After what Emilia told me, my view on my mom has completely changed. She’s not perfect, but she is the strongest person I know.
“I love you, too.” She sounds surprised and pulls back from me. “Gemma, are you ok?”
“Can’t a daughter give her mother a hug?”
“When it comes from you? No.”
“Just accept it, Mom.”
She looks me over before nodding. “All right. Come on. Dinner will get cold if we wait too long.”
I grab Viktor’s hand and walk into the dining room where my entire family is. Antonio and Cecilia are sitting next to each other and arguing over which is a better film series,TwilightorTransformers. As a fourteen-year-old and a twelve-year-old, that will go on for some time. Which is why I walk over to them and say, “Both suck. So, don’t argue over it.”
They ignore me and continue their argument.
Next to them is Mia, who gives me a large smile before turning back to the phone. She’s only ten. When the hell did she get a phone? I would have loved a phone when I was her age, but Mom refused. Across from her is Francesca, who studiously looks at her plate like this is the last place on earth she’d rather be. I know my sister would prefer to be in her room, all alone. Family meals are not her thing.
Next to her is Emilia and Marco. Emilia makes an effort to nod at Viktor, even though I can tell it pains her. Marco just shoots Viktor a look that says, “Don’t cause any trouble.” The twins are in their booster seats, each with a plate of simple food before them. Carrots and chicken nuggets. Well, at least Mom is trying to feed them vegetables. Mom sits between them after she places the roast beef on the table. Franco, who’s at the head of the table—that bastard—stands up to carve the meat.
That just leaves Viktor and me. I’m not sure if we’re going to be accepted here, but then Cecilla looks over and pushes out the chair next to her, and I sit down, Viktor next to me. That’s the amazing thing about kids; they’re so quick to forgive and forget.
Antonio looks over at Viktor. “So, do you want another match?”
Viktor frowns. “What?”
“You and me. Round number two. You beat me last time, but I don’t like to lose.” It’s tense around the table. Antonio is obviously referring to the night of the party when Viktor beat him up because Antonio tried to protect me.
Then Antonio laughs. “I’m going to win next time.” And all the tension around the table dissipates.
Viktor leans over and shakes Antonio’s hand. “You’re on, little man. But maybe we leave the fighting until you’re older.”
Antonio frowns, then shrugs, then nods. “But I’m not a little man. I’m fourteen now. In a few years, I’ll be a man.”
“Don’t grow up too fast now,” Mom says, feeding a bite of food to Lucia as Luca flings his chicken nugget across the table. It hits Viktor in the face, making everyone around the table laugh, except Franco. That man doesn’t have one funny bone in his body. An idea occurs.
I grab the chicken nugget, which has fallen onto Viktor’s plate, and pelt it at Franco. It smacks him in the chest, which makes my younger siblings roar with laughter. Emilia has to hide her smile behind her hand. Even Mom looks amused, and for once, she doesn’t scold me.
“Oops,” I say, sharing a wink with Viktor.
Franco opens his mouth to speak when Marco cuts in. “Let’s have a nice meal, everyone.” He effectively prevents Franco from having a hissy fit.
Marco’s words become true. We have a nice meal, despite the rocky start. I’m surrounded by my family and the man I love. My heart has never felt this full.
* * *
Viktor kneels before the gravestones.Ivan Levin and Vera Levin. Father and husband. Mother and wife. I stand behind him, giving him this moment.
“You know … I’ve never been to their graves. I never attended their funeral.”
I rest my hand on his shoulder. “You’re here now.”
“I think I may be ready to forgive them for what they did to me.” He touches each gravestone, his shoulders hunched. It takes me a moment to realize he’s crying. I’ve never seen this side of Viktor. I wonder how much I’ll discover about him over the course of our marriage. Once he wipes his tears, he stands up. “I kind of hope they can forgive me for being such a little shit growing up.”
