Page 67 of Where We Fall

“To your parents’ house?”

“Yeah. I’d love for them to meet you. And it’s not like you won’t know anyone there. You know my entire family aside from my parents.”

“Wow. I wasn’t expecting that,” she replies.

I tense up. “Um, yeah. Is it too soon?”

“No, no. I’m sorry. I’m just surprised. I mean, if you want me to meet them, I would love to.”

My body floods with relief. I lean in and give her a gentle kiss. “Good. They’re gonna love you.”

Just like I do.

We both push off the couch and get ourselves ready for dinner. I find myself leaning over her in the bathroom to reach for my toothbrush while she puts on her mascara. It’s an oddly domestic thing.

But I realize in this moment how much I like it. I want more of it.

“You ready?” I ask her after I grab my jacket and pull it over my shoulders.

“Ready.” She follows me to the door. “You sure about this? Your brothers won’t think it’s weird?”

If they do, that shit is on them. If I want to bring my girlfriend to meet my parents, that’s my right.

“They’ll be fine. No time like the present to begin bringing you around them outside of work.”

She smiles. “Ok.”

It only takes about ten minutes to get to my parents’ house. They still live in the house I grew up in, in a little neighborhood in Cleveland called Little Italy. The streets are lined with Italian restaurants and bakeries. It still has cobblestone roads.

I have many memories of growing up here.

Lexi oohs and ahhs over all of it, asking questions about what it was like growing up here.

“Are your parents like,ItalianItalian parents?” she asks.

I chuckle at how adorable she is. “They aren’t from Italy themselves, but their parents were. So, they grew up speaking Italian and English. I’d say they’re about as Italian as an Italian American person can get.”

“Oh my gosh. I’m about to eat some amazing food tonight, aren’t I?”

"Now, that is a definite yes. Hope you brought your appetite, babe,” I tell her as I pull into the driveway.

I cut the engine and get out of the car, walking over to her side first. I scan the driveway, noticing everybody is already here.

As soon as I open the front door, we’re hit with the smell of Ma’s cooking.

Lexi’s chest expands on a large inhale. “Oh, it smells like heaven in here.'“

I love how much she appreciates good food like I do. You don’t grow up Italian and not see food as more than just something to give your body energy. It’s something that brings people together. It's art. It’s a way of expressing yourself.

“Uncle Marc,” Sienna says as she runs into my arms.

I wrap her up in a tight embrace. “My little SiSi.”

“Who is this?” she asks blatantly, no filter.

“This is my girlfriend, Lexi.”

“You finally have a girlfriend!” she exclaims.

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