Page 33 of Whatever You Need

Marcoand I held hands as we walked up his mother’s driveway. I spent over an hour debating on what to wear because what does one wear on a fake date? After trying on a dozen outfits, I settled on a conservative pair of black dress pants and my favorite cream sweater. I loved how it hung off my shoulder, but regretted putting my hair back in a ponytail because my ears were going numb from the nippy weather.

I gazed around and admired the quaint little neighborhood with snow-covered trees and various shapes of colonial homes. It reminded me of a scene you would see in the backdrop of a Hallmark movie. There was a strip of cute shops and restaurants just a few blocks away that I would love to explore. This little town would give Clark Griswold a run for his money. Christmas was still a little over three weeks away, yet almost every house was decorated in some type of holiday cheer.

Marco’s hand moved to my lower back as we approached the front door. “Four things to remember. Don’t worry about remembering everybody’s name, don’t forget to kiss on both sides of the cheek, be prepared to be hugged a million times, and watch out for the grabby hands of some of my older uncles and cousins.”

I looked over my shoulder, silently counting the number of cars filling up both sides of the street. “Exactly how many people are inside?”

“Not really sure. I have a big Italian family.” His answer did nothing to calm my nerves, and I wondered if this was a good idea.

He was about to turn the handle when the door opened. A man who looked just like Marco hovered in the doorway. A smile stretched across his handsome face. “You must be the mystery girl. I’m Matteo, this ugly guy’s brother.”

I laughed, loving his humor. He had an easy way about him that reminded me so much of Marco. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Amelia.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” He extended his hand. “Come on in and let me take your coats.”

We entered through the mudroom and I couldn’t help but notice what looked like fifty pairs of shoes. What the hell did I get myself into?

After taking off my boots and setting them on the mat, I handed Matteo my coat and followed both men into the living room. “Don’t be nervous, you’ll charm the pants off of all of them,” Marco whispered in my ear.

That was easy for him to say. As soon as we entered the family room, everyone stopped talking and turned to stare. Apparently, seeing Marco with a date on his arm was enough to silence a crowd.

Every inch of the house was decorated with either multiple nativity scenes or commercial Christmas decorations. The tree sat in the big bay window and had more wrapped presents sitting underneath than I’d ever seen in my life. As my eyes moved around the room, I noticed food and groups of people congregated everywhere. Kids of all ages ran through the room, laughing and squealing as they chased each other.

Marco pulled on my hand, stopping in front of a small petite woman with shoulder-length black hair. The stunning older woman was at his side in an instant. She smiled and touched his cheek. Marco let go of my hand and drew the woman against him.

“Mamma, this is Amelia.” He smiled proudly while keeping his mom tucked under his arm.

I fidgeted off to the side. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Ms. Rubintino.”

She stepped forward and planted a kiss on both cheeks. “Please, call me Marietta.” She reached for my hand and held it in between hers. “I’m so glad you’re here. You are absolutely lovely. My mother has not stopped talking about you and your visits. I can’t you tell how you much she enjoys your time together.”

I stepped back and ran my hands down my pants. “Thank you. I love spending time with Sophia. I’m sorry she isn’t feeling well.”

She shook her head. “She did her best to convince the nurses that she was well enough to come tonight, but we couldn’t risk it. Not in this cold weather. She’s a stubborn one.”

I laughed. “She certainly is.”

Marco handed her the foil covered dish we brought. “It’s nothing fancy,” I said. “Just a small charcuterie board. I didn’t want to show up empty-handed.”

She grabbed the tray from Marco. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“Marietta,” a short, stocky woman with short gray hair called from the kitchen. “The food needs to come out of the oven.”

“I’ll be right there.” She held out her hand and waved the woman off.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked, hoping she would give me something easy enough to do.

She patted my arm. “You are my guest. Have a glass of wine and relax before the crazy starts.”

Just then, a young boy came running toward us. “Uncle Marco.”

“Hey there, buddy.” Marco grinned, placing both his hands on his little shoulders. “I have someone I want you to meet.” The little boy tilted his head back to look at me. He couldn’t have been older than six or seven. “Nicky, this is my friend, Amelia. Can you say hello?” The little boy waved and buried his face in Marco’s leg. “I think somebody is shy around the ladies.”

I bent over so we were at eye level. “Hi, Nicky. It’s nice to meet you. I like your baby Yoda shirt. Are you a Star Wars fan?”

Nicky’s eyes widened, and he shook his head excitedly. “Me too. Do you know who my favorite character is?” I leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Chewbacca.”

“He… he gets chased by stormtroopers all the time.”

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