Joy laughed. “Yes, they do.”
“But soon.” Dina pointed to her chest. “I can feel it.”
“I certainly can see it on their faces.” Joy watched the young couple talk.
“Papa!” came another shout, but this time from a young woman.
Joy watched as a lovely young woman hugged Alessandro. “Mi sei mancata, Papa.”
“I missed you too.” He embraced her and buried his face in her hair. Closing his eyes, Alessandro inhaled deeply.
“She’s beautiful.” Joy smiled as she watched the reunion.
“Just like her mother.” Dina dabbed the corner of her eye. “Well, time to get ready for lunch. Huh? You help?”
Joy nodded and rubbed her hands together. “Sure. I love to cook.”
But before she could head toward the kitchen, Alessandro’s daughter stood by her.
“Hello.” She held out her arms.
“Oh. Hello.” Joy awkwardly held out her arms too.
“My father was just telling me about you and your kindness. I am Gianna, his—”
“Daughter. Yes, Dina was just telling me.” Joy gazed at the lovely young woman before her.
Tall and thin, with long straight dark hair and olive skin that enhanced her deep-set hazel eyes, Gianna could have been a professional model.
She embraced Joy and squeezed her tightly. “Mille grazie for gracing our home. Piacere di conoscerti. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.”
Gianna turned and headed to the kitchen, where all the women prepared food. “Do you cook?”
“Not Italian, I’m afraid.”
“Ah. Well, today you will learn. I am going to prepare a meat sauce, and my aunts will prepare gnocchi. Have you had gnocchi?”
“A long time ago. Too long.” Joy laughed. Glancing around the spacious kitchen with three islands in the middle, her mouth watered just watching the preparations.
A plate of antipasto was placed on the large table near the windows that overlooked the fields of flowers behind the house.
“Manga.” Dina waved her arm over the antipasto. “Enjoy.” She poured a glass of wine and handed it to Joy.
Raising the glass to her lips, Joy inhaled the floral bouquet. The label on the bottle read “DeSantis.” With a quizzical look, she turned to Dina. “They have their own wine label?”
“That’s how this all started,” Gianna chimed in as she sipped a sparkling red wine. “My great-great-grandfather bought this land and planted a vineyard. That grew into a winery and this wine label. But hard times came, so they also provided flowers for vendors.”
“Mmm,” Joy said after sipping the wine. “Delicious.”
“It will enhance the meal. Come.” Gianna waved Joy over to one kitchen island to watch Veronica and her mother make gnocchi. Veronica took Joy’s thumb and showed her how to roll the dough. Next Gianna had her watch as she prepared the meat sauce for the pasta, explaining each step in the process.
“So,” Gianna began. “Have you met Angelina?”
Joy jerked toward her, shocked by the question. “Uh, yes. I have. She’s . . . nice.”
Gianna giggled. “She can be.”
“Do you like her?” Joy curled her lip.
Gianna glanced up and her eyes settled on Angelina chatting away with guests on the back patio. “I do. But she’s after my father, you know.”
Joy nodded. “How do you feel about that?”
Gianna shrugged as she stirred the meat in a large pot. “I think she’s too young for him.”
Me too. Joy watched Angelina lean against the table. “She’s beautiful though.”
“Very.” Gianna made her way over to the ingredients. “But beauty fades, no?” She pointed to her chest. “It’s what’s inside that matters.”
Joy smiled. “So true.”
“I want my father to be happy again. I mean, he is happy, but I want him to be at peace. A woman like that?” Gianna frowned. “She’ll only bring stress and change. Too much change.”
“Change?” Joy tilted her head.
Gianna waved her arm. “She wants to redecorate the whole house and add onto it.”
