Chapter 36
Dinner finished, everyone left the table and gravitated toward the baseball game on TV, the back porch, or the back yard to play volleyball. Cassie and her Grandmother headed for the kitchen to start the dishes. Cassie knew her Grandmother would want to talk about Connor, and she had discouraged help in the kitchen for just that purpose.
"He's a good man, yes?" Angelina asked.
"Si. A very good man, and a very good doctor. He cares about his patients. Really cares."
"He loves you."
"I love him," Cassie said quietly.
"Wedding soon?"
"Not soon, but someday. We're really not in any hurry."
"Cassandra Christine, you're 32. You'd better start thinking about being in a hurry, or you're going to run out of time for bambinos."
"Nonni, we want to make sure that this is right. We've only been dating six months. I only want to get married once. Not all of us can be like you and Papa."
Everyone in the family knew of her grandparents' love story. They had fallen in love on the ship on the trip from Italy to the United States. They were married practically the minute they had landed in America. It was a great story to share, and Cassie had often wondered how each Grandparent knew they were the right one for the other.
"How did you know he was the right one?" Cassie asked.
"Because I knew I didn't want to be without him for the rest of my life. You feel that way about Connor?"
Cassie nodded.
"Then he is the right one. Just don't wait too long. You might regret it."
"Grandma, I can't make him propose. He will when he's ready."
"Let's hope it's soon. I'm not getting any younger."
Cassie smiled and gave Angelina a kiss. "You're something else, Nonni."
Angelina waved her hand. "Eh. Go on, go sit on the porch with your Tesoro. And take the wine bottle."
Cassie reached inside a cupboard and took out a bottle of her Grandfather's homemade wine. "He never had homemade wine before today."
"Of course not. He's not Italiano."
"Is that a problem?" Cassie asked.
"No. He's a nice boy," Angelina said as she handed Cassie two wine glasses.
Cassie took the wine and glasses out to the back porch. She found Connor sitting in a chair, with Giovanna sitting in his lap, sound asleep.
Cassie smiled as she set down the glasses and bottle.
"She fell asleep right after we got out here," Connor explained.
"She does it every week. Eats her dinner and falls asleep."
"Great life, huh?"
"Can't be beat."
She poured both of them wine. "You're going to be a great father."
"Someday."
"You realize that Giovanna has a huge crush on Uncle Connor."
Connor looked down at the sleeping child occupying his lap.
"She's a beautiful little girl. Good too."
Cassie nodded. "How long has she been asleep?"
"About twenty minutes."
"She'll wake up in about ten minutes. Then she'll be raring to go. Be prepared, she'll most likely ask you to play Barbies with her."
He took a sip of the wine. "And like a good Uncle, I'll do it to make her happy."
"Thank you, Connor. That really means a lot to all of us."
"They're going to be my family someday. I may as well start making everyone happy now. It will make things a lot easier in the long run."
"You don't have to," she protested.
"It's fine, Cass. It's a horrible thing to disappoint a kid. You have to be a certain kind of evil to do that."
Cassie knew he was talking about his father. She let it go.
"It is very much appreciated."