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“Yeah, sure. Raincheck.”
A nurse comes in to check Dad’s vitals. She smiles kindly at us before reminding us that visiting hours finish in twenty minutes. Neither of us say anything else, we just sit there lost in our own thoughts until it’s time to leave.
We ride the elevator down to the ground floor and walk out to the parking lot in silence. When I get to my bike, which is parked right near the front entrance, Conrad just nods at me before heading to his own car.
I make up my mind then and there that when Dad wakes up, he’s going to see all three of his sons. Dad’s going to know exactly what Conrad did for him, and he’s going to be accepted as a part of this family–if he wants to, that is.
RONNIE’S CAR IS already parked in the driveway behind Tom’s ute when I arrive home. I park my bike and head inside, grinning at the laughter coming from the kitchen.
Lily has put Tom and Lachy to work–my brother stirring some kind of delicious smelling sauce simmering on the stove, while she and Lachy are plating up the main dish. It’snice to see my best mate getting along with my girlfriend, but Tom is worrying me. He’s closed the garage for the week, citing family reasons.
But the garage is our main source of income. If he lets things go there, we risk losing the house. I have a little less than a month to go of classes before uni break, so if I can get all my assignments handed in early, I can help him out. But he’s going to need to pull his head out of his ass before then or there will be no business left to salvage.
“Just in time, Herc,” Lily says, her face lighting up when she sees me standing in the entryway to the kitchen. She has been the light in the dark for me. It’s like she showed up in my life, right when I needed her. If it weren’t for her, I would have completely fallen apart.
“Smells delicious,” I say with a grin. I kiss her forehead as she passes me a plate, and we all sit down at the table to eat.
Lily and Lachy maintain the conversation, with Lily asking him about living in Salerno and dating a bona fide supermodel.
“Most of her jobs are in Italy,” he tells her. “We travel to Milan at least twice a month. Her aunty has an apartment there, which is helpful. Every now and then she gets a big shoot like the one she’s on now.”
“Wow,” Lily breathes, thoroughly captivated. “That’s so cool. I’ve never left Australia.”
“Me neither.” I squeeze her leg, and she smiles at me.
“Maybe one day we can come over and visit.”
My heart warms at the thought of her making futureplans for us, even if I have no idea how we’ll ever pay for it, especially if we lose the business and end up homeless. But for now, I allow myself to dream about taking her overseas to visit my best friend.
“Yes!” Lachy pumps his fist in the air. “We’ll take you to visit some of the prettiest places along the Amalfi Coast. It will be amazing.”
Lily laughs. “Tom, you have to come, too.”
My brother just grunts, hunching over his food. His surliness brings me back down to earth, and my fists clench against my leg, but Lily, always the peacemaker, massages my knuckles until I let them go, and she laces her fingers through mine under the table.
“Have you never been to Greece?” Lachy asks around another mouthful of his meal. “Where did you learn to cook like this?”
“My father brought my YiaYia over here before I was born. He wanted Mama to have support when she got pregnant. There were some complications during my birth which meant Mama couldn’t have any more children, and that messed with her mind.” Lily’s voice is quiet, distant. “She had trouble being around me, because I was a constant reminder of the other children she would never have. I spent a lot of time with YiaYia growing up, and she taught me how to cook.”
I choke on my food, glancing over to see her brush away a tear that escaped. Lachy mutters a soft curse, and even Tom has stopped eating.
“YiaYia passed away when I was eighteen, and about sixmonths later, my engagement to Declan was arranged.”
“Kitten–”
She sniffs. “It’s fine, Herc. I don’t need your pity. I got myself out of there, and I’m not looking back.”
I band my arm around her shoulders, and press my lips to her temple.
“Sorry for bringing it up,” Lachy chokes out. “I had no idea.”
A heavy silence falls over the room, and the sound of my phone pinging with an incoming message causes me to jump. I slide it out of my pocket and stare down at the message on the screen.
Zeke:
We’re on. Midnight tonight.
Another message with an address half an hour out of town comes through next. My stomach churns, and I push my food away.
