Page 39 of Destiny

“I hope this lives up to your standards,” I comment.

“I’m sure it will be fine.”

“I think it’s pretty good . . . especially for being from our neck of the woods.”

“Have you lived in Hazelhurst all of your life?”

“Yes.”

“Does that mean that you went to school with Clara?”

I haven’t heard her name in a bit, so I pause in an effort even to remember who she’s talking about.

“Oh! The girls’ mom? No, no. She was significantly older than me.”

“As is my son.”

I feel a golf ball-sized wad of spit accumulates in my throat.

“Yes, that’s true.” I don’t want to look her in the eyes, so I keep loading more food than I could ever eat on my plate.

“Yet you find that you’re compatible?”

“Um, yes. Very.”

She raises her nose into the air. “Interesting.”

“I guess.” Then, I hurry along to the table.

Then, I’m just about to dig my fork to get my first bite when Louisa says, “Shall we pray?”

I’m embarrassed and try my best to set everything down before clasping my hands and bowing my head.

“Amen,” she says at the end, and I follow. “Okay, let’s eat.”

Finally, my stomach has been growling since I got the first whiff of the food. I’ve been eating Tony’s cooking since I was a little girl, and it never disappointed me.

“Well?” Marco asks.

His mother takes her time to chew and taste the food in her mouth, but she ultimately says it is good.

Thank goodness.

“Sure, it’s no Osteria Francescana. But it’s edible.”

I wasn’t sure what that was, but I guessed it was a fancy restaurant in Italy.

Marco lets out a belly laugh. “Well, no. Of course not. Anthony’s doesn’t have any Michelin stars. That’s for sure.”

This is the first time I’ve seen him express his “worldliness” and kind of put down where I come from.

I knew the family personally who prepared the food before us, and I was a little offended on their behalf.

Chapter 4 – Marco

My mother has left for the night, and I think it was a rather successful meal together.

We’ve put the girls to bed, and Bea is getting ready in the bathroom.

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