Page 37 of Hello Goodbye Amore

“I don’t know. I don’t have any answers about what the future will hold.

But that is up to Tio and me.” He cleared his throat.

“I know I should keep my mouth shut, but I can’t.

I know that I’m not the kind of person you ever expected to be involved with Tio.

He only told you recently about his attraction to men. I get that.”

“Are all Americans so direct?” Antonello’s father asked.

Chase grinned. “Probably. But I like to say what I mean. Tio and I like each other, and we’re figuring things out.” He turned to him, and Tio’s belly fluttered at the deep attraction that shone in them.

“I see that,” Mamma said flatly. “But….”

“There are no buts. Chase and I will work things out.” He squeezed Chase’s hand. “He is well aware of my obligations here, and I know he has some of his own.” He could tell his mother wanted to ask about Ricky, but she had the grace to hold her questions in front of her probable grandson.

“Ricky, do you want to see the rest of the rooms?” Antonello’s father asked, and Ricky turned to Chase, his eyes huge.

“You can go,” Chase said, and Ricky bounded away. To Antonello’s surprise, his father held out his hand, and Ricky took it, the two of them heading for the dining room. Tio couldn’t help watching them go, and then he turned to Chase, seeing him watching as well.

“We need to know for sure,” his mother said more gently than Tio would have expected. “All of us.” Ricky’s laughter floated in from the other room.

Chase said nothing but nodded softly, his eyes filling with fear.

“No one is going to try to take Ricky away from you, no matter what happens,” Antonello said.

“But she called the police on me,” Chase told him.

“I know, and it won’t happen again. I can promise you that,” he said, aiming the words at his mother.

“You are Ricky’s daddy, and I have no interest in changing that.

No one is going to try to take custody away from you.

” He had decided that no matter what, that would be true.

Taking Ricky away from Chase would be wrong, and he and his family had already done enough wrong when it came to Chase and his sister.

“But if he’s your son… our grandson….”

“Then he will be raised by his daddy,” Tio said, holding Chase’s hand once more. For the moment, he ignored Chase’s surprised expression and concentrated on his mother. “I blame this whole mess on you.”

She gasped, her hand snapping to her chest. “Me?”

“Yes, you. It was you who insisted that I come back home after college. Family duty and all that. I wasn’t even allowed a few years to try to build something of my own.

No. I was ripped away, and if I had stayed, then I would have known if Ricky was mine, and I would have been there for him and his mother.

But you and your meddling and thinking you know better than everyone else took that away from me.

You took away what might have been. I know in my heart that I’m Ricky’s father.

I know it. I see me in him just the way you do.

I didn’t before, but I do now. But that doesn’t matter.

Ricky has his daddy, the amazing person who raised him after his mother died, the one who did what I wish I could have done.

I don’t blame you for all of it, but I still want you to know that it’s your fault because you started the chain of events that led us here. ”

Her eyes were as wide as the stark white plates that had been set out for dinner. “I only did what I thought was right. Your father and I wanted you here to join and eventually run the business.” Her explanation seemed halfhearted and not like her at all.

“And in the process, you may have pulled me away from my son, our legacy and the next generation of our family.” He waited as she processed all of this before turning to Chase.

“I know my parents want to know, and I do as well, but any test to prove or disprove Ricky’s parentage is up to you.

No one here is going to pressure you.” Antonello’s throat ached, and he stood and slowly left the room, heading to the main entrance.

“Tio,” Chase said, his footfalls echoing off the stone floor. He stopped at the main door to his family home. “Did you really mean that?”

“Of course I did.” He turned. “They don’t hold all the blame for what happened, but they have to accept some of it, and…

the answers are up to you.” He pulled Chase to him.

“You are Ricky’s daddy. No matter what. And I am not going to change that.

Get the tests, don’t get the tests, none of it is going to matter. ”

“It will to your parents, and for what happens to your family,” Chase told him in a soft voice.

“Yes. But it doesn’t matter to me. What does is you and Ricky. That’s what really matters.” He kissed him. “Because I love you. My family isn’t going to understand that now, but they will in time. You make me feel alive and special. You see me and not all the rest of the trappings that go with it.”

Chase chuckled. “Of course I do. I always have.” They shared another kiss until a throat cleared behind them. Antonello closed his eyes to stop himself from jumping back. Then he stepped away and faced his mother, who simply looked at both of them like she was trying to process things.

“Dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”

“Okay. Thank you,” Tio said and turned his attention back to Chase. “Everyone in my life seems to have this amazingly bad sense of timing.”

Chase chuckled. “I can tell. We should get back before—”

“Daddy!” Ricky called as he hurried up, still holding Tio’s father’s hand. “There’s lots more pretty stuff and more people on the ceilings.” He leaned closer to Chase. “And some of them are naked.” He giggled softly.

“Why don’t we all go back into the lounge?” Tio’s father offered, and Tio held Chase’s hand, smiling to himself.

“Take Ricky in. Chase and I will be there in a moment.” Antonello waited until his parents had left with Ricky before cupping Chase’s cheeks in his hands. “I do love you, and I want to figure out a way to have both you and Ricky in my life. Not just for a few more months, but for always.”

Chase smiled and then sighed softly. “I think I’ve wanted that since we were in college together.

But let’s see how things go.” Of course Chase was cautious.

He wouldn’t be Chase if he were anything else.

“Okay?” He smiled and brought his forehead to Tio’s.

“I love you too. I do.” But Tio knew Chase had to decide if he could trust those feelings, and Tio was well aware that was up to him.