Page 101 of Embracing the Change

Nico came up on screen.

He looked like his father, except far more handsome.

“Gotcha, Ma. I’m bringing in Allegra and Val now,” he said.

Shortly after, Allegra, who looked quite a bit like me, and Valentina, who, as mentioned, looked very much like her maternal grandmother, were in squares on my screen.

“She’s glowing,” Allegra said, grinning hugely.

“Mom’s totally getting herself some,” Valentina replied.

“Fuck. Stop talking about that,” Nico demanded.

“I love this so much,” Allegra enthused.

“I’m delighted you do,” I entered the conversation. “Now, I’d like all three of you, Nico, you as well, if you feel like a day trip, to come to lunch with Jamie and Dru on Sunday.”

“I’m in,” Valentina said.

“I am too,” Allegra said.

“I’ll talk to Felice,” Nico put in. “Are spouses invited?”

“Always,” I drawled, though, if given a choice, I’d invite Darryn and Archie without reservation, Felice, with some reservations, and I would pretend to be very sad she couldn’t make it (since she often opted out of family gatherings), but in reality, I wouldn’t be sad at all.

“Yay! Darryn loves Jamie,” Allegra announced.

“Not as much as Archie does,” Valentina returned. “Since he gave us those courtside tickets to the Knicks, Jamie has been Archie’s favorite person.”

“It isn’t a competition, Val,” Allegra retorted.

I cut in before my two daughters could start bickering. Something, regardless of how much they loved each other, they were prone to do.

“I want no argument about this, you all knew it was going to happen, but when I move in with Jamie at his brownstone, I’ll be transferring the apartment to Allegra and Darryn.”

All my children’s stunned faces just stared from the screen.

“This apartment has been in the family now for three generations,” I reminded them. “And it always goes to the firstborn. So I don’t want any squabbling. Nico and Valentina, you know I’ll find a way to balance it out for you.”

“You two are moving in together?” Nico asked.

“Yes,” I answered.

“You’re leaving Grandmother’s apartment?” Allegra asked.

“Jamie’s brownstone is far from uncomfortable,” I noted.

“What’s going to happen to Alyona?” Valentina queried.

Oh dear.

I hadn’t thought of that.

Jamie had Monica, of course, but she didn’t cook, or clean, (though she did handle Jamie’s groceries and dry cleaning and the like). Jamie had a cleaning service that came in once a week, one that Monica managed.

He also didn’t have a small apartment where Alyona could have her own space.

“We…haven’t discussed that yet,” I admitted.

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