That One Time by Aja Foxx

Chapter Twenty Five

~ Frank ~

 

So far so good.

Henry and my parents hadn't gone for each other's throats, but they weren't really talking, either. I decided I needed to do something to break the tension in the room before it smothered us all.

"Eva, come here." I held out my hand to my daughter. When she ran over and took my hand, I walked her over to my parents. I squatted down next to her. "Eva, this is my mama and papa." I smiled at my parents. "Mama, Papa, this is my daughter, Eva Maria Warner."

Eva leaned into me, laid her head on my shoulder, and ducked her head, peering up at my parents through her long lashes. I'd only known her a handful of weeks, and I'd seen her do a lot of things, but I'd never seen her be shy with anyone.

"Hello, Eva," my mother said. "I'm your grandmother."

Eva's brow furrowed. "Is that different than Nonna? Cause she said I was her great-granddaughter."

"In a way it is. I'm your father's mother and this is his father." She gestured to the man sitting at her side. "Nonna is his mother and Arturo was his father."

"Do I call you Nonna?" Eva asked.

"Oh no, I haven't earned that title yet. You can call me Nana."

I smiled when Eva started gravitating toward my mother. I had hoped it wouldn't take long. I wanted my family whole, all of them. If I could get Eva and my parents together, I might be able to get Henry and them together as well.

I felt a presence beside me and glanced over to find Henry standing next to me. He reached down and settled his hand on my shoulder, but didn't say a word.

My stomach churned with anxiety, not knowing what was going to happen. Henry could easily get his revenge for how my parents had kicked him out after welcoming him into the family fold. Or he could let his anger and animosity go. It really could go either way, and Henry wouldn't be the guilty party either way he went.

"Mr. Galeazzi," Henry said. "Mrs. Galeazzi. It's good to see you both."

I knew he was lying, but he was being polite about it. Still, I saw my father flinch at the cold, but polite address. Henry used to call him Papa.

"We're planning a day out tomorrow. We're going to go to the zoo and then to the park," Henry said. "Would you like to join us?"

That was quite the olive branch Henry was holding out.

It was up to my parents to take it.

"Oh yes," Eva said. "Daddy and Uncle Ryan are making us a picnic and everything. You have to come, Nana. And Nonna, too. Uncle Ryan said he'd make cupcakes if we put all of our toys away before bed. I want one with pink frosting. Arty likes blue, but he's a boy and boys like blue."

She was obviously oblivious to the tension in the room.

My mother chuckled. "I like pink, too, and I would love to go to the zoo and the park with you."

I almost breathed out a sigh of relief when my mother accepted Henry's invite. It wasn't the reunion I truly wanted, but it was a start of mending the fences between my parents and Henry. I knew it would take time for true forgiveness to happen, but this was a sign it would eventually.

Eva squealed and raced over to Arty and started talking with him faster than I could keep up. I purposely widened my eyes when I glanced up at Henry. "I think my ears are bleeding."

Henry chuckled. "You ain't seen nothing yet. That's her happy noise. Wait until she throws a temper tantrum."

When I heard a small snort, I turned toward my mother. I could see from the laughter dancing in her eyes and the way she was holding her handkerchief to her lips that she was trying hard not to laugh.

"What?" I asked.

She moved the handkerchief, but her lips were pressed tightly together as she shook her head. She still looked as if she was trying not to laugh.

"You've been known to shatter glass when you were her age," my father said. "Lost one of my best drinking glasses that way."

I was doomed.

I glanced up at Henry again. "Sorry."

Henry grabbed my hand and pressed it against his abdomen. "This one better take after me or I'm not doing this again."

I sucked in a quick breath. "Yeah?"

Henry smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

I let out a loud whoop, grabbed Henry around the waist, and spun him around. By the time I set Henry down on his feet again, Ryan was standing there with Arty, Martino hovering behind them. Nonna had moved to sit next to my father, and my mother and father were staring at us looking confused.

Henry shook his finger at me. "No more spinning. Not good."

"Yes, amore mio," I whispered. "Whatever you say."

Henry wiggled his eyebrows. "I knew you'd get it eventually."

 

~ The End ~