Page 15 of Forbidden

Aldo smiles over the lip of his drink and takes a sip. I blink trying to figure out what he’s getting at, and then the penny drops.

“Oh, shit! That’s you?”

He chuckles. “Well, technically my parents. But, yeah, that’s the family business. My grandparents started the first restaurant in San Francisco in 1924.”

My eyes bug. “Yes! I’ve seen them on ads when I was a kid! Holy crap, those are your grandparents?”

Aldo’s smile fades a little, his attention dropping to his drink. “They were, yeah. Nonna died when I was sixteen and Noni only lasted another year without her.”

I reach out and place a hand on his knee, squeezing. “I’m so sorry.”

“That’s the catch with grandparents, right?”

“So, after graduation you’re going to take over the business?” I ask, desperate to steer away from his dead grandparents and onto something that will bring back that smile. “That’s pretty huge.”

“Not the whole business,” he admits. “It’s mostly franchised now, but the branches are closely monitored by our team and my parents like to keep family members involved to make sure the quality doesn’t slip.”

“That makes sense. Are you the oldest, then?”

He shakes his head. “No. I’m third eldest of six.”

“Six?” I balk. “Wow. That must have been . . .”

“Noisy? Claustrophobic? Intense?”

“Yeah,” I say on an exhale. “I can’t imagine that many people living under one roof.”

He smiles wistfully. “It has its ups and downs. For the most part, I love it. We’re a huge family, and when we all get together, with all the aunts and uncles and cousins, it’s just the best.”

“I only have one cousin and I haven’t seen them since I was six.”

Aldo’s eyebrows raise. “Really?”

“I mean, my dad has one brother, but he’s gay and they didn’t want kids. My mom has a sister, who has a daughter, but they live in Japan. I met her when we went there to visit. I don’t really remember much of it.”

Aldo’s face is a picture. “Wow. That must have been . . .”

“Lonely?”

He gives me a sympathetic smile. “I was going to say quiet.”

“Yeah, well it was that, too.” I try to quash the melancholy rising in my chest. Lane filled that gap in my life for so many years. Perhaps that’s why it hurt so much when he disappeared.

“What are you going to do after graduation?” Aldo asks, nudging me with his knee. “Please tell me it’s something to do with music.”

I smile into the dregs of my coffee. “I want to be a music producer. I’m completing a course remotely while I’m here.”

His eyes widen. “Really? You’re doing two degrees simultaneously?”

“Well, when you say it like that.” I roll my eyes. “It’s not that bad. There’s a bit of theory, but most of it is technical. I work on my assignments on weekends and submit via email.”

Aldo shakes his head. “It’s still ridiculously impressive. How do you find time to do anything else?”

“Anything else?” I echo. “What else is there besides music and swimming?”

He tilts his head, smiling as though he’s not sure whether I’m being serious. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure myself.

“What about living?” he says. “Visiting places. Going on dates?”

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