Page 131 of Falling for Mr. October

“Mio bel ragazzo,” she says, her voice rough with emotion. “I am so proud of you.”

I have to laugh. “Because I’m in love with Bianca? I’m still a fuckup, you know.” I cringe as she slaps my arm. “A screwup. I’m trying to fix it, Nonna.”

“You will do it.” There’s no uncertainty in her voice. “You will do it because you are like your nonno, and there was nothing that man couldn’t do. He brought people together, Giovanni. That is a gift my son never had, but I see it in his son. I know you will do great things.”

I want to join the others in the kitchen. To give my girl her pants and hug my buddy. To make everyone a big meal that we can share together. But something keeps me where I’m standing. “Nonna, these journalists are digging where they shouldn’t. They asked about the apple fight…” I pause. “The reporter who was talking to us…he seemed to think it had something to do with Bianca’s great-uncle Ted.”

My grandmother purses her lips. “It did.”

My mouth falls open, but no words come out. “Nonna?” I finally say.

“I will say no more. It is not my secret to tell.”

“So it wasn’t some kind of love triangle between you three?”

She slaps my arm lightly. “Don’t be a pazzo. You know your nonno was the one and only love of my life. My other half.”

I raise my hands. “I know, I know. I just…okay. I have a plan for shutting them up.”

“You do this plan. Rose should be able to keep her secrets for as long as she wishes.”

I’m curious—anyone would be curious—but I know better than to ask more questions. My grandmother knows how to keep a secret when she wants to.

“Nonna…”I pause. “Are we going home at the end of October?”

She frowns at me. “Of course not. What’s the matter with you? You belong here. I feel it in my chest.”

“But Nico will need help with Hidden Italy, and⁠—”

She’s already shaking her head. “I told Nico this last night, and today I tell you. Your nonno and I started Hidden Italy to give our family security, and it made us all happy and safe for many years, but it was always our family that mattered, not the place. If Nico wants to keep it running, then good, he does it. If not, he can sell it.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I mutter in shock.

My whole life I was made to believe that Hidden Italy was our family legacy. I haven’t bothered thinking about what future I wanted, because everyone knew what my future would be.

Enzo was the smart one. Nico was the more talented chef. And my sister was always the adventurous one.

I was the one who’d run Hidden Italy, because I liked talking to people and working with the staff. It was always supposed to be that way. At one time, I’d bristled from the expectation. Then Nonno died, and I’d stopped fighting fate. I’d made peace with it, even though it had never been my choice. Hell, I’d made peace with not having a choice.

Except now everything is changing, again.

“I’ll talk to Nico,” I say.

“You do that.”

“But Nonna, don’t you want to go home?”

“No, not just yet. There’s no rush. And Rose and I have an announcement to make.”

I stare at her in bafflement. “What kind of announcement?”

“We’ll do it when all the family is together.”

“And when will that be?”

She pats my arm. “We’ll have everyone together for Thanksgiving. Rose and I thought we should have it here.”

I’m having a massive what the fuck? moment, but I know better than to say that phrase in front of my nonna. I’ll say it to my siblings later. Presumably the nonnas aren’t going to jointly announce that they both have some kind of inoperable cancer, but hopefully it’s not bad news.