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More family starts to arrive—aunts, uncles, and cousins. As the house fills up with laughter and noise, I’m grateful for those few moments of talking and sipping a warm drink in peace.

EPILOGUE

ETHAN

“Where’s Dante?” I ask my mom. It’s been hours since we arrived, and the house is crammed with family members both upstairs and in the basement. Children run around my legs as I stand in the living room with her.

“I think I saw him go downstairs,” she tells me. “While you’re down there, grab another tub of Cool Whip from the chest.”

“Got it.” I kiss her on the cheek and then head to the basement.

Before I can make it there, I’m stopped by a five-year-old girl, a second cousin, who’s holding up a cookie.

“You want a cookie?” Lily asks me.

“No thanks. Why don’t you eat it?” I ask her with a smile.

She frowns. “I wanna share it.”

I mock frown back at her. “Hmm, thatisa problem, Lily. How about you ask Joseph if he wants to share?” I motion to another young cousin.

She gasps and bounces on her toes. “Okay!”

Lily dashes away from me, and I finally get down into the basement…after two more conversations about how my job isgoing, and my marriage. I avoid most personal questions, and steer the conversation back to my other relatives.

I sigh as I step downstairs, seeing my dads and a few other family members playing pool on one side of the basement. A few kids sit on the couch drinking sodas and playing with a deck of Uno cards. I look toward the freezer chest and see Dante leaning up against the wall near it. He’s flipping his lighter between his fingers.

“I know that look,” I say as I walk over.

“What look?” he asks.

I fold my arms and stand in front of him. “The one where you wish you still smoked.” I take the lighter from him. “Why do you still keep this?”

“It’s sentimental. You know that.” He reaches for it, and I slide my fingers along the cold silver that’s been warmed up by his hand.

“I know, but every time I see you with it, I think I’m going to have to talk you out of bumming a cigarette,” I say with narrowed eyes.

“Don’t worry, you won’t. I’m just thinking,” he says slowly.

I lean against the wall beside him. “About what?”

“Everything—the last five years, what my life used to be like,” he tells me. “Sure, I’m still working in my family. That hasn’t changed, but…”

“But?” I lean my shoulder against his.

“I’m happier,” he admits with a soft smile. “Because of you. You made me realize there’s more to life than what I grew up with. You’re the reason I’m in med school, that I’m here with your family.”

“They’reourfamily, Dante,” I remind him. “And you’re the reason you’re here today. I might have helped, but you’re the one working your ass off right now—in the family, in school, at work.”

Dante slides his hand down and takes mine. “Still, you changed my life.”

“You changed mine, and yes, for the better. Don’t even go there.” I point at him with my other hand.

He chuckles. “It’s wild. We’re married. We own our own condo. We have our own life together.”

“We do, and I like it—no, I love it,” I say, leaning in closer. “Just like I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Dante smirks and softly presses his lips to mine. When he pulls back, I lean forward and kiss him one more time.