Page 121 of It's Always Sonny

Mary’s eyes tighten at the corners. “Fine. He has two minutes to convince me not to put my foot where the sun doesn’t shine.”

Bob takes the opportunity to get away from Mary. He instantly joins Nonna at her side. He takes her knotted hand in his, and that simple movement makes Nonna stand up taller. When they share a tight smile, I know she knows exactly what she’s doing.

My eyes find PJ, who’s looking directly at me.

I will never get tired of looking at her looking at me. PJ’s smile is so sweet and salty, my mouth waters. We walk over to each other and I drape my arm around her. She puts her arm around my waist, and I kiss her temple.

Nonna looks like she’s battling a final moment of uncertainty. She looks at her hand in Bob’s and then, of everyone she could look at for support or motivation or anything, she looks at PJ and me.

She puts her hand to her mouth and whistles loud enough to split ears.

Silence.

“All right, listen up,” Nonna says. “This is Bob. We got into a fight and I knocked him out.”

“Accidentally,” Bob adds.

“Eh,” Nonna says, not correcting him but not agreeing, either. “Point is, he saw me at my lowest point and he forgave me for it. If he can put up with that, you can put up with him.”

“But he was insufferable!” Mary said, and Mom and Sienna step in front of Mary like they’re security on a Jerry Springer special. “He complained and whined for hours! He tattled on you to security!”

Bob adjusts his collar.

“He did,” Nonna says. “I saw him at his lowest, too. If I can forgive him, I hope you will.”

Mary isn’t having any of it. “How did this even happen?”

“That would be me,” Bob says. “When I came to in the airport, I couldn’t stop thinking about Bianca. I’d never had a woman tell me off like that. I’m not used to people telling me about my mistakes. For weeks afterward, I wished I’d acted differently. I wanted a second chance with that firecracker of a woman.” He kisses Nonna’s hand, and she smirks like a queen. “So I got her number from the police report—”

PJ laughs into her fist.

“—and I called her and asked her out. We only live a few miles from each other.”

“Are you trying to use her for her money?”

“He’s a retired four star general,” Nonna says. “He doesn’t need my money or my grandkids’ money,” she says, winking at the twins.

Rude.

“Ouch,” PJ says under her breath. “You didn’t even get a wink. Your family is hard to impress.”

“But easy to love.”

“Cheesy.”

“You love it.”

“It doesn’t make it not cheesy.”

“Besides,” Bob says, “We’re signing a pre-nup.”

The adults all nod appreciatively.

My phone buzzes in the middle of the Q&A. I pull it out and see Michael’s name. I send it to voicemail. He calls again. And then again a third time. Frustrated, I pull my phone out and see a text from him.

MICHAEL: CALL ME. 911.

“Who’s Michael?” PJ asks.

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