When I brought Dominic home the first time I thought mom was going to have a coronary, and I didn't think it had anything to do with Daddy cleaning his guns right there in the living room. I found out that night that mom had dated Dominic's dad, Joe Morelli. She knew how Joe was, and so did Daddy, and they immediately held it against Dominic. It took over eight months for them to trust him enough to take me out by himself. As in, without one of them, or my brothers.

They even insisted on joining me for dinner at his parents house, and that was some special kind of awkward. Mr. Morelli had married a nurse several years after him and Mom split up and she was very nice. She could even cook, which Mom still can't do thirty five years after she'd split up with Mr. Morelli. Daddy didn't care, and despite their past, the dinner wasn't too terrible, just incredibly awkward. Dominic and I snuck out to the roof while my mom and his dad were arguing about some stupid thing having to do with peanut butter.

Dad caught us up there later, having scaled the side of the house. He was fifty seven then, twelve years ago, and we never heard him coming. It's okay though, because I was just laying with my head on his shoulder, holding Dominic's hand. We were talking about the stars and the solar system. Dominic's hands were clearly visible, and when daddy sat next to us, he nodded once at Dominic.

"You can date my daughter without us coming along now, son. I still don't like you, and if you ever treat my daughter the way your father treated my wife, no one will ever find you."

"Understood Mr. Manoso."

It took us until we'd been in a relationship for two years before we slept together the first time. He was who I wanted to spend my life with and I knew he felt the same way. We'd planned for that, even down to the area we'd like to live in. He'd saved every penny he could to buy me a promise ring for my eighteenth birthday, when we'd been together for three years. It was beautiful and the fact he worked so hard at the auto shop he had a job at to buy it made it more special than anything else.

He had even asked daddy for his permission. I'd overheard the conversation although I hadn't known about the promise ring yet.

"Mr. Manoso, I'd like to ask your permission to broach the subject of marriage with Lucy." I'd heard Dad grumble something before Dominic had continued, "please let me finish. I don't intend to ask her to marry me until we graduate college. I want to be able to buy a ring for her that she deserves, and I don't think we'd get married for a long time after that, because I want to be able to give her a good wedding and a great life. I'm only asking for your permission to talk about our future."

"I don't want to see her married before she's twenty five. I'd be happy if you were the one I was walking her down the aisle to meet, though, Dominic. When the time comes, not before."

A few days later he'd given me my ring. I still wore it on a chain around my neck. I'd always love Dominic. He had been my everything for a long, long time. I was playing with the ring one day when Gabriel sat down beside me.

"What's the story there," he asked me.

"My high school boyfriend gave it to me, as a promise that one day we'd marry."

"You never did?"

"He died six years ago. Cancer. I'm not sure how to move on, because I thought he was my other half. You're only supposed to get one of those, right?"

Gabriel shrugged. " Don't know. My mom and step dad went splitsville when I was a kid and their fights were epic, I never knew my real daddy. I haven't been in a serious relationship ever. Never felt love for a woman not my mom. Now she's gone too."

I hugged him with one arm, ignoring the way he stiffened. "I'm sorry to hear that, Gabriel. Watch my parents some time. They're still in love and it's been thirty five years."

Gavin had work with the office so I brought Gabriel with me when I went in. If nothing else he could meet some of my "uncles". I was especially interested in introducing him to Lester. Lester had never settled down, never felt that sparkle for anyone. He'd felt sparks but they were sexual and not love.

We came across Lester when he was dropping some forms off in my office.

"Uncle Lester, this is Gabriel Adams. He works with Gavin."

Uncle Lester looked up and stepped back, and Gabriel had a similar reaction upon seeing Lester.

"Goddamn, I've been looking for you for thirty fucking years!"

Whoa.