Becca.
I spent the next morning with Alessandro, taking him around the house and discovering all its nooks and crannies. It was an old house, but the renovations made it feel very modern. Most of the lights and appliances even worked with voice commands.
“Aren’t you going to the neighbors’ for lunch?” Layla’s head popped into the nursery just as I was getting ready to change Alessandro.
“I forgot!” I cried out, startling Alessandro. I smiled at him, and he smiled back, thankfully. “Can you get him?”
“Yes, go ahead.” Layla stepped inside and took over while I rushed to the bedroom.
Jas was there looking at himself in the mirror, turning from side to side while observing his clothes. He did this several tis while I searched through my suitcase–-I hadn’t even properly unpacked yet.
“I’ve never seen you so worried about your appearance,” I said, startling him.
“I don’t know what the dress code is for these events.”
From what I surmised yesterday, Farrah seed like a laid-back person. I doubted anyone would be wearing pants and a formal shirt like what Jas had on, but I didn’t say anything. It looked good on him. Besides, I couldn’t imagine him being comfortable in shorts and flip flops even if it was a really warm day.
I was ready in a second while Jas continued to fidget. Were Farrah’s words from yesterday getting to him? He had never seed to doubt himself because of our age difference.
“Are you ready?” I hugged him from behind, resting my cheek against his hard back.
“Yeah,” he said, sounding dejected. I started to worry that he REALLY didn’t want to go, but I had already confird we were attending, and besides, I thought it would do us good to try to bring so normalcy into our lives.
I wasn’t going to give in on this one.
“Let’s go, then,” I smiled at him and we headed downstairs.
Jas.
I hadn’t seen Becca act like such a social butterfly before. Not like this.
Within five minutes of our arrival at the packed backyard porch, she was already surrounded by a group of chirpy won, a few close to her age and others that were closer to mine. I just wanted to go back ho and think.
Alison was out of prison. I conveniently withheld this information from Becca so she wouldn’t be upset, but the downside to this was that it was weighing on , and I couldn’t share it with her now.
“Here’s the new neighbor!” A balding man that was at least twenty years younger approached and extended his hand. “Dave Davenport.”
“Oh, the man of the hour. Congratulations,” I said. “Jas Valentino.”
He gave a firm shake.
“You know, you got that property for a steal. I have contacts with the realtors, and it was ant to be a bidding war. But then you swooped in and grabbed it. Share your secrets with , Jas,” he said, handing a beer.
“I have so many of them that you’ll retire by the ti we’re done.”
He let out a hearty laugh, and then his face soured up a little when he saw I ant it.
I really wasn’t in the mood for this.
Becca.
I couldn’t believe I was enjoying this so much.
Yes, there were a lot of pleasantries and small talk back and forth, but the simplicity of it– talking about nannies, daycares, and where to get the truly organic fruit and not the one disguised as hogrown was a refreshing change of air.
“I took mine to Happyland. I wanted him to be around other kids,” one of the won was saying.
“Well, I’m taking a leave for two years so I can spend ti with Aisha, so I don’t think I’d be able to part with her until she’s ready for preschool!”
“What about you, Becca?” Farrah interjected, setting all the won’s eyes on . “I thought I saw a stroller being unloaded from one of your many cars yesterday.”
“Yes, I have two kids. Alessandro and Dahlia.” I didn’t like her tone when she said “many cars,” implying that I had to give a reason for that.
And now I had to co up with an excuse for Dahlia not to be with us. Shit.
I started to doubt whether it would have been better to just say it was Alessandro. But then, if we did stay here longer, how would I excuse the fact that Dahlia would suddenly appear?
“Oh, you should have brought them over! There’s an area for the kids.” She gestured toward the side of the house. I craned my neck to see and caught a glimpse of a play area with nannies and babies, all under the shade of a gargantuan sycamore.
“I didn’t know. They’re still settling in and getting used to the ti difference with Italy, so I’m giving them a few days to adjust before they leave the house,” I quickly said, feeling miserable for having to lie yet again.
“Oooh Italy! Does Jas have business there?”
Her question elicited an involuntary laugh from . Business. Yeah, he had business there. A lot of BUSINESS.
“The steak is ready!” Dave, Farrah’s husband, rcifully interrupted with his announcent. Plates were being distributed with chopped at and an assortnt of vegetables.
I politely excused myself and headed toward Jas, who was quietly eating by himself in a corner.
“Is everything all right?” I said, just as a neighbor handed a plate and cutlery. I thanked her and turned back to Jas.
“Yes, everything’s fine,” he said, taking a sip of the beer he had left on the railing.
Maybe it wasn’t the best of ideas to drag him over when it was clear he had no interest in being here.
“Jas.” I prodded him with my finger. “Don’t lie to .”
He sighed and held my gaze for a mont. “We can’t talk about it here.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. If he didn’t tell what was wrong, I wouldn’t be able to eat.
“Dahlia?” I hoped the urgency in my voice got through to him. I’d go crazy if he didn’t tell .
“She’s all right.”
“The trial?” I whispered.
“Becca, not now. It’s nothing we can solve straight away. Let’s just enjoy this.” He brought a slice of at up to my lips and pretty much forced to eat it. “It tastes great.”
His mirthless smile wasn’t comforting at all.
***
After an hour or so of not enjoying myself anymore, and when everyone seed to be done eating, I thought it was an appropriate ti to excuse ourselves.
“We should get going. Thank you so much. You’ve been so welcoming,” I said to Farrah, who was collecting the plastic plates from everyone.
“Wait, you can’t leave yet! It’s tradition in the Davenport ho to play a round of gas,” she said with a smile.
“Gas?”
“Yes. Hopscotch, tug of war, arm wrestling. We vary, depending on the weather and the mood. It’s just for fun, so we adults feel like we’re young again. Or younger, at least.”
I was about to say we really needed to leave when soone called out behind us.
“A hundred bucks on Dave!”
“The won are sitting this one out, it seems.” Farrah left , taking her bag with her.
The n set up a table for arm-wrestling, and a whiteboard which had been propped up next to it with a fixture of sorts. I noticed Jas’ na wasn’t on there.
Just when I thought we were off the hook, he walked out from inside the house with a beer in hand, quickly taking in the new developnts. He seed to imdiately catch on to what was happening when Dave and another guy sat down facing each other.
“Why am I not on the list?” He grabbed another beer from the cooler and approached the table. It was the first ti he had spoken out loud all afternoon.
“Oh. We thought you wouldn’t be interested,” Dave said. “And we didn’t want you to get hurt. No offense!”
Everyone howled with laughter and Jas’ expression darkened.
“Write down.”
“Oooh we have a challenger!” soone cried out, and Jas’ na was written on the board. They added him against a man nad Gary for the last match.
I didn’t like the looks of this. Jas had chugged one beer after the other, and while he usually kept his temper around other people, I knew what those n were implying.
That he was perhaps too old to be interested–or capable–of competing against them. His age had never really been an issue for anything, though these people were making it A THING.
I sat down on a stool and watched Dave beat his friend. Then there were two more matches– one that lasted a full five minutes of arms going back and forth, and then it was Jas’ turn against Gary.
Gary was around my age and looked like he worked out. Jas set down his beer and stretched his arms and fingers. Before taking the seat in front of Gary, he scanned the porch until his eyes t mine.
“Per mi amore! Ti amo!” he cried out, taking a bow.
This public declaration of love caught off guard, and I almost choked on my drink, but I quickly recovered and blew a kiss at him. Cheers surrounded us.
They sat down and placed their elbows on the table. For a second, I feared Jas would lose. He was muscular, but not bulky, and Gary’s arm swelled when they began to push.
But it was for naught. Jas growled, and with a quick swing, he slamd Gary’s knuckles onto the table.
“HA!” he cried out, raising his arms in victory.
I sighed with relief. Not that all of this really mattered in the grand sche of things, but I knew it would be a blow to his ego if he lost.
And a part of was actually enjoying this again, despite my urgency to know what was troubling Jas. It was just so... normal. Adults playing gas after a good lunch and so drinks. Sharing with neighbors as if there weren’t people after us, threatening to break up our family...
When I was about to go over to Jas so we could finally leave, they wrote his na down again. Crap. This was going to last longer.
It wasn’t over after just one match. There would be semi-finals and finals.
Jas made eye contact with again and winked. I could see his eyes were a little watery– possibly from all the beer he’d had, or the exertion from the match.
After beating another guy, Jas kept chugging beers and cheering more loudly everyti a match ended. While I was happy he was finally enjoying himself, my apprehension mounted.
Any ti now, soone could say sothing that would make him mad. And I wouldn’t be able to stop him from causing a scene or sending soone to hell.
“And the final match is.... our gracious host and the new dark horse! Dave and Jas!” announced a man who had suddenly beco the gas’ narrator.
Dave got into one seat, and Jas sat on the opposite one. They faced each other for a few seconds before joining hands.
The match began as both n’s arms tensed up. Dave’s face instantly grew red, while Jas looked concentrated, his brows furrowed. Thin veins popped out from his forehead.
Dave’s hand pushed back on Jas’, but he held strong.
“Go Jas!” I cried out, in spite of myself. I didn’t want him to lose his concentration.
My words seed to invigorate him. In an instant, Jas began to push back, and slowly, Dave’s hand began to go down.
In a split second, his hand touched the table.
Cheers erupted from everyone except Dave, who sat on the chair massaging his wrist.
Jas took everyone’s congratulations and then made his way to , while everyone watched.
“Like I said. Per mi amore. Everything is for you,” he said, gallantly bowing to and kissing my hand.
If only this bliss could last forever.
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