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Alessandra mulled over her thoughts carefully, trying to figure out the best way to approach her sister-in-law without raising too much suspicion. Beth was the last person she wanted to alienate.
“I missed you, too. I’m glad we’re having some sister time. I was hoping you could give me some advice.”
“Uh-oh, is my brother being an idiot? I know he can be rough around the edges sometimes, but he’s a good guy.”
“Where’d he learn to speak Italian? I noticed the rest of your family doesn’t seem to be fluent.”
“Oh, that’s easy. You know he lived in Italy, right? He studied abroad for a while and became fluent in Italian and Latin.”
Though Alessandra knew Drake lived in Italy for an extended period of time, he never talked about it. This was her opportunity to learn more.
“Do you have family in Italy or anything?”
Beth shook her head. “Not to my knowledge. You know we have a bit of an age difference between us, so I don’t remember all the details. Bitsy said Drake received a scholarship to study abroad. He lived in dorms, and during summers, he stayed with an exchange family.”
“How long was he in Italy?”
“Six years. I missed him a lot. He never came to visit.”
“And you never went to see him?”
“I wanted to. I begged my parents to go see Drake. However, they said he was too busy. Bitsy looked sad every time I asked. Eventually, I stopped, and Drake came home. But he didn’t want to be my big brother anymore.”
“That must’ve been hard.” Alessandra frowned sympathetically.
“Yeah. When he returned, he bought an apartment in the city and enrolled in law school at the University of Chicago. He rarely visited. I tried to visit once, and he bit my head off.”
“But you seem to get along now. What changed?”
“Dustin began acting out during his teen years. He could’ve ended up with a record, but Drake set him straight. He started coming home more often for family dinners, and it was almost like I got my big brother back.”
“Almost?” Alessandra raised her brows.
“Yeah, something happened in Italy. Drake doesn’t like to talk about it.” She shrugged. “I hope to have an adventure like that someday,” she sighed wistfully.
Alessandra was shocked that Drake didn’t tell her this himself. The more she discovered about her husband, the less she realized she knew him.
“What about Riley? She was almost your sister-in-law.”
Beth snorted. “Riley’s mother grew up with ours, upper crust and all that. Even when they lost their money, we tried to include Riley. Mom and I would invite her to get our hair and nails done, go to eat, and even shopping. Sometimes she’d take us up on our offer, but she remained distant.”
“I’m sorry Riley was like that.”
“After Drake proposed, I thought we would become closer. Mom hired a wedding planner, but Riley never returned a call or text.” She smiled and exclaimed, “I like you so much more! You actually talk to me when we hang out.”
“I like hanging out with you too, B.”
Beth beamed at the genuine comment. Alessandra recognized that she’d found a kindred spirit without realizing it. Alessandra had friends for the first time. It was strange in many ways, but Noah and Beth made her feel less alone.
From Alessandra’s observations, Richard and Bitsy seemed to be polar opposites. Bitsy was the pearl-clutching type of woman while her husband was kind and smart with a quirky sense of humor. Somewhere along the way, they must’ve found love to be together for forty years. Alessandra wondered if she and Drake had the right stuff to make a marriage work like that. Their levels of familial expectations were not the same, but the weight they felt as a result likely was.
“You know you can talk to me anytime you want, Beth.”
“Same here.” Beth smiled softly.
“Were you surprised when Drake married me?”
Beth’s demeanor changed in an instant. She appeared nervous, wringing her hands and bouncing her leg.
