Page 78 of Second Chance

“It’s kind of your family to care so much.” Colette busies herself putting their plates in the dishwasher.

Tony opens the fridge to inspect the damage. It’s full to bursting. What he and Daniel could possibly use four whole mozzarella blocks for is a mystery, but apparently, Ma is planning on a round-the-clock d’Angelo presence, which is as comforting as it is invasive.

“After Mario…” Colette stops, takes a breath, and then forces herself to continue. “After Mario, I thought being alone would help. It didn’t. All I did was isolate myself and Daniel, and I regret it. I’m not leaving, and I’m glad we won’t be alone in this.”

“Oh yeah? Even with a suspect in the other room?”

Colette is poised to answer, but Gianna’s knock on the front door interrupts her.

When he opens, Tony finds Gianna also not alone.

There’s Lia, of course, nestled against Gianna’s chest in the snug wraparound Ma bought the week she found out about the pregnancy. Standing next to the two of them, though, huffing slightly from the effort of carrying the stroller up two flights of stairs, is Blake.

“What…” Tony asks blankly.

Gianna shrugs. “I figured you’d rather have him here than me.”

“I got off night shifts this morning. I have a few days off,” Blake adds.

Sighing, Tony stands aside and lets them in.

“I left Lisa a voice message.” Blake kicks off his shoes before pushing the stroller into the living room. “Who knows when she’ll hear it, but she should be off work soon too.”

“She hates voice messages,” Tony reminds him. “As does every rational person over the age of twenty.”

“My mom loves voice messages.”

Tony gives Blake a look. “Is she rational?”

They both know the answer to that question.

“So, what do you know so far?” Gianna asks. She sits down on the couch, Lia still wrapped up tight and, as far as Tony can tell, fast asleep.

Colette sits beside her and starts filling her in on everything, from Daniel’s last messages to calling the detective to Emilio, asleep next door.

Tony pulls out the pitcher from the very top cupboard and busies himself filling it up with filtered water. He sets out glasses on the coffee table just as Gianna interrupts the story.

“Wait, you think Lily might have something to do with it?” She leans forward on the couch, dark hair swinging in front of her face. “Lily Peterson?”

“Yes.” Colette sounds utterly guileless as if Tony hasn’ttoldher Lily is Gianna’s friend. “Why?”

If Tony had room in his brain for complex emotions, he would be in awe of how well Colette can play a room.

Frowning, Gianna pulls out her phone and examines her recent text messages. “She hasn’t answered me since yesterday. I thought it was because…”

“I made a scene and got her pissed off at you,” Tony finishes.

Awkward silence descends on them, only interrupted when Blake exits the bathroom, beelines for the kitchen, and cries out, “Sick! Is this your mom’s mac and cheese?”

“Help yourself, Blake,” Tony says wearily. “Dishes are on the top left, silverware’s to the right of the stove.”

“Have you tried calling Lily?” Colette asks.

They haven’t tried since this morning, and maybe Gianna will have more luck since she isn’t calling from an unknown number,

Gianna wrinkles her nose. “I mean, I didn’t want to seem desperate.”

Colette makes a sound in the back of her throat, which Tony takes to mean,this generation is ridiculous.

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