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He shakes his head. “No, my father, brother and sister aren’t here.” His brow furrows. “My uncle is acting like he’s calling all the shots.” He pulls out his phone, typing something in Italian into google. And then, he drops his phone to the floor, sinking down along with it.
“Oak, what is it?”
He shakes his head and I pick up the phone, scrolling through an Italian news article. It’s about his two siblings and father. Apparently, they died last year in a car accident in Sicily.
“They’re all dead,” he mutters.
I run a hand through his hair and kneel in front of him. “I’m so sorry.”
His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “I don’t know how I didn’t know.” His brow furrows. “My grandma’s death was all over the papers, but their death wasn’t. At least not here in Naples.”
A tear trickles down his cheek as he stares blankly at me.
“You didn’t know,” I say, pressing my lips to his cheek to wipe away the tear. “It’s not your fault.”
Oak nods. “I know, I just…” He shakes his head. “It was a tough decision, leaving everyone I loved behind, but I knew I couldn’t be a part of the bloodshed. I guess I always knew it would come to this. My family slaughtered.”
“It says they were in a car accident.”
Oak laughs humorlessly. “Don’t be so naïve, Eva. My father had a long-standing feud with the mafia boss of Sicily. His death was no accident.”
I swallow hard and ignore the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach. “At least you escaped this world.” I run a hand through my hair. “You might have been dead otherwise.”
He meets my gaze and sighs. “You’re right.” He stands and grabs his binoculars, glancing over at his grandmother’s funeral. “My mother is still alive and my grandmother died of very uneventful old age. At least I can be thankful for that.”
I wrap my arm around his waist and hug him, and we remain there long after the funeral is over and everyone has disappeared. Oak finally stands when the sun dips below the horizon in the distance. “We should get going if we’re going to make our reservation at Sorbillo.”
I shake my head. “We can cancel if you’d like.”
His brow furrows. “Why would we do that? It’s the best pizza in Naples.”
“Because you just witnessed your grandmother’s funeral from afar and found out your brother, sister and father are dead.”
His chest heaves. “I want to eat pizza where I used to visit as a child. It’s a good way to remember them, isn’t it?”
I nod. “Yes, of course.” I can’t imagine what he’s feeling right now. “Let’s get going.”
He leads me to the rental car and we head down the windy roads back toward Naples from Ercolano. It’s about a twenty-minute drive back to the city, where Oak parks near to the restaurant. We walk in and it’s busy; I notice a glimmer of tears in Oak’s eyes as he glances around the little pizzeria, so I squeeze his hand.
He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
All I want is to take away his pain, but I know it’s impossible. I can only be there for him. The server seats us after a fifteen minute wait at a small table at the back.
Oak clutches onto my hand over the table. “It’s just as I remember.”
“Did you come here a lot when you were a child?”
He nods. “Special occasions mostly, but because we were such a large family, there were lots of those.” He laughs. “We’d use any excuse for a Sorbillo pizza.”
“It smells delicious in here.” I lick my lips. “Can’t wait to try them.”
Oak links his fingers with mine and squeezes. “I love you, Eva.” His expression turns serious. “So much.” I notice he looks a little hesitant, as if he wants to say something, but isn’t sure how.
“What is it?” I ask.
“We got married so fast, I never asked if you wanted kids in the future?”
I’m surprised by his question, but nod in response. “Yes, once I’ve finished school and I’m secure in a job, I’d love to start a family with you.”
