My grandfather expects three things from me: one, that I marry a catholic man, two, that I birth as many grandchildren as humanly possible, and three, that I never do anything with my life. My sister Felicity does not have as bad but my little brother Romeo is starting to feel the pressure to find a good wife.
He's seventeen.
Feli is the favorite grandchild so she isn't as pressured as I am but Nonno is passive aggressive and slips up a bit when trying to be subtle.
I'm the oldest and since I haven't started my book like I planned, I'm the disappointment. I'm stuck working in a dead end job as a waitress, I go home to a passive aggressive grandfather with ideals from the Roman Empire and a sister who is probably just as emotionally damaged as I am. I always wonder how she can smile. I forgot how years ago.
Sometimes, I allow myself to daydream that someone would actually marry me. But it's only a daydream and I have to-
"Wake up Romana. The customers are not going to feed themselves." Timothy piled dishes that made her mouth water onto a try and passed it to her. "Table four."
Romana groaned from being torn from her thoughts and looked at the clock. Only three more hours until she could leave. Three more hours until she could return home.
A burning fire raged inside her. She went over this mornings argument with her grandfather in her head and added what she should have said. Witty remarks that probably get her kicked out for but at least she would have been able to quench the wildfire inside.
She silently gave the family their food and passed by the window.
She always did.
Everyday.
But this time, she did something that she never did; she looked outside.
But this is where it got strange, someone across the street, a young man, blond hair, blue eyes, cowlick that defied gravity stopped midlaugh and looked her in the eyes. Blue met green and it was like their souls connected. He blinked and waved.
Was he smiling at her?
Romana looked over her shoulder, saw no one looking out the window, and back to the young man. She waved back and for a moment it looked like he was going to cross the street to see her but he was pulled in the opposite direction by an albino looking man and a tall blond wild-haired man with an annoying grin. He looked over shoulder and her heart squeezed when she saw his puppy dog eyes.
Why was her heart aching? He was just a tourist.
Therese took her tray when she got back to the kitchen. "Are you okay? Your cheeks are red."
"No I'm fine."
"Are you sure? Trouble at home?"
"I said I'm fine!" She snapped.
Therese stepped back a little startled but she stepped forward and pulled Romana into a hug. "I don't know what is going on at home, or what you are going through, but if you ever need someone to talk to or a place to stay, my home is always open for you."
Romana nearly flinched when Therese pulled her into that hug. Therese must have felt it because she held her closer and tighter. It felt almost motherly.
Grandfather never hugged her, Feli only hugged her when Nonno showed her a sliver of what he shows Romana and needed someone there, and Romeo is a boy and doesn't think it's cool to hug his sisters.
"One of these days, I'm getting out." She vowed to her friend.
"I hope you mean it."
Romana had been saying it for years. Every time she packs to leave, it was like Nonno became an entirely different person and it made her think that maybe he wasn't so bad but he'd show his true colors. Every time she stayed for her siblings. If she left, Feli might finally break.
...
"Und after we get directions back to Rome, Mathias and I will take you to Berlin where you can meet my brother!" Gilbert announced.
"And then you have to come to Køge and meet my family! Oh I am so happy it's your turn to be the foreign exchange student!" Mathias exclaimed.
"I'm not an exchange student. I'm just doing my year abroad to teach English so I can pass my classes and finally graduate." Alfred said.
"You are not in America and you are doing something school related. That makes you an exchange student. By the way, how's your pretty sister doing?" Gilbert asked.
"Maddy is fine."
"Alfred, are you ok?" Mathias asked.
Now that Madeleine Jones was temporarily removed from Gilbert's train of thought, he noticed that Alfred was lacking his usual enthusiasm. He also had a far away look in his eyes.
He threw his arm around his friend. "Mein bruder from another family, you can tell us anything."
"I think I saw an angel."
Mathias chuckled but quickly stopped.
"Mein Gott. He serious."
...
Romana pulled into her grandfather's driveway. She could do it. Take her brother and sister and move out like planned but Romeo had to finish school and Feli and her couldn't support themselves on waitress and tour guide salaries and tuition. She parked her Vespa and she walked to the front door. She took a deep breath and walked into her war zone.
Her grandfather father was in the kitchen making supper so Romana avoided that like the plague and snuck upstairs. She shouldn't have to sneak in but she wanted to avoid a fight and she didn't feel like seeing Nonno right now. She saw the light was on in her room and her immediate thought was 'Oh shit.'
She opened her door and saw her brother and sister curled up on her bed watching something on Netflix. Feli looked up and poked Romeo. His expression changed from nervousness to relief when he saw his big sister. Romana didn't say anything as she crawled under the covers with them and watched the cartoon about space lions and aliens.
They didn't talk and they didn't have too. For now the house was quiet but they all knew that the someone would explode sooner or later.
Dinner was like walking through a mine field blindfolded. The three siblings kept their heads down towards their food and Nonno Romulus had his eyes wonder from Romeo, who froze for a second, to Felicity, whose hand shook slightly, to Romana who faced him head on and did not back down.
Tensions were thick they could have been cut with dull safety scissors.
"Work?" He asked, almost forced.
"Fine." She bit her tongue.
"Good."
'Come on, say what you really what to say! That I'm the family disappointment! That you prefer my sister! Just admit it! I dare you!'
"I'm not hungry." Romana stood up quickly and cleared her dishes. Romeo and Feli were not far behind her. Before Romulus could say anything, Romana was riding down the street with Romeo and Felicity with her. She didn't know where to go, but for now they just need to drive.