“Your sister was one of the bravest women I ever knew. She was smart, resilient and she didn’t let anything ruffle her. I am positive that she didn’t go down without a fight. Being meek wasn’t your sister’s style.” I said carefully, not wanting to upset her any further but the fact was that I was being truthful. Her sister was all that and much more. I’d never met another like Penny before and I knew I never would again. Penny was one of a kind. The best at everything and I was going to miss my best friend. “Donatella?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have any other family, friends, anyone who will be there for you when this is all over?”
“Not really. I think I have a cousin on my mom’s side, but I haven’t seen him since I was five. Mom and Dad had me later in life. Penny knew of our cousin, not me. Even back then Gideon was five years older than Penny, so he never paid me much attention.”
“Does this Gideon have a last name?”
“St. James. Gideon St. James.”
“Would you like me to contact him?”
“No. I’m sure he has his own life. I don’t want to bother him.”
“He’s family. I’m sure he would want to know.”
“My family isn’t like yours, Lorenzo. My mom and her sister had a big fight when I was little. I don’t know what it was about but they haven’t talked in years. I wouldn’t even know how to contact them.”
“Antonio found your house,” Nico said walking into the kitchen grinning like a fool.
“Sweet,” I stood, clapped my hands together and said, “Let’s go see my new house.”
Six
Donatella
“You have got to be shitting me!”
I would have laughed if I wasn’t so damn tired.
Nico and Eduardo were unsuccessfully hiding their glee as both of them were currently bent over holding their stomachs.
It was actually hilarious.
When Lorenzo’s cousin Nico told him he had found the house, Lorenzo was excited to see what he had purchased. I still couldn’t believe he bought a house sight unseen but hey I guess that’s how these rich folks rolled. But standing before the large house that looked more like a mansion than anything else, I couldn’t help myself from thinking he was getting exactly what he deserved.
The house was a massive log cabin built deep into the vast countryside north of Chicago with Lake Michigan as the backdrop. It even had a boat ramp and dock. It was a beautiful piece of property, that was for sure. The surrounding acreage was full of trees and foliage. In fact, if I didn’t know I was standing in Chicago, I would have sworn I was back home in Georgia. The property was absolutely stunning.
“What the hell is this?” Lorenzo shouted at his cousins as they each tried to control their breathing.
“Welcome home cuz,” Nico said before laughing again.
“Yeah man, when’s the hoedown?” Eduardo added, causing even me to chuckle as a silverBugatti La Voiture Noire pulled into the drive. The driver stepped out, looked around then grinned, “Hello neighbor!”
“Oh, fuck no!”
And just like that, even I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.
From the moment I met the Valentinetti family I knew there was a bond between them that no one could ever break. Yes, they fought, complained, griped and even shouted at each other but the underlying tone let me know that no hurt was intended. Even now, as Lorenzo bitched and moaned that his big brother Giovanni was his new neighbor, I could tell it really didn’t bother him.
It must be a boy thing because I would have loved having Penny as my neighbor. I remembered telling her as much, even though we both knew that was impossible. We would pretend, make plans, even search for a two-bedroom apartment that would never come to fruition. My sister was good like that. She knew just how to calm me when life got too confusing. Now, none of that mattered. She was gone and I was alone in the city she loved.
“Oh come on Lo!” Giovanni laughed along with Nico and Eduardo. “I’m not that bad.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Lorenzo stomped off towards the house. “I’m selling this monstrosity the first chance I get!”
Following him into the house, I was in awe of the grandeur of the place. The mansion indeed was a work of art. Whoever designed the cabin-like house really knew what he or she was doing. It actually reminded me of the cabin daddy rented for the summer near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. That summer wasn’t planned. Daddy came home from work and said we were going on a trip. I was young, so I was excited, Penny not so much. That summer we spent a lot of time together as a family. It was one of my favorite memories. I didn’t have many good ones after that. It seemed life got in the way and before I knew it, I was being shipped off to college.