Page 69 of Tommy Gabrini: All Fall Down
“On your march. Get set. Go!”
GG blew the whistle and they were off. TJ got out of the block fastest, but Tommy, Grace, and Destiny were close behind him. But it was never meant to be a fair race. That wasn’t the goal. It was meant to be a fun race. And with that goal they succeeded beyond their wildest imaginations as Grace began grabbing Tommy’s trunks to slow him down, while Destiny grabbed TJ’s trunks to slow him down. And they were all laughing as the men attempted to run with the ladies pulling them back, and the ladies attempted to get ahead once the men were stifled. It was all good fun.
But TJ’s competitive juices took over and he broke away from Destiny’s grasp and sailed ahead, winning the beach race just ahead of his father, who was just ahead of his mother, who was just ahead of his sister.
“TJ won,” GG proclaimed as she ran to the finish line blowing her little whistle. “TJ beat all y’all, Mommy! TJ won!”
They all dropped to the ground after they crossed the finish line and GG joined them in the sand. They were happy and drained at the same time. It had been a long, wonderful day.
“I would have won by a mile,” TJ boasted, “if Desi didn’t grab me like she did.”
“Then I would have won by two miles,” boasted Tommy, “if Mommy hadn’t grabbed hold of me.”
“Sure Daddy,” said TJ. “And I’m Simone Biles.”
“You might be someday, if you work hard,” Tommy said, and they all laughed.
They were in Minorca, Spain, on Tommy’s private beach outside of their private beach home, on vacation together. Danny was with Sal and Gemma and their children, and it was all fun and games all day long. Although Hammer wouldn’t say what became of his interrogation or the interrogatee, since she was in government custody now, but he made clear that the threat was over. The threat Luddie posed was over, too, thanks to Robby Yale and a cleanup crew that disposed of that threat. Vera wasn’t punished. All she did wrong was to be beholden to a gangster. She was allowed to resume her life.
But all of that was behind them. Now it was their turn. That was why Tommy packed them up and headed to Spain. They deserved a break.
But it was late evening, ‘round midnight, and Tommy and Grace could use a break too. All day they’d been doing and doing and doing. From water polo to swimming, from kayaking to volleyball to badminton, and even to line dancing. There was never a dull moment. But now, after that race to top it all off, everybody was exhausted.
“Time to call it a day,” Tommy said to their children.
“You get no argument from me,” Destiny said as she stood up and reached for her baby sister’s hand. “Come on, GG.” GG, tired too, gladly went.
TJ didn’t argue either. He was as tired as his sisters. He followed them inside.
Tommy and Grace watched with great pride as their three children made their way across the beach, up the steps, and then into their five-bedroom beach home ready to bathe and then crash for the night.
Tommy and Grace were already crashing. They both laid down in the sand as Grace played snow angel while Tommy looked up at the stars. She was in her bikini and he was in histrunks and even thought the midnight air was chilly, they were filled with warmth.
Tommy Gabrini was happy again. He’d overcome that helicopter incident and was his old self again. But he was well aware of how all of it could turned out so differently. That truth still consumed his thoughts. He was having a hard time getting over how close they came to certain tragedy.
“A penny for them,” Grace said to him.
He smiled. “For my thoughts?”
“Bingo.” Grace moved over to him. Lying on her stomach in her tiny bikini, she laid her chin on his bare chest. “What are you thinking?” she asked him.
“I’m counting my blessings.” He looked at her. “Beginning with you.”
“Ah,” Grace said with a big smile, “bless your heart!”
She said it so grandmotherly that Tommy laughed. Then Grace laid on her back beside him and stared up at the stars too.
“I’ve got a feeling, Grace,” he said.
“What about?”
“Us. And our children.” He looked at her. She looked at him. “We’re going to be just fine,” he continued. “Not perfect. It’s never perfect. But nothing can stop us now.”
Grace smiled. “From your lips to God’s ears,” she said, and Tommy smiled too.
Then Grace moved closer, still on her back, as Tommy placed his arm around her.
They watched the stars together all that night. Until the stars were watching them.
