Page 86 of The Fall Affair

Her eyes widened. “Oh my God…”

The loggia was sprawling—stone arches draped with wisteria, two long wooden tables set end to end, all different sizes of candles flickering in mismatched holders. A half dozen wine bottles and even more half-full glasses cluttered every surface that wasn’t already filled with platters of appetizers. It was loud with laughter and overlapping arguments, the kind of chaos typical of my family.

Allegra leaned over to me and whispered, “When you said family dinner, I assumed you meant your parents and your sister. Maybe five people. Not…this.”

I chuckled. “Family dinner to Italians means everyone—aunts, uncles, cousins, friends who are family. Everyone has a standing invitation. Some months there are a dozen people, and other times it’s like tonight.” I glanced around at the crowd. “Probably about twenty-five.”

She swallowed. This group was a lot, especially for someone who’d hesitated to have dinner with me not long ago. I put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “After a glass of wine and my ninety-one-year-old great-uncle hitting on you, you’ll feel right at home.”

She managed a shaky smile, and the glow of one of the wall sconces caught her hair.

I squinted. “Do you…have sparkles in your hair?”

Her smile widened. “My grandmother had a pretty big stash.”

Before I could do the honors, Luciana grabbed a fork from the table and tapped it against her wine glass. “Everyone, I want to introduce you to Allegra. She only speaks un po di Italiano, so practice your Inglese tonight.”

The entire group turned, and conversations halted. Twenty-five pairs of eyes locked on the woman standing between me and my sister. Allegra stiffened.

“Ciao, Allegra!” half the group chorused, raising glasses. From the far end of the table, my great-uncle cupped his hands around his mouth. “Bellissima! You sit next to me!”

My mother swatted him with a napkin. “Be good, Salvatore. Or I cut off your wine at half a bottle.”

Uncle Sal pouted, and both Allegra and I laughed. My cousin’s wife, Theresa, came to the rescue and shoved a glass of merlot into her hand. “Tip from a newcomer,” she said. “Don’t sit anywhere near Salvatore without checking the seat first, or you’ll find a hand goosing your culo.”

Luciana leaned in. “And drink. It’s the only way to survive this family.”

“I heard dat!” my mother yelled from the other end of the table.

Introductions shot at Allegra from every direction after that. Aunt Rosa Maria pinched her cheeks like she was three years old, my cousin Marciella warned her to only eat her roasted figs with walnuts and honey because communion wafers had more flavor than her sister’s dish, and the son of my mother’s best friend brought her a glass of white wine from his vineyard. That prompted me to put my arm around Allegra to make sure he understood who she was here with.

I watched it all unfold, ready to step in and rescue her if she needed it, but Allegra held her own. She was nervous, that I could see, but she still managed a comeback when my cousin Vito made a slightly insulting comment after he found out she was a lawyer.

A little while later, Luciana and the neighbor brought out a dozen trays of food, and then my mother came over.

“Allegra, this is my mother, Elena. Mamma, this is Allegra.”

My mother kissed both her cheeks. “I’ve heard so much about you. Of course, not from my son—he tells me nothing—but from Luciana. Apparently, you are very special, because not just anyone could make this boy go to da club and dance.”

Allegra laughed. “It’s very nice to meet you, Elena.”

Mom took Allegra’s hand. “Come. You sit next to me. On da left side, so my uncle doesn’t try to cop a feel, yes?” She pointed to the other side of the table. “You go across, Matteo.”

I would’ve liked to sit next to Allegra so she felt more comfortable, but there was no point in arguing with my mother. She guided her to a chair, and I followed to pull out my mother’s and her seat. My sister took the one next to me.

“I’m very sorry about your grandmother,” Mom said. “I met Sophia a few times when I visited Matteo. She was a lovely woman, vibrant and spirited.”

Allegra smiled. “She was. Thank you.”

Trays of food flew around the table, passing left to right, right to left, and across two tables. I watched as Allegra tried to figure out what to grab and when.

“Chicken parm?” I reached over, holding two trays out. “And gnocchi pomodoro. My favorites.”

She looked relieved and took the trays. “Grazie.”

“Hey, Porky!” my cousin Carlo yelled. “Pass da gnocchi.”

I rolled my eyes and hoped Allegra didn’t catch the name, but of course, she did.