Page 47 of Head Over Heels

It looks like the next generation is learning that lesson, too.I ruffle Lena's auburn hair. "Sit on the couch, sweetie. I'm going to help with dinner."

I give Joe's wife Rosie a hug before looking around to see what still needs to get done. Mom has the food under control, so I help Rosie set the table. Joe and Dad are in the library with his older two kids.

"What's this I hear about a pig at work?" Mom asks sternly. "Do I need to come and kick some ass?"

"Mamma mia,don't talk like that in front of the kids," Rosie scolds.

Mom barks out a laugh. "You can't shelter them from the world, Rosella. It's better to prepare them for it."

Rosie looks at me and rolls her eyes.You'd think she hasn't spent the last fifteen years married to my brother and dealing with Mom and her attitude every single week. "Still," she mutters.

"It's fine, mom. The situation is handled. I have very talented people mucking out the stalls."

"Who needs to be mucked out of where?" Hettie asks, waltzing in the door with tiramisu in her hands.

"Just someone at work," I shrug off her question.

"Woodhouse?" she asks, glancing at me.

I glance over at Nonna and Lena on the couch before nodding to her. "The situation escalated. He's gone as of this morning."

She sticks the tiramisu in the fridge and pulls me aside, lowering her voice. "Did something happen?"

"He was digging around the whole C-suite, trying to figure out who I'm sleeping with. Stefanie told Gwen he's asked at least four of the EAs."

"So he believes you like women." She raises an eyebrow.

"I don't give a flying fuck what he believes. Carole and Cristine showed him the door this morning, and if he tries to make it an issue, he'll have lawyers on his ass. He already should, but it's better for the hospital if he goes quietly." I take a deep breath.

"You know some of the best lawyers in Delmont," she teases me. "You have my number if you need it."

"Dinner's ready," Rosie tells us. "Florence, can you help Nonna?"

Once everyone is seated and served, Mom checks in on everyone's week. This is one of my favorite things about being part of a big family. Every week, we get together with Nonna, Mom and Dad, and us kids. Grown-up kids. Catalina is in Italy, but the rest of us never miss the chance to be here and catch up with each other. Even though we've all grown a little too big for our britches, we keep each other grounded. Everyone except Hettie's husband, anyway—who's noticeably absent. Again.

Mom turns to Lena. "How's school,carino?"

"School is okay. Horseback lessons are more fun, though." She takes a bite of her spaghetti. "They started a chess club at school. I think I want to join it."

"You'd be better off playing against me every day," her eleven-year-old brother tells her. "You'd get bored playing other third graders."

"If you like it, we could find a teacher to work with you," Joe says, smiling at his youngest. "Did you know Aunt Florence used to be on the chess team when she was in college?"

"I think you should join the club at school, and if you like it you can explore more options," I tell her.She's eight, for heaven's sake. Let her be a kid.

"Tell your parents about Karl," Rosie encourages Joe.

"Who's Karl?" I ask, curious.

"One of the biggest numismatists in the Midwest. He had one of the biggest collections in the country—he passed away recently. There's a lot of speculation about what will happen to his collection, since he didn't have any family."

"I think I've heard of him," Dad adds. "Some of my old colleagues knew of him. He collected art, too, right?"

Joe nods enthusiastically. "Anything of value. The guy was loaded. He was also more than a hundred years old." He glances at Nonna. "Older than you, even."

She gives him a wistful smile. "Your Nonno would've been a century next year." Her first husband—Mom's biological father who died in the war, leaving a very pregnant Elena heartbroken and alone. He'd been stationed in North Africa, in Tunisia, working against the Axis powers from the inside. His heroism cost him his life.

"He was a good man, Mamma." My mom grew up with stories regaling her first daddy's bravery and heroism. The sacrifice he made to defend freedom, and the sacrifices Nonna endured as well. Nonno Roberto, who married Nonna when she was eight months pregnant, and supported her until he passed twenty years ago, settled for a lukewarm marriage to support his childhood best friend's widow. He was an amazing man, and—according to Mom—an amazing father.

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