Page 18 of Look on the Bright Side

“Lorenzo!” came a female voice before she had a chance to knock. “She’s here! Open the door, hurry.”

Lark took another fortifying breath and smiled.

Lorenzo opened the door. “You’re late,” he said, glancing at a complicated-looking watch with many dials. “You were due eleven minutes ago. And what is that?” He looked down at her dog like he’d never seen one before.

“Hi. Nice to see you, too.” She widened her eyes at him. “Be nice,” she whispered. “You’re supposed to like me. And this is my dog, Connery. He’s a great judge of character, so be careful around him.” From behind him came the murmur of his family, and her nerves flashed again.

“Come in,” he said. “Everyone else is already here.”

He led the way through the spacious front hall and into the kitchen, where a small mob awaited, silent. Lark dimly noted that the décor was stark modern and the smells were incredible. A small ocean of smiling faces greeted her.

“Hello,” she said when Lorenzo said nothing. “I’m Lark. This is my dog, Connery.”

“He’s so cute!” said one of the sisters, and Connery tugged free and went over to her to prove it, standing on his stumpy little legs and wagging.

“Hello!” said a short, dark-haired woman. “I’m Anita, Lorenzo’s mother, and I’m very happy to meet you. You’re so pretty!” She gave Lark and her four bouquets a hug.

“It’s wonderful to meet you,” Lark said. “These are for you,” she added, handing her a bouquet.

Behind Anita, Lark spotted a tiny lady in a wheelchair under a blanket, bent with age like a tree worn down by the wind. “You must be Lorenzo’s grandmother,” she said. “He’s told me so much about you.”

“She’s might be asleep,” said Anita. “She doesn’t close her eyes all the time. Right, Noni?”

Not that being stared at from those faded blue eyes was creepy, not at all. “I hate dogs,” Noni whispered in a voice as dry as old paper. So, not asleep. “Why you bring a dog?”

Her Italian accent made the words sound threatening. That scene from The Godfather flashed through Lark’s mind, and she glanced back at Connery to make sure his head was still attached. Both sisters were currently fawning over him, so it looked like he was safe for now.

“Sorry,” she said. “I…well, I brought flowers, too. I hope you like flowers,” she said, extending them. Noni didn’t respond, just narrowed her eyes. She didn’t take the bouquet.

“Hi! I’m Izzy. This is our grandmother, Noni,” said one of the sisters. “She’s a little grumpy when she’s hungry.” Izzy held up a piece of bread, and without looking away from Lark, Noni opened her mouth. Anodontia, Lark noted. Not a tooth to be seen. The sister popped in the chunk of bread. “I’m the single sister. Nice to meet you.”

“Great meeting you, too,” Lark said, handing her a bouquet.

“These are gorgeous! From your garden?”

“My landlady’s.”

“Well, thank you. I’ll get a few vases.” She began opening cupboards.

While Noni chewed and Lorenzo stood silently glaring, Lark was hugged and greeted by Silvio, Lorenzo’s father; Sofia, his sister (and the bride); and her fiancé, Henry.

“Congratulations, you two,” Lark said. “I can’t wait to hear about the wedding.”

“Oh, you’ve opened a can of worms with that sentence,” said Izzy. “The wedding of the century. Look out, Priyanka and Nick. You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

“We promise to bore you with color schemes later,” Sofia said. “These are lovely, Lark. Thank you.” She gave Lark a beautiful smile.

“Which one of you is the nurse?” Lark asked.

“I am,” Izzy answered.

“I bow to you, as every doctor should,” Lark said.

“Lorenzo!” Izzy exclaimed. “She’s wicked nice and also brilliant. How did you trick her into dating you?”

Lorenzo stood there, brick-like, and didn’t answer.

Lark forced a laugh. “He’s not that bad,” she said. “If you squint, he’s kind of cute, even.”

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