Page 5 of Leaving Lando

“Everyone, meet Brianna Callahan, Romero’s fiancee’s younger sister. Bree, meet my cousin Antonio and his wife Caitlin; my cousin Kosta and his wife Erin; my cousin Carlo and his wife Gina; and last but not least, my cousin Rico, his wife Mickey, and their boys, Gino and Luca.”

Brianna says hello to all the grownups, then ignores them to zero in on the twins, who are in high chairs at the end of the booth. Their parents are next to them on either end of the long, U-shaped bench. “How old are they?” Bree asks.

“Ten months,” Mickey says with a smile, and hands Luca a sippy cup, which he bangs on his tray with great vigor and enthusiasm.

Bree beams at him as if he’s done something remarkable. My cousins’ wives wear similar expressions. “So who else is pregnant?” I say. “You guys can’t be letting Rico and Mickey run away with the baby sweepstakes uncontested.”

The men all grin. “Not us,” Erin says, with a fond glance at Kosta. “I still have law school to finish.”

“Not us either,” Cait adds, snuggling close to Tonio.

Everyone turns to Gina and Carlo. They look at each other a long moment, having one of those wordless conversations, and then Gina smiles and raises her hand. The rest of us start cheering and applauding. Gina blushes; Carlo looks like he just won every lottery in the world; the kids flap their arms and let out weird baby screeches.

As the hubbub dies down, my work phone vibrates in my pocket.

---