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They both said no, so I took my bag and went to the gelato shop. I would have loved to have a more substantial meal, but it looked like Ariana was nowhere near done.
I was waiting in line, trying to decide between pistachio and raspberry when someone bumped into me, almost knocking me down to the ground.
“What the…”
“Sorry, sorry! I’m so sorry.” The familiar womanly voice said and I turned to find a woman scrambling to gather all her bags from the sidewalk. “Oh, Grazia. Oh, my God!”
“Chiara! This is… hi!”
“Oh, my God!” She repeated and pulled me into a hug. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”
It’s been four years. Chiara Fiori was Salvatore’s cousin. Her and her brother, Pietro, were the close like siblings with him and even if she was older, we always got along great.
“You look amazing.” Her Fiori chestnut hair was cut to her shoulders, perfectly styled, and even if she was a mom now, her body was still as amazing as when she was nineteen. This girl stopped aging a long time ago and no one could convince me otherwise.
“You too. Look at you! You’re a grown woman.” She gave me another hug. “I know I’m not supposed to say this, or whatever, but I’ve missed you so much. All of you.”
I couldn’t help but bite my lip. Her and Goliath were a couple – the type that makes you look away blushing – before the big fight.
“We missed you too. All of… us.”
“It’s ok, you can say his name.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m not angry anymore.” But she was.Oh, she was so angry. She tried to set Goliath’s house on fire. With him inside.
“You had every right. Trust me, I understand.” Chiara and I were in the same boat, both being forced away from the men we loved.
“Yeah. Two old men start fighting and you and I had to pay the price. How is that fair?” She exhaled, a flash of regret crossing her beautiful face. “Anyway, it’s all good now.” She showed me her ring finger where a massive rock was resting.
“I’ve heard. Married and a son too. I’m happy for you.” A few months after Goliath had to leave her, Chiara got pregnant and had a shotgun wedding. I’d never seen my brother as miserable as the day she walked down aisle to marry another man.
“How is he?”
My eyebrows raised. “Goliath?”
“Yes. I mean, I hope he’s fine.”
“Ah, well, both Goliath and Gaspino just came back from the Middle East, but he’s alright. Still recovering.”
“Yeah, right.” Chiara crossed her arms. “He recovered four years ago when he took Tatiana Erivo out.”
“Stop, you know it wasn’t like that.”
“Well, it’s in the past. I really hope he’s happy. And Gaspino, oh, how I miss him.”
I laughed, thinking about Goliath’s twin, the goofiest of all my brothers.
“Well, you can have him if you want. I’m tired of his pranks.”
“I wish. I was in love with Goliath, but Gaspino never failed to make me laugh. I could use some of that.”
Huh?
“Everything ok, Chiara?”
“Sure.” She smiled, a little too wide to seem genuine. “My son, Francesco. He’s three and it’s tiring, that’s all.”
I knew from Salvatore that her son was non-verbal, but otherwise happy and healthy.
“I’ve heard he is a handsome little boy.” Sasa loved to brag about his nephew.
