Page 102 of Embracing the Change

“Well, you need to,” Nico asserted. “Alyona has been with us for twelve years.”

She had indeed.

“If you’re leaving the apartment, just rent one for her, close to Jamie’s, so she can come to work every day from her home like normal people do. It’s utterly archaic to have a live-in these days, Mom,” Valentina declared.

“That’s actually a good idea,” Allegra said.

“I have good ideas all the time,” Valentina retorted.

Again, I cut in, “I’ll discuss it with Jamie, then discuss it with Alyona. They get along. I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

“Good,” Nico grunted.

As you could see, I’d also instilled the philosophy that staff was family with my own children.

“How’s JT doing?” Allegra asked.

“He’s so adorbs. I love him, and I haven’t even met him yet,” Valentina decreed (obviously, I’d texted them all pictures). “We should all plan a family thing in Arizona sometime later this summer.”

“I don’t have time off to go to Arizona,” Nico said. “Maybe we could do something around Thanskgiving.”

“Darryn’s mom would murder me if I wasn’t at her table at Thanksgiving,” Allegra noted.

Darryn’s mother, Jaclyn, had maneuvered that tradition, with no fight from me. I was no cook. And I unwaveringly gave Alyona time off at Thanksgiving and Christmas. But Jaclyn cooked beautifully. I was always at Mika’s.

And since Nico, Felice, Valentina, Archie and I were invited to Jaclyn’s for every Christmas dinner, that worked splendidly too.

Would Jamie wish to go to Jaclyn’s for Christmas dinner?

Would Jaclyn, who was already cooking for fifteen people, want to add Jamie and Dru?

She would, but Jamie…no.

Because he and Dru went to Arizona to have Christmas with Judge, and I couldn’t imagine him wishing to make a change from that.

My.

It seemed Jamie and I needed to get our heads out of the clouds and have some important conversations.

“Ma, you okay?” Nico called.

I tuned into the conversation. “I’m fine. You two don’t seem to have an issue with the apartment going to Allegra.”

“Since you’ve been drilling that’s going to happen into us since we were babies, it’s not news, Ma,” Nico drawled. “And anyway, Felice would have a conniption if I tried to move us into that humungous space.”

She would. And then she’d realize she could house refugees here, and she’d be pleased as punch.

Darryn would redecorate, of course, but since he had superb taste, I didn’t mind.

“I don’t have long to talk,” Nico said. “I have to snarf down a sandwich and get to my next class.”

I truly wished my son didn’t use words like “snarf.”

Per usual, I said nothing.

I also understood why this was a lunchtime call, which wasn’t exactly convenient for any of them. It was so he could sneak it in, and Felice wouldn’t be the wiser or around to hear my voice over a computer.

Per usual, I buried that.

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