Page 41 of Alfie: Part Two

I just grinned, because I absolutely loved how swiftly he wanted our lives merged again.

“Our other place,” I corrected. “We could do dinner on the roof deck.”

He snapped his fingers and nodded. “We’ll do that. You head in with the kids and the furballing alarm clock, and Liam, Colby, and I will be there with takeout around seven.”

It was settled, and now I looked forward to it even more. Alfie always found the best food in Philly.

With perfect timing, our coffee was ready, and I poured it into our mugs.

“I love you.” I gave him a smooch after putting on the lid. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Love you more. I’m definitely rubbing one out in the shower.”

I laughed on my way out. “What do you think I did earlier?”

“Oh,fucker!”

Isgro’s was packed, to no one’s surprise, so Giulia and I made our order to-go. Then we headed north on 10th until I came across a parking spot somewhat close to a park where Trip once stormed off a soccer field, proclaiming the sport was ridiculous.

Since schools had started again, the recreation areas weren’t flooded with children, and we found a bench in the shade that wasn’t broken or covered in bird shit and whatever else.

We’d also gotten the mandatory small talk out of the way. Once more, she’d expressed how glad she was about Alfie and me getting back together. That was followed by an update on the kids, including Colby. Because I was so glad he was relaxing more and more with us, and he didn’t brush off talk about the future anymore. He’d picked up another book I had recommended too, and he actually liked discussing them afterward. Then Trip and Ellie, of course. Both were thriving in school. Trip loved homework, and Ellie had made tons of friends at the new kindergarten program we’d enrolled her in.

“She dominates the conversation in the car every time we pick her up—she wants us to know everything she’s learned,” I chuckled.

Giulia smiled and placed our coffees and the pastry bag between us on the bench. “She will be a teacher one day, mark my words.” Then she shook her head as she carefully tore the bag open to become our pastry tray. “Actually—what do I know? Ionce believed my son was going to be a doctor or take over Phil’s business.”

Alfie had hated working in construction.

She inspected a cannoli before she flicked me a look. “Instead, he picked another family business, no?”

And we were off.

“I think it’s less about the job and more about the family,” I hedged carefully. “Having witnessed it myself now, it’s like seeing the mothership calling him home.”

She scoffed a little and picked off a small chocolate chip from the mascarpone filling. “Alfie is not an alien,tesoro. Don’t make excuses for him.”

I wasn’t making excuses. I was just…explaining and accepting.

I picked up one of my own cannoli—because yes, I’d ordered four, and only one of them was for Alfie, and no fucking shame about it.

“Why could he not do what you did?” she asked. “You went to college, you got a job, you did things right.”

I shifted in my seat, and I phrased myself carefully. “I’m not sure I’m the best comparison. My parents paid for my Ivy League education, and I never had to work extra to get by during school.”

She quirked a brow at me. “Are you saying people who do not have money should just give up and become criminals?”

“Of course not.” I frowned. “I’m only saying I was handed all the tools without any effort.”

She scoffed at that. “What a thing to say. You work hard every day.”

…she said to me while I was scarfing down a cannoli in the middle of my vacation.

But I got her point. She didn’t get mine, however.

“Giulia, I—” I stopped and let out a breath. Then a thought struck, about a show we’d watched together, and it could be a good analogy. “Do you remember that documentary we once saw about climbers on their way to Mount Everest?”

She nodded and chewed. “Crazy people with a death wish—they are only breaking their mamas’ hearts. If not every bone in their body!”

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