Page 30 of Little Last Words
The driver snorted a laugh, and in that moment, I realized something. Based on the aviator glasses and bowler hat the driver was wearing, I’d assumed I was being chauffeured around by a man.
I now believed it was a woman.
I sat back, eyeballing the woman from behind, as she looked at me through the rearview mirror. We came to a traffic light, and as the car rolled to a stop, the woman removed her sunglasses and hat, setting her lustrous, dark hair free.
“What’s up, old roomie,” she said. “Miss me?”
“Daniela, I can’t believe it’s you!”
It had been many years since I’d last seen Giovanni’s sister, but the memories of the time we spent together in college was often at the forefront of my mind.
“It’s so good to see you,” I said.
“You too. I thought it would be a fun surprise to show up this morning.”
“I hope I’m here long enough for us to spend some time together.”
She nodded. “You will be. We’re having a get-together at the house tonight. What did you think when you landed here this morning? Was it where you thought you’d be going?”
“New York wasn’t even on my radar, but I’m glad we’re here. I have to say, though, I have no idea what’s on the agenda today.”
“I bet it’s driving you crazy, isn’t it?”
“A little,” I admitted.
“And I’d say you’re lying ‘a little.’ Am I right?”
“Yeah,” I laughed. “I’m not good at surprises.”
“Oh, I know. I remember.”
“I guess you’re not going to give me any hints about where we’re going, then?”
“Not a single one. It’s not far. I will say this—I was glad when you two connected again after all these years. I’d always thought you’d be good together.”
“It’s hard to believe he’s been back in my life for a few years now. I didn’t think we’d ever get a shot at a second chance, to be honest. And I feel like I need to apologize to you.”
“For what?”
“I spent so many years thinking about reaching out to you, and I never did. I should have.”
“You’re not the only one. I should have kept in touch with you too. I should have been there for you, when … you know. You needed me. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” I said. “It’s not on you. We both could have made a better effort to stay in each other’s lives.”
“The good thing is you’re here now. Let’s make a plan to stay connected from here on out.”
“Sounds good to me. So, ahh … I hear you’re running the show now.”
“And whichshowwould that be?”
She was grinning.
She knewexactlywhich show I was talking about.
“You’re head of the family, right?” I asked.
“In a way. After our father died, so did many of the old ways of doing things. He expected Giovanni to step up, and he did, for a time. But he didn’t want the position, not as much as I did.”