We flourished, and it was all due to Julia’s perseverance. There were times when I was ready to be done with it all. To wipe my hands of both families and whisk us away to another place. But Julia was the one that wouldn't give up on home. That wouldn’t give up on the idea that we would turn our families into something greater. A powerful force for good in the community instead of a force for evil.
Without her, it never would’ve happened.
We didn’t stay in the city like she wanted, but when I surprised her with where we were moving she accepted it. I took over her father’s estate, the one he’d shipped her off to. I bought it outright and cleaned it up, furnishing it with the most comfortable furniture I could find. Upstate New York suited us, especially after everything we had been through. A slower-paced suburban lifestyle was more our speed, especially with Matteo being such a sociable kid.
We enrolled him in elementary school instead of homeschooling him, and he was bringing friends home every weekend to hang out.
Matteo and I clicked as father and son. Sometimes there were awkward points. Things he talked about I couldn’t remember because, well, I wasn’t there. He was hesitant sometimes to talk to me about memories and times before I came along, but I kept reassuring him it was okay. I wanted to hear about those moments. About his life. I wanted to see the smile on his face when he talked about all the nights he slept with Mom during storms and all the times he got sick and curled up with her on the couch. They were good memories for him, and I wanted to share in those.
Even if it was only to lend an ear as he talked.
We grew close, and it made my heart happy. Every time I turned around, Matteo was wanting me to show him something. Teach him something. Help him with something. I loved every second of it. I taught him how to ride a bike and how to make his own peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I taught him how to swim and how to defend himself. But my favorite moments were when Matteo woke up before Julia and me. When he would knock on the door and ask if we were awake before launching himself into our bed.
Julia became heavily involved in social and charitable activities. She woke up with a smile on her face every morning and always came home fulfilled and ready to talk about her day’s activities. Family dinners at night were her favorite. They became a way for all of us to bond and talk about our days, which meant Matteo opened up to me even more. I loved how many friends he was making and how comfortable he was bringing them all over.
It quickly made our house the to-go destination for barbecues.
“Here, you flip it like this,” I said.
“Can I try?” Matteo asked.
“Let me hold your hand and help you with the motion. Then you can try one on your own. Okay?”
Kids ran around in the backyard while their parents had drinks, and I taught my son how to flip a burger on the grill. We dropped a couple on the ground before he got the hang of it, but the pride that lit up his eyes was well worth it. I kissed the top of his head, and he ran off to play with his friends, immediately getting tagged “it.” Their laughter was music to my ears. The smells coming off the grill rumbled my stomach.
We threw these kinds of barbecues twice a month so everyone we’d met and befriended could get together for an afternoon.
“Romeo, we need to talk,” Julia said.
The stern look on her face worried me, and I slipped my grilling apron from my neck.
“Hey, Frank!”
“Yep?”
“Could you man the grill? Julia needs me for something,” I said.
“Not a problem. How did Matteo do with the burgers? I saw him flipping them over here.”
“We dropped a couple, but there’s plenty to spare,” I said as I handed the man my apron. “Just try not to burn the steaks.”
“When have I ever burned the steaks? Go on. See what that beautiful wife of yours needs.”
I walked toward Julia. Her tense body had me worried. She ushered us into my office and promptly locked the door behind me. She walked over and drew the blinds, and that caused my heart to leap into my throat.
“Julia? What’s going on? What did Russo want?” I asked.
In a flash, her hand gripped my shirt. She pulled me down for a kiss, our lips crashing together. I felt her smile against me as my hands fell to her hips, pressing her into the edge of my desk. She parted her legs for me, allowing me to feel the heat radiating from between them. My hands slid up her legs and gripped her naked thighs as I picked her up and planted her onto my desk.
My tongue slid between her lips, tasting her sweetness before she giggled into me.
“What’s all this for?” I asked.
“That wasn’t Mr. Russo,” Julia said.
“Then who was it?”
Her hands pressed into my chest before she looked up at me from underneath her eyelashes.